In my counselling in Vancouver, I take a client-centred approach, grounded in a trauma-informed perspective, to create a safe and supportive therapeutic space. My approach is tailored to the unique needs of each individual, whether working with trauma, anxiety, ADHD and more. I frequently draw from Adlerian and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapies to help clients gain insight into themselves and their inner world. Additionally, I incorporate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and somatic tools to assist in reprocessing past experiences. This deeper understanding of and connection to our inner landscape fosters a healthier relationship with ourselves, bringing a sense of peace and harmony between the mind and body.
My Methods:
Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a transformative therapy approach that focuses on understanding and healing the different "parts" of ourselves. According to IFS, we all have various parts, each with its own thoughts, feelings, fears and goals. These parts often develop in response to life experiences and can sometimes become stuck in the specific time they were formed. In IFS, the goal is to help you recognize and understand these parts, and to help these parts process their fears and update their behaviours. A central concept is that beneath these parts lies your "Self," a core, compassionate, and curious you that can lead the healing process. Through IFS, we work to bring your parts into alignment, resolve internal conflicts, and promote healing, allowing you to feel more whole and your most authentic version of yourself.
Adlerian Therapy
Adlerian therapy, developed by Alfred Adler, is a holistic approach that focuses on understanding an individual’s unique inner world and focuses on the importance of connection to others. It emphasizes the idea that people are motivated by a desire to overcome feelings of being less than and to achieve a sense of belonging and clarity. In Adlerian therapy, the therapist works with the client to explore their early childhood experiences, family dynamics, and beliefs, which shape their current behaviours and attitudes. The goal is to help clients develop a sense of confidence, improve social connections, and make positive changes by understanding the deeper purposes behind their actions. Adlerian therapy fosters personal growth, empowerment, and a sense of connection, encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their lives and create meaningful change.
Attachment Therapy
Attachment therapy focuses on understanding and healing the emotional bonds between individuals, particularly between children and their caregivers. Based on attachment theory, it emphasizes the importance of early relationships in shaping how we connect with others throughout our lives. In attachment therapy, the therapist helps clients explore their past attachment experiences and how they influence current behaviours and relationships. By creating a safe and supportive environment, the goal is to help individuals develop secure attachments, heal from past wounds, and foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships. The therapy often involves building emotional regulation skills, improving trust, and helping individuals feel more connected to themselves and others.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was created to support individuals in processing and healing from traumatic or distressing experiences. It focuses on addressing and resolving the emotional effects of the traumatic events, including reducing physiological (body based) activation and flashbacks. EMDR is effective in treating conditions like PTSD, childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, grief and phobias, as well as helping individuals manage the effects of distressing memories.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they are no longer emotionally disturbing. It doesn’t erase the memory, but it helps the brain store it in a more adaptive, less distressing way. By using bilateral stimulation to rhythmically engage both hemispheres of the brain (through eye movement, tapping, or other forms of stimulation), we activate the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest + regulation zone), and help strengthen the connection between the prefrontal cortex (logic + decision making part of the brain) and the emotion centres of the brain.
EMDR therapy has 8 phases:
Phase 1: History taking and treatment planning - The therapist takes a history and prepares the client for reprocessing. The client and therapist explore the various memories or negative beliefs that the client would like to target with EMDR.
Phase 2: Preparation - The therapist will discuss the various methods of bilateral stimulation and resourcing the client with safety exercises such as grounding techniques, emotion regulation skills and mindfulness based visualization skills.
Phase 3: Assessment and Target Memory Set Up - The client will decide which memory they would like to work through. Together the therapist and client will identify the image, internalized negative belief, emotions and physical sensations attached to the memory.
Phase 4: Desensitization - The therapist will administer the bilateral stimulation while the client focuses on the memory and associated negative belief. The therapist will track the client’s progress, over time the emotional distress will decrease and a new healthier belief will replace the negative one.
Phase 5: Installation - Once the client reports that the emotional distress has reduced, the therapist focuses on ensuring that the new positive belief has replaced the negative one.
Phase 6: Body Scan - The therapist has the client engage in a body scan to identify any remaining areas of tension and then administer bilateral stimulation to reduce any leftover sensations.
Phase 7: Closure - Once the target memory is entirely reprocessed, the therapist and client spend some time debriefing the experience and positively reinforcing the changes.
Phase 8: Re-evaluation - The client and therapist identify new feelings, changes in behaviour, changes in reactions to triggers, and identify any new thoughts or insights.
The amount of sessions needed for EMDR can range depending on what the client is hoping to work through. An isolated single trauma can often be worked through in approximately 6 to 12 sessions. More complex trauma or repeated trauma may require longer term treatment over several months to a year.