HOW WE TREAT

Therapeutic Modalities

A female counsellor with black hair, green long shirt, white skirt and lime green shoes is holding a grey laptop. The female counsellor is speaking into the laptop. There is a speaking bubble coming out of the laptop. In that speaking bubble is a client with red hair, grey long sleeve shirt and white pants sitting in a chair. That client is speaking into a different laptop. Both counsellor and client clearly shown.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) explores the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours. CBT allows people to challenge and then replace negative thinking patterns with positive behaviours and mindfulness exercises. CBT does this best by first identifying thinking traps and other cognitive maladaptations and then changes them through detective thinking and introducing replacement thoughts.

A women with brown skin, black shoulder lenght hair and a green dress is standing. In her right hand she is holding a minature man with brown skin, orange hair, red long sleeve shirt and long black pants. In the center of the mans chest is a black key hole. In the women's left hand she is holding a gold colored key. There are no physical features on either the womans face or the man's face.

A woman with dark brown skin, black shoulder lenght hair, a green long sleeve cardigan, blue pants and grey t-shirt is standing on top of a table. While standing on top of the table she is holding an object and the object is being held directly above the head of another person. This other person is sitting in a chair with their hands resting on their legs and facing forward so you can see their whole face. The person sitting in the chair has shorter black hair, dark brown skin and is wearing an orange tshirt and blue pants.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a novel way to treat anxieties, phobias, traumas and other distressing memories. Successful use of EMDR reprocesses and diminishes the emotional impact of memories through bilateral stimulation of the body. EMDR is based on the idea that bilateral stimulation helps the brain process traumatic experiences.

Complex Trauma Therapy

Trauma informed practice recognizes there is a primary link between poor mental health and trauma. Therapists who work from a trauma informed lens emphasize the importance of doing the work cautiously so that clients are not re-traumatized during their healing process. This may include engaging the conscious and unconscious portions of the body/mind connection.

A woman with dark brown skin, short ear lenght hair, a green long sleeve cardigan, black pants and grey t-shirt is standing on the ground. She is holding a light blue jigsaw piece with both hands and is completing a jigsaw puzzle which is floating in the air. This jigsaw puzzle is floating in the air directly above another person's head. This other person is sitting down on a short chair and has orange hair, brown skin, a black t-shirt, red pants and black shoes. The person with the orange hair is holding 4 smaller jigsaw puzzle pieces which are floating vertically directly over their right handed and outstretched palm. All the jigsaw pieces in the picture are light blue or grey in colour.

A woman with shoulder lenght red hair stands with her left and right arm holding the shoulder and elbow of another woman with black hair. The woman with red hair is wearing a sea green cardigan sweater, a white undershirt, teal trousers and black shoes. The woman with black hair has both her hands cradling her own face and is wearing an off-white shirt and red capris pants.

Polyvagal and Somatic Therapy

Polyvagal Theory explains how the autonomic nervous system influences social behavioural and emotional regulation; including how our bodies respond to safety and danger. Somatic therapy, informed by Polyvagal, focuses on body sensations and movement to address stress and trauma. Both Polyvagal and Somatic Therapy use breathwork, movement and body awareness to regulate the nervous system and promote healing + emotional well-being.

Mindfulness Informed

Mindfulness is a skill that practices noticing thoughts without judgement and being aware of the present moment. Mindfulness lowers stress levels in the body, helps regulate the nervous system and brings into balance the mind/body connection. Some examples of mindfulness techniques include: Breathing, Meditation, Yoga, Visualization, Somatic techniques (noticing your senses) and Tension Release exercises.

A woman with dark chocolate skin is sitting crosslegged and has both hands resting on each of her knees as in a meditation pose. There are no facial features on her face. Floating around this cross legged woman are four floating and disembodied heads. The first head has an expression of extreme sadness. The second head has an expression of being slightly upset. The third head has an expression of anger. The fourth head has an expression of happiness. Sitting in the background is a green and light orange coloured circle.

A red haired woman in a white knee length dress is moving closer to her final goals which is located on the highest pillar.

Dialectal Behavioral Therapy DBT

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Dialectal Behavioural Therapy, DBT, integrates various types of cognitive behavioural techniques with mindfulness and acceptance strategies. DBT focuses on building skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and mindfulness. DBT promotes acceptance and change simultaniously.

Emotion Focused Family Therapy

Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) focuses on skill development, validation and empowerment for parents and caregivers who have loved ones with mental health barriers. EFFT identifies parents and caregivers as the primary healers in their supportive relationships.

There is a woman with black shoulder lenght hair, brown skin and is wearing an orange summer dress. In both her hands she has two handheld puppets. In her right hand she has her hand in a male puppet that is wearing a white dress shirt and a blue tie. This puppet appears to be speaking. In the womans left hand she has her hand in a female puppet that is wearing an orange and red summer dress; this puppet also has red hair and appears to be pointing at the male puppet with her right index finger. The woman with the black hair has her head directed towards the male puppet.

This is a rough sketch of a circle drawn in black ink.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy empowers clients to use their own skills to solve their own life problems. Solution Focused therapy is generally best used in a short term and goal oriented approach. Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely (SMART) goals are part of Solution Focused Therapy and can be used effectively to set, review and achieve goals within a designated amount of time.

Strength Based

Strength-based work believes all individuals come with their own unique strengths and assets. By building supportive networks, relationships and complimentary skills, a strength based solution will focus on what is going well over any deficits. A strength based perspective will focus on building self-esteem, self-confidence and advocating for your own needs.

There is a woman with red hair, brown skin, blue jean capris, white t-shirt and red shoes staring into a mirror. The reflection in the mirror is distorted and the reflection makes her look fat. The border of the mirror is blue in color.