So what is therapy, really?
Throughout life we necessarily craft intricate, detailed maps for moving through the systems that shape our world, guiding ourselves through the ups and downs of ambiguity, trauma, unpredictability, and change. But something shifts when our comprehensive structures stop protecting us.
Feeling at odds with our trusted routes and narratives is an exhausting experience, and the goal of therapy is to help you move towards the parts of yourself that feel dark and untouchable; the parts that feel overlooked, forgotten, and misunderstood. Over time, this process of deeper self examination untangles the knots that keep us stuck in place. When our story starts to shift, unfolding with the tides of change can bring us a sense of joy and wonder.
As a psychotherapist, I support clients by witnessing and exploring trickier parts and patterns with genuine curiosity and understanding, gently unearthing unconscious material and bringing it into conscious awareness. I believe that healing is a nonlinear journey comprising multiple chapters, which is why I draw from a range of psychodynamic and humanistic methodologies in my work, informing what I listen for, move towards, and consider in each session. Below are some key pillars of my eclectic approach. You can also find a partial listing of my trainings, certifications, and qualifications here.
Relational Therapy
Relational therapy emphasizes how our dynamics with other people impact our wellbeing. By establishing an in-depth and supportive therapeutic relationship, new insights into problematic relationship patterns are made possible.
Process-Experiential Therapy
Our emotions provide us with valuable information, and when the narratives we ascribe to them aren’t grounded in bodily experience, we can feel empty and stuck. Process-experiential theory, also called emotion-focused therapy helps us better identify, experience, accept, regulate, explore, transform, and flexibly manage our emotions.
Ego State Therapy
Ego state therapy describes our inner world as a system comprised of multiple “parts,” which have distinct perceptions, cognitions, and affects that impact our self perception and wellbeing. Understanding the ins and outs of our multiplicity helps us tap into the inner resources these parts offer.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy honours the principle that each person is the foremost expert on their own life. Exploring our life story allows us to develop new narratives while discovering important themes and patterns. This provides insight for self-understanding rather than detached intellectualization.
Analytic (Jungian) Psychology
Analytic psychology is a bit like the OG “parts work.” Primarily using dream analysis and active imagination, this framework invites us to understand where unconscious material resides in the neglected corners of our mind inviting us to reconnect with the parts of ourselves we’ve been conditioned to leave behind.
Psychoanalysis
Broadly speaking, psychoanalysis reveals how unconscious material from our past influences our conscious behaviours, thoughts, and emotions in the present, paying particular attention to early childhood development.
