Therapy Services

Psychotherapy

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."

Anna Quindlen

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and unable to deal with your problems? Welcome to the club!! According to recent research, more than a quarter of adults suffer from depression, anxiety or another mental disorder at any given time. Other people need help coping with a life threatening illness or struggle to cope with relationship, job stresses and job loss, the death of a loved one, stress, substance abuse or other issues. And these problems can often become debilitating.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between you, the client, and your psychologist. Grounded in dialogue, it provides a safe, confidential and supportive environment that allows you to talk openly with your psychologist who is objective, neutral and non-judgmental.

When you visit me, we will work together to identify and change the thought and behavior patterns that are keeping you from feeling and being the best you can be.

By the time you have completed the therapy process, you will not only have addressed the problem that brought you to therapy in the first place, but you will be better equipped to deal with whatever challenges arise in the future.

Psychotherapy with Adolescents

Children and adolescents have many ways to communicate emotional distress.

Children and adolescents sometimes

• feel very unhappy, worried, or frightened for reasons they cannot express
• do not want to leave their parents because they are fearful about being independent
• underachieve and battles to learn because they are preoccupied with worrying thoughts and feelings
• do not know how to make friends or get along with others at school or in the family
• get bullied or have a problem with a teacher
• are mean or aggressively because they cannot control their behaviour and cannot find meaningful ways to express their feelings.
• are trying to make sense of difficult life experiences
• feel restless and cannot concentrate because they have not acquired better ways to maintain confidence and calmness
• have negative attitudes toward themselves and cannot feel good about who they are, even though others can observe their obvious talents and abilities.
• have been exposed to overwhelming, stressful situations and do not know how to deal with it

Sometimes teens

• feel confused about their identity
• feel uncertain about their future.
• turn to drugs or alcohol to feel better because they are depressed.
• develop eating disorders as a way to manage difficult feelings they cannot express.

Sometimes children and adolescents do not respond to their parents' efforts to help them. This is when the help of a psychologist can be invaluable.

An average therapy session: 60 minutes

Play Therapy

Children cannot express themselves in the same way as adults do. Therefore play becomes the language through which the child communicates with the psychologist. Play Therapy allows for a safe environment through which the child can come in contact with his/her emotions. In this setting the psychologist teach the child {and parents} different coping and emotional skills. It could be said that Play Therapy addressed a specific problem and helps to create healthy positive development in your child.

When does a child need play therapy?

• When your child experiences a traumatic event in her/his life
• Nightmares or disturbed sleeping patterns
• Emotional, physical, sexual abuse
• Experiences tension, anxiousness or fear
• When a child is going through an adoption or fostering process
• Loss due to death {this can even include the loss of a pet}
• When your child withdraws emotionally and or socially
• Chronic illness or disability
• Struggles to make and keep friends
• Fights with peers and family members
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Experiences problems at school
• Bullying friends or gets bullied
• Family is going through a divorce
• Trying to make sense of learning difficulties and feels "different"

Do not hesitate to make an appointment to discuss these issues. A session usually lasts 60 minutes.

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps families or individuals within a family understand and improve the way they interact with one another and resolve conflicts together. This type of therapy strengthens the whole family, allowing each family member to rely on each other to work towards the change the family needs.

Family therapy can help patch up difficult relationships, teach new coping skills and improve how the family works together. Whether it's you, your partner, a child or even a sibling or parent who's in crisis, family therapy can help all of you communicate better and develop new ways to communicate and deal with each other.

During family therapy, you and your family will look at your family's ability to solve problems and share thoughts and emotions. You may explore family roles, rules and behaviour patterns to identify issues that contribute to conflict. The family will learn new ways to interact and overcome old problems. It will give you the opportunity to set individual and family goals and find ways to achieve it as a family.

Family therapy sessions are usually 90 - 120 minute sessions.

Parental guidance and support

Imagine how much easier life would have been if we received a manual at the birth of our children: a "how to raise a successful child"!

Well, unfortunately we do not, and for the most part we try our best with our children and "make it up" as we go along; or we fall back on how our parents did it- although we swore that we would never raise our children in the same way our parents raised us!

Raising children is not for the faint hearted and unfortunately sometimes we are at a loss. Parenting styles are often different and place strain on your relationship.

• You do not know how to discipline your child for the best effect.
• Communication has broken down between you and your adolescent or partner.
• How do we get the children to help around the house?
• Your child/adolescent has such a bad attitude. What to do?
• How and when do you tell your child about the birds and the bees?
• How do you motivate your child? Homework time becomes a war zone.
• I don't know my child anymore.
• The children are creating tension between my partner and I.
• How do redefine your relationship with your young adult children?
• How do we deal with it when the children start leaving the nest?
• How do I approach the school if I suspects a problem?
• I think there is a problem between my child and a teacher- how do I address it?
• How to create structure in the home.
• Skills that can help us cope with our ADD child.
• How to choose the right school for my child.

Do not hesitate to make an appointment to discuss these issues. A session usually lasts 60 minutes.

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe