Trauma
Trauma is experienced in varying degrees and it is not the event that creates the issue, but rather the energy attached to the event. Trauma therapy has numerous active ingredients to the therapeutic process including self regulation, psychoeducation about the physiology of the body, building trust in the therapeutic relationship, modelling regulation and the observation and building of resilience and self-empowerment.
Regulation Exercises
Learning regulation techniques helps us feel grounded and improves one's ability to stay in the present, minimizing the affects of dysregulation. Regulation techniques such as breath work, meditation and EFT tapping help calm the body and through practice and self-awareness, one's ability to stay regulated will be experienced more often.
Grief and Loss
We all experience grief and loss at some point in our life, whether it be loss of a loved one, loss of a relationship, or anticipated loss due to illness. It is difficult to talk about loss, however with grief therapy I will walk beside you and hold space for you to grieve, make sense of your loss and integrate the loss into your life in a meaningful way.
Anxiety
Anxiety can compromise our ability to be in the present and leave us feeling vulnerable and stuck. It can be experienced in many different ways such as social where you fear being judged by others or saying something that may embarass you, medical and generalized anxiety.
Anxious thoughts are generated by fear. It is our own thought process that sets off the alarm in the body and closes the neural network, confirming that this event or situation should make you feel anxious.
Therapy aims to change our fearful thoughts that fuel anxious spiraling. The more you avoid the things that make you feel anxious, the more you confirm in your brain that you should feel anxious. There is a difference between scary discomfort and scary danger. Most anxiety is scary discomfort.
Exposure therapy and desensitization helps you learn to tolerate anxiety and change the narrative on fearful thoughts so that you can feel more present in the here and now.
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence is difficult to talk about. It is not uncommon to experience confusion, loss of self, and physical ailments. You may feel that you no longer recognize yourself. Often individuals who experience intimate partner violence may leave their partner numerous times before leaving for good or they may stay for the sake of family or other reasons. Neither decision is easy.
Therapy is adjusted to support my client in whichever direction they wish to go with a focus on building self-psychology, self-esteem, self-worth, self-love and most importantly self-compassion.
Learning about secondary abuse often provides clients with an "aha" moment which helps to clear confusion about being triggered by others outside the relational experience.
I will create a safe, non-judgmental space for you to begin your healing and work towards increasing well-being while ensuring your safety throughout.