You Want A Therapist Who Gets It
You've managed to carve out some time for yourself. To have some space and try and do something for you. Maybe this latest go-round with your child or teen has left you feeling exhausted, defeated and just tired. So you decided to start on your search for a counsellor.
Maybe you googled "therapist near me" or "counselling anxiety" or "counselling kids Victoria" and what you got was numerous pages of options.
You've felt the overwhelm of too much information - information that feels like it should be enough but still leaves you wondering if you actually know enough to make the decision.
You have a lot going on and your time is valuable.
As a counsellor and a former teacher, I have spent over 15 years working with people whose lives have been impacted by anxiety, grief, ADHD, abuse, unhealthy relationships, chronic pain, trauma and other hurtful, painful stuff that no one likes to talk about.
I work with clients whose anxiety has their world collapsing into an isolating small box that they feel they can't escape. I work with clients where big emotions feel like they dominate their life and have left them wondering if it is possible to have the calm, peaceful family relationships they've dreamt of. Or if it is possible to stop the negative self-talk that seeps into conversations.
I became a therapist so that I could work with people as they face these challenges. I wanted to be that person that my clients know has their back and really understands them, in a world where it seems no one understands each other.
What I'm Like In Therapy
I know that speaking to someone you don't know can be weird or scary. Especially when we're talking about deep, sometimes painful, things. No worries here. I have a laid back, informal style. I use casual language, nothing fancy. The casual style also extends to the clothes I wear - don't be surprised if you see me in jeans as I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor. I take a casual, open approach to things, but that doesn't mean I'm not here to work.
I am not one to sit and stare at you with a blank face and mumble out "uh uh" the whole time. We'll bring out the art materials, figurines and sandtray when we need different ways of communicating hard things that make them not so hard to say. Also, we'll probably share some laughs as I feel humour is an important part of the healing process - and I'm pretty goofy at times. I ask a lot of questions so I can make sure I'm really understanding you.
Working Together
Don't be surprised if we are actively doing things in session such as relaxation techniques, learning and practicing new skills, or just engaging in exercises to help with concepts and reaching goals. It's never "just" play, sand, art or talk. If it ever feels like it is, let's talk about that.
The most important thing to me is that you feel like you are getting the most out of our work together. An important standard to me is providing quality care because I know therapy is an investment and a game-changer. I'll encourage you to bring up thoughts and feelings about how you are experiencing our work together, so I know how I can be as helpful as possible to reach your goals.
I want to hear from you, let's get your free consultation started.
What I'm like in session, what I believe and how I work are all important things to know. After all, research shows that the therapeutic relationship is very important to successful therapy.
However, it's also good to know what training backs up what is done in the therapy room and what your therapists' specialties are. After all, we all have areas that we're best in.
Interested in knowing more about me?
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