My approach to therapy is relational, experiential, somatic and emotion-focused.

We will work with the felt sense of emotions in your body while also exploring your early relationships and attachment style in order to learn why you are the way you are. Once you come to know yourself in this way, you can learn to work with — and eventually transform — the ways of being that no longer serve you, and step closer toward living your truth.

In each of our sessions we’ll integrate early attachment theory, nervous system regulation, trauma informed interventions, interpersonal practice, a whole-systems approach, and somatic experiences. Drawing on the knowledge that you already hold in your body, heart, and mind, we’ll create the change you desire.

My approach to therapy knits together two unique, but complementary, modalities:

  • Accelerated Experiential Psychodynamic Therapy (AEDP), and

  • Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy

Accelerated Experiential Psychodynamic Therapy

(AEDP)

Reduce your suffering and undo aloneness by processing emotions together within the therapeutic relationship.

We’ll use this approach to support you as you engage with your emotions. AEDP helps you locate the often elusive “felt sense” that we all experience but often have difficulty articulating. Understandably, we’re often afraid of our emotions because we don’t want to feel pain. AEDP offers the opportunity to safely feel our feelings fully, in the presence of a caring professional, so we can move past all of our well-worn protective defenses.

As we practice identifying and being present with your emotions in a safe way, your brain will create new neural pathways that evoke a sense of well-being on an emotional level. Simply put: your neurobiology will change so you can start feeling better.

In order to achieve this, we’ll use the five senses to identify and work with the felt sense of an emotion in your body. You’ll learn what your emotions are telling you, and practice having transparent conversations about the way you’re feeling. So often we lack a language for expressing our emotional experiences which leaves us stuck and unsure about what to do with the feelings we have. Using this technique, I’ll guide you through expressing and responding to your emotions in a healthy and supportive way.

Your suffering can be transformed.

Click here to read more about AEDP.

Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy

Find greater calm and ease by soothing your nervous system through embodied awareness and somatic interventions.

No matter our current circumstances, or the history that got us here, we all come up against issues that feel difficult, or even unsurmountable. Whether those challenges are relational, systemic, or circumstantial in nature, too many of us have learned to cope by shutting down our emotional and embodied selves.

Our early life experiences create a neurophysiological and psychological blueprint that we rely upon throughout our lives. The coping strategies we develop from these early experiences directly impact our perceptions and experiences of ourselves, others, and the world. Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy relies on the body’s intrinsic knowledge to heal trauma and attachment wounds, as well as behaviours that no longer serve you.

By acquiring tools to work with the physical body, we can also strengthen our trust in our own innate knowledge and build our sense of intuition. I’ll guide you through the process of attuning to your body, possibly in a way you’ve never done before, so you can learn to read the signals your body is giving you. We collaborate in a process of shifting your embodied trauma by healing your attachment wounds and relational ruptures.

And always, I’ll be alongside you the whole way. I will not abandon you in your vulnerability.

You need to feel safe in order to make lasting change.

In addition to the above two approaches, I knit together a number of other frameworks and techniques.

Before we engage in any deep work together, we will focus on ensuring your nervous system is regulated. Together, we will practice safe and simple interventions that you can carry with you into your daily life. These techniques will help you to feel calm, connect with others, and improve your overall mental health and resilience.

In our sessions, I will also incorporate attachment theory, along with a whole-systems view, to ensure we understand and acknowledge the full context of your life. That means we’ll explore your family of origin, how you tend to function in relationships, and the broader systems at play that may be impacting you.

You did not become who you are in isolation; you became who you are in relationship. Together we’ll come to understand how your attachment style and wounds show up in your life now, and then use the therapeutic relationship we create together to shift those patterns in a more supportive direction.

I apply the above framework to a number of different situations and scenarios that you might be experiencing. Here is a bit about how I approach some of the common struggles I see in my clients:

  • I approach anxiety in a very embodied way. Together we will learn to trust that your anxiety is just one of many emotions. Often anxiety is hiding another, deeper core emotion. When we can identify that underlying emotion at the root of our distress, we can start to actually feel and address what is going on.

    We will also focus on learning how to tolerate the discomfort of anxiety in order to prevent it from getting in the way of living your life.

    In addition, I will help you to stop getting stuck in ruminating thoughts and fears, by bringing your focus back to a more felt sense of your anxiety instead. We’ll get out of your head and back into your body so we can better work with and shift the sensations you are experiencing.

  • Grief is an emotional response to loss. The loss might be associated with the death of a loved one or a beloved pet, or with the loss of a dream or a hope you once had. There’s no one way or “right way” to grieve so no matter your experience, it’s best to refrain from self-judgment and expectations of what you “should” be feeling or how you’re reacting.

    When we experience loss our sense of reality is challenged and we often resist accepting our new circumstances. We easily become unmoored and may even notice ourselves behaving in ways that seem surprising and unfamiliar. Simple day-to-day responsibilities can be overwhelming as we struggle to function.

  • Change is inevitable and nothing in life is static or stable. This can often feel scary and overwhelming, and it can be helpful to have support.

    Ageing is a natural process that can present real challenges. Some older adults look forward to moving from middle age to their later years, but for others that transition might be difficult to accept. Considerations like health, mobility and medical conditions, or stress due to a changing identity, retirement, or financial security can be very significant. It may be challenging for some older adults to consider their own mortality, especially as they witness friends, peers, partners and spouses pass away. Isolation can also be very significant for some.

    If this resonates, therapy may help you to manage your emotions, find new sources of fulfillment and meaning, and create new support systems. I’m also happy to support family members who may be caregivers of relatives or friends who are navigating these life transitions.

  • As social creatures, we are always in relationships with others: family, friends, colleagues and partners. And yet, relationships are not easy.  When difficulties arise, many people are quick to give up, blame themselves or others, or get stuck and do nothing at all, simply hoping that things will change. This can lead to feeling trapped in a relationship where resentment or disappointments abound, or we face the painful effects of isolation and loneliness.

    I work to create a setting where clients can be heard and understood and where the emphasis is on problem solving and not blaming and re-enacting old patterns.

    A successful relationship, no matter how it is defined, is one in which feelings can be readily expressed while each of the participants is able to maintain a sense of their individual identities. With therapy, you can learn how to behave differently, learn what you really want and how to communicate that to others.

  • Unfortunately, while there is greater recognition of a range of gender and sexual identities and expressions today, we’re still striving towards a socially just society. Searching for self acceptance and acceptance from others, the ongoing process of coming out in multiple contexts, or grappling with an “authentic” sense of yourself can lead to feeling depleted, depressed and anxious.

    Social inequities based on dominant misunderstandings about identity, such as ethnicity, ancestry, ability, age or religious background, can further complicate life’s challenges or amplify your feelings of isolation, frustration and sadness. Therapy can help you manage the diverse range of emotions and lived experiences that all of us face, but that may feel particularly challenging for those in the LGBTQIA community.

  • Inevitably, life brings challenges: we fall, make mistakes, and we are subjected to experiences we didn’t want or ask for. Personal growth occurs when we make the choice to turn inward and move forward afresh with new insight and vision for ourselves.

    Sadly, our culture isn’t very supportive of us seeking healthy and sustainable self-care solutions. The overwhelming message is that “quick fixes” exist and self-exploration is indulgent. In fact, the opposite is true. Seeking wellbeing can actually help you make lasting change. Examining your own life can connect you to greater satisfaction and fulfillment.

    Personal growth is a lifelong process with no single roadmap. I strive to support clients to identify the changes they want to make and develop strategies that address those goals. In doing so, I encourage clients to achieve congruency with their core values and clarity around their self identified goals. Therapy isn’t just for those moments when one is in crisis or pain. If you feel a pull to expand, to transform and to grow into wellbeing, we can work together to achieve that.

  • Self-compassion is the ability to turn understanding, acceptance, concern and love inward. Many people are able to extend compassion toward others but find it difficult to extend the same compassion toward themselves. They may see self-compassion as an act of self-indulgence. In fact, self-compassion can help relieve distress associated with anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.

    As compassion and acceptance for oneself grows, one’s sense of self-worth tends to increase. In doing so, clients often notice that their compassion and empathy for others grows as well. As a result relationships have the capacity to thrive and grow and people find more authentic and meaningful connections with one another.

  • I am skilled at working with both long-standing trauma, such as ongoing childhood neglect, experiences of abuse or relational trauma. I am also comfortable supporting folks who have experienced acute and intense traumatic incidents. I have extensive experience working with individuals who have PTSD and complex PTSD to help resolve the sometimes debilitating impact this can have on their lives.

    My approach to therapy is deeply trauma-informed in that I will always ensure you feel safe and maintain a regulated nervous system in our sessions together. From there, we will use the approaches outlined on this page to process the emotions and experiences arising from your trauma.

    I am also trained specifically in working with first responders who been exposed to traumatic incidents in the workplace. You can read more about that training and specialization [here].

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