Therapies I use
Every client is different, and I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to counselling. I draw from a range of evidence-based therapies depending on what you're dealing with and what resonates with you. Here's an overview of the approaches I use most frequently — if you have questions about any of them, I'm happy to discuss during our first session.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
EFT is one of the most research-supported approaches I use for couples — around 70-75% of couples who complete EFT move from distress to recovery.
Developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, EFT is based on the science of adult attachment and bonding. Together we identify the negative cycles you and your partner keep getting stuck in, understand the deeper unmet needs underneath, and build new ways of connecting that create lasting security and trust.
EFT gets to the root of disconnection rather than just managing conflict on the surface — making it particularly effective for communication breakdown, emotional distance, and loss of intimacy.
Book a session to find out if EFT is right for you and your partner.
Gottman Method Couples Counselling
When working with couples I use the Gottman Method because it's grounded in decades of research on what actually makes relationships work — and what doesn't.
The goals are to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy and emotional loneliness; and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.
Book now to find out how Gottman based sessions can help you and your partner.
SPACE Therapy
SPACE Therapy (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a structured, evidence-based program for child and teen anxiety that works primarily with parents. Rather than putting the child in therapy, SPACE focuses on changing how parents respond to their child's anxiety — which research shows is one of the most effective ways to reduce anxious behaviour and build a child's confidence.
COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)
When I work with you from a cognitive behavioural perspective, we focus on how your mind interprets situations and how this impacts your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
From this perspective we will look at: setting concrete goals and using specific techniques to change your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Some of the techniques we may use are: cognitive restructuring, thought journaling, exposure therapy, behaviour activation, and relaxation and stress reduction techniques.
SOLUTION-FOCUSED THERAPY (SFT)
I find solution-focused therapy particularly powerful for clients who are tired of analysing the problem and are ready to start building toward something better. So, rather than rehashing the past, or causes of problems, we focus on finding the solutions that can help you overcome your issues without them taking center stage.
Some techniques we may use are: finding exceptions to the problem, doing one thing differently, identifying what we can change now, and social learning: using others as examples to get past current blocks.
NARRATIVE THERAPY
I use narrative therapy because I believe the stories we tell ourselves about our lives are powerful — and that power can be reclaimed.
As we live we create stories about our lives that we tell ourselves. Sometimes these stories can become bogged down with problems that keep us from focusing on our skills, values, abilities, and goals.
By re-storying your life and externalizing the problem you can regain your focus on events, people, and goals that are relevant to who you want to be. Some techniques we may use are: framing the problem, externalizing the problem, and creating new storylines.
ATTACHMENT THEORY
Understanding your attachment style can be genuinely eye-opening — I use this lens to help you understand why you relate to others the way you do, and how to build healthier connections.
An attachment perspective allows me to focus on your developmental process and how your formative years shaped how you interact with the world and form relationships with others.
Working from this perspective we can identify how developmental environments shaped how you attempt to meet your needs.
From this perspective we will explore creating relationships, establishing safety, setting boundaries for yourself and others, and understanding how developmental events have created your responses to the world.
TRAUMA-INFORMED THERAPY
I approach all my work through a trauma-informed lens because understanding how past hurts affect present behaviour is fundamental to lasting change.
In implementing trauma-informed care, (TIC) our focus will be on building physical and emotional safety, trust, transparency, and empowerment.
Some areas of focus during therapy would be: understanding physiological response, identifying triggering events and situations, building emotional regulation capacity, constructing supportive resources. Then, when you are ready, exploring your trauma in a collaborative manner to help you process and heal from it safely.
ECOTHERAPY
Living in the Kootenays gives us something most therapists don't have access to — and I think the natural world can be a genuinely powerful part of the healing process.
Working from this perspective we will focus on how you can connect with the natural world. I have found that immersive and experiential activities in nature can develop context and provide perspective shifts for individuals. Some activities we may explore are mindful hiking, gardening, shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), biking, skiing, snowboarding, and grounding techniques.