Clinical approaches

In my therapeutic approach, I embrace empathy, transparency, fresh ideas, valuable insights, and thought-provoking questions, especially when facing challenges in therapy sessions. My primary focus is on building authentic connections with my clients, always respecting and honoring their unique life experiences. Over the years, I've dedicated myself to creating a safe and supportive space for all your thoughts and concerns. Together, we'll work towards freeing you from burdens so you can lead the life you desire.

My personal approach to therapy is very much dependent on what you, the client, need and want from our sessions. I may combine different aspects from different therapeutic approaches in a way that will best support your goals and needs.

My overall style is eclectic which means that I may use a variety of treatment modalities. I like to incorporate spirituality in my practice if this resonates with you. Some of the modalities I may use in our sessions include:

Brainspotting

Brainspotting Therapy (BSP) is a profoundly effective type of psychological treatment that uses eye positioning to process difficult emotions and unresolved traumatic experiences. A therapist guides the client with focused mindfulness and specific eye positions. This allows painful or distressing memories to be processed by the brain so that they are no longer distressing, allowing people to heal from past traumatic experiences. This method is also used to help people with anxiety, stress and worries, eating disorders, addictions, performance issues, helping them work towards their goals and dreams.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a structured, problem-focused and goal oriented form of psychotherapy. CBT helps people learn to identify, question, and change how their thoughts and beliefs relate to their emotional and behavioural reactions.

CBT has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use, eating disorders, and many other struggles. Numerous research studies indicate that CBT leads to improvement in functioning and quality of life.

Internal Family Systems Therapy

(IFS) is a highly effective, relatively new form of therapy that has been proven by research to be effective in treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, other trauma - related disorders and even physical health issues.

The main idea of IFS is that the psyche is made up of three different categories of parts: exiles, managers, and firefighters. Psychological parts in each of these categories are essentially subpersonalities with their own distinct—and extreme—ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. In addition to these parts, however, there is also the Self, which is the unconditioned essence within everyone. Unlike the extreme parts, the Self is characterized by clarity, compassion, courage, confidence, and curiosity.

Exiles are the aspects of the psyche that have been frozen in the past through trauma or oppressive family or cultural constraints. They contain overwhelming terror, loneliness, sadness, emptiness, and feelings of worthlessness. When exiles are triggered, people tend to completely lose control and become plunged into overwhelming emotion.

Managers are the aspects of the psyche that prevent the exiles from being triggered by attempting to control our inner and outer worlds. They tend to be harsh taskmasters, and, despite their protective function, often cause serious problems. Self-criticism, anxiety, overachievement, body image issues, and even depression all serve the managerial function of keeping exiles locked away.

When the managers fail in their duty to prevent the activation of the exiles, firefighters rush in to do anything they can to put out the flames of overwhelming emotion. Firefighter activity can take the form of binge eating, excessive drug or alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, self-harming, and even suicide. Needless to say, firefighter activity is often quite destructive, and it tends to lead to profound feelings of shame.

Last but not least, there is the Self. The Self is not so much a part as it is a person’s inmost essence. Where the parts are identifiable by their extreme character, the Self is identifiable by its curiosity, compassion, confidence, clarity, and connectedness. All people, no matter how battered or lost they may seem, have a Self; just as the sun doesn’t disappear on a cloudy day, so the Self can only be obscured, never eliminated, by the extreme activity of its parts.

The goal in IFS is to release exiles, managers, and firefighters from their extreme roles and increase inner harmony by helping people learn to live from the Self rather than being taken over by their different parts.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

This type of therapy has been around since the 1970s. It is a form of talk therapy. If you struggle to manage your emotions or control unhealthy or harmful behaviors, DBT could be a good choice for you.

DBT skills can become part of your daily life. The four strategies you'll focus on are:

Distress tolerance. You can't avoid all stress and pain. But you can learn to tolerate intense, uncomfortable emotions without reacting impulsively, using self-injury, or turning to drugs or alcohol to cover up your stress.
Emotion regulation. Once you learn to recognize the emotions that you're having, you'll find it easier to manage them.
Mindfulness. Instead of wishing to change the past or worrying about the future, you'll learn ways to stay anchored in the present moment.
Interpersonal effectiveness. You'll learn how to better manage the relationships in your life. That includes asking for what you want and need, as well as setting boundaries and dealing with conflicts.

Narrative Therapy

Narrative Therapy is a respectful, non-blaming approach, which centres people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives.

Narrative therapy does not seek to transform the person in therapy. Instead, it aims to transform the effects of a problem. Its goal is to make space between a person and their issue.