My Approach

“Until you stop breathing, there’s more right with you, than wrong with you.”

– Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

This is also my guide and intention as a therapist. My work is to help an individual experience him or herself differently while providing compassion, presence and skill in a safe space.

I offer an integrated, eclectic approach to therapy that is based on each client’s needs. Understanding attachment style informs my therapeutic approach. I am always holding in mind the patterns of behaviour, thoughts and emotions that have arisen out of the adaptations a person may have made in response to relationships and experiences in childhood. This was first explored by John Bowlby. These patterns are often expressed within the therapy relationship, and can inform us about our implicit beliefs, our emotional and physical needs, and our behaviour.

My interest in the effects of trauma and the mind-brain-body connection has led to training in Somatic Experiencing® (SE) a body-oriented approach to trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine. I completed the three level training in SE in June 2018, and will continue with supervision in this approach to become a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP).  If you have suffered trauma, you may have learned from the experience that your body is not a safe place to be; you may perceive your body to be a place of pain, suffering and overwhelm. It is necessary to re-establish a relationship with your body in order to live a life in which you are able to feel grounded, fully present and open to experience. My approach integrates talk therapy with raising awareness of body sensations and body memory into session work. This is interesting stuff, and I try to keep on top of being informed. I follow research and reading by Bessel van der Kolk, Pat Ogden, Daniel Siegel, Peter Levine, Babette Rothschild, Stephen Porges, and Canadian Gabor Maté to name some of the movers and shakers in this field.

In 2017, I completed training in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and I am working toward certification in this approach with supervision. I am excited to be able to offer this alternative to talk therapy using Bilateral Brain Stimulation (BLS) for trauma resolution. EMDR is recognized for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress-Disorder (PTSD) by the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations. I am a member of EMDR-Canada and EMDRIA. For a brief introduction to EMDR, see: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk .  

In May 2019, I completed training in Clinical Hypnotherapy. I am interested in the benefit of hypnosis for addictions; EMDR can also be helpful for addictions as well.

I also trained in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I have worked with persons who have multiple chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic pain, ADHD, and multiple chemical sensitivities; depression and anxiety; persons who have experienced an overwhelming or traumatic event, such as an accident or physical assault, as well as with those who have experienced chronic trauma such as due to long-term illness, child or partner abuse.

I work with young (18+) to senior adults. Please contact me via email or telephone for an introductory conversation. This will allow you an opportunity to decide whether or not you want to work with me as your therapist-navigator. Counselling is a first step toward experiencing yourself differently. I welcome hearing from you.

– Heather