We often begin with talk therapy to gain a clear understanding of what’s currently coming up for you. This gives us space to explore your thoughts, feelings, patterns, and lived experiences, and helps identify the therapeutic techniques that will best support your growth and healing.

From there, we may integrate a variety of approaches—such as inner child work, somatic awareness, mindfulness practices, or cognitive tools—depending on what feels most aligned for you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a solution-focused, goal-oriented approach to psychotherapy that takes a practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving. It’s highly structured, with a focus on the present and future, rather than exploring the past.

The goal of CBT is to change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior, as our thoughts drive our actions—and our actions can influence our thoughts.

In our sessions, I’ll guide you through specific techniques and strategies, empowering you with the tools and knowledge to manage and shift unwanted behaviors on your own outside of therapy.

DBT is considered a subset of CBT. There are some similarities, for example, that they are both present and future focused. However, in DBT, we focus heavily on mindfulness skills and regulating emotions. 

The term "dialectical" refers to the concept of balancing two opposing forces. In DBT, we specifically focus on the balance between change and acceptance, recognizing that both are essential for healing and growth.

In DBT, we examine the specific behaviors you want to change, using a highly structured approach. Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT is effective in helping individuals develop skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships.

One of the core components of DBT is the concept of the "wise mind"—a balanced state that integrates both your emotional and rational mind. The goal is for us to work together to change undesirable behaviors, while helping you access your wise mind in moments of emotional intensity.

I essentially teach you the steps so that you have the knowledge outside of session to combat your unwanted behaviours yourself.

This therapy is body-focused because I believe emotions are stored in the body. Somatic therapy helps release tension, pain, anger, hurt, and other emotions that may be lingering in your body due to past experiences.

In our sessions, we may incorporate techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, body awareness exercises, or gentle movement. You might be guided to notice areas of tension in your body, or we may explore physical sensations tied to emotional experiences.

Together, we’ll develop a deeper awareness of the mind-body connection, allowing us to identify and enhance your body’s natural ability to heal from trauma. By learning to listen to your body, you can release what no longer serves you and create space for healing.

Parts work is based on the concept that our personality is made up of different parts, each originating from our subconscious. These parts can represent various aspects of ourselves—such as inner children, protectors, critics, or other roles—shaped by our past experiences, emotions, and beliefs.

This approach is particularly effective in healing trauma, as it enables us to explore and heal the wounded or fragmented parts of the self, while also strengthening the more resilient, resourceful aspects. 

Narrative therapy is a very cognitive process. Together, we look at the dominant stories in your life that you are physically, emotionally and mentally living and breathing. These are particular stories that are not necessarily serving us or helping us. The goal of this therapy is to create a new story to carry forward in your life, a concept we call re-authorizing. This therapy as a whole is a really unique technique as we are ultimately re-telling your story to find new meaning in old experiences. And this new story will be a helpful and enriching one.