Counselling & Psychotherapy

What is it and who does it help?

Counselling - it is hard to think of a time when getting good 'counsel' is not helpful.  There are many times in life we need to be heard, even if to just hear our own thoughts and have them reflected back to us.  This is especially true during life transitions-whether to make our own clear decision at a crossroad or to ease into a gradual change; coping with stress; living with grief and loss; managing challenging mood states such as depression and anxiety; processing trauma; looking at our relationship to addiction; or looking at how we are in relationship to others and to ourselves.

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Psychotherapy, while similar in many aspects, can be thought of as a deeper dive into the 'why'.  

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How do we start?

Before we begin, there is a consent form to complete which I will review with you.  You will be sent a link to the form after you book an appointment.  

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When we meet, we will go over a brief history and assessment, discuss what has brought you to this service, what you hope to get out of it and then we will set an initial path forward. As Pema Chödrön says, it is always best to "Start where you are."  We can use our difficulties to our advantage if we look at them as doorways.  I use ACT as a practice model, so there will almost certainly be some mindfulness related "homework" offered to continue your practice between sessions (which can be scheduled as you feel fits). We can discuss along the way what works for you and what doesn't. We'll adapt as we go. The most important feature in therapy is to be met where you are, to be seen and heard with compassion in this moment. So we begin there. 

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 “Only when compassion is present will people allow themselves to see the truth.” ― A.H. Almaas

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