My Work/Approach
I work from a racially and socially conscious perspective; with the awareness that life challenges are harder for those of us from racialised and immigrant backgrounds.Importance of Therapy you ask?
Therapy can help create clarity and a renewed plan for building a life worth living. Rooted in the belief that each client is doing the best they can and capable of doing even better, we draw upon a holistic method that partners with clients to learn new skills to manage painful emotions, decrease conflict in relationship and enhance a capabilities.
Choose self-care and build a life worth living:
- understanding and managing emotions
- navigating challenges with confidence and skill
- coping with distress and uncertainty
- understanding and challenging unhelpful thinking patterns
- improving relationships
- increasing self-awareness
Virtual Therapy:Video call
Due to COVID_19, I'm exclusively offering online services: through phone/video call. Most people find therapy sessions to be more enjoyable from the comfort of their own home or office. Covid-19 pandemic,scheduling, work and home demands can make it difficult to come into the therapy clinic.
Types of Therapies I Provides
Relational Psychotherapy
A therapeutic approach that focused on the “self-with-others”. In this approach, I work with the assumptions that we are social beings and relationships are the core of our harming and healing. Relational psychotherapy beliefs that we are “always being formed by our interactions with others” and how we perform “self” in different situations in our lives. -- Patricia A. DeYoung
Narrative Therapy
This is one of my favourite approaches. As we get to know each other in therapy, I pay attention to the language and words you use to tell me about yourself. The way you tell your story (the narrative) indicates your interpretation of your life experiences. One of my favourite parts of Narrative therapy is the “Exception” technique. It usually works like this: “Are there exceptions to this narrative?” And this can be effective because it helps us widen the narrative/story we have about ourselves. Major tools from narrative therapy include (i) deconstruction, (ii) externalization, and (iii) unique outcomes (exceptions). Narrative therapy works well with anxiety, PTSD, and depression, and grief and ADHD as well as attachment difficulties.
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
This approach assumes that emotions are key to our identity, and that our emotions impact our decision making and individual choices. Additionally, lack of awareness (or avoidance) of our emotions can cause harm and difficulty in self-regulating. It's important to remember that YOU are the expert when it comes to interrupting your emotional experience. My role is to accompany you as you name, express, and understand and move towards accepting your emotions. With EFT, I use Marc Brackett's emotional regulation tool known as RULER. It helps with identifying the underlying source of difficult emotions and learning then to work with, express, and regulate your emotions to make different choices.
Family Systems Therapy (and internal family systems)
This approach assumes that we are a part of our family of origin system. This approach came from Murray Bowen’s family systems theory which states that we are inseparable from our network of relationships. This approach invites you to look at the roles and scripts/expectations that your family of origin followed. By doing that, you look at how you operate in systems, and how the generational impact of the issues that we struggle with. Internal family systems (IFS) works very well with various types of trauma, this approach assumes that we exist in parts (within our mind). By learning how different parts of us function, we can better understand how the system (the individual) functions. I work with clients on labelling, recognizing and learning the interactions (relationship) between their parts. With the overall goal of integrating and harmonizing between the parts.
Fees, booking & policies
I provide a 15-25 min consultation over the phone at no charges
Are fees covered by OHIP?
Psychotherapy and Social Work are regulated health professions in Ontario and unfortunately they are not covered under OHIP. The majority of extended health benefits/employer benefits, do cover psychotherapy and social work services (typically in your health and dental insurance package). You’re encouraged to speak with your insurance provider about counselling services provided by a registered social worker and psychotherapist to determine your eligibility and approved rates of coverage. As of 2012 psychotherapy services provided by registered social workers are now recognized by Revenue Canada as eligible medical expenses that you can claim on your income tax.
Learn MoreMy Approach
Always Keep in Mind
To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you're ever going to fight. Never stop fighting. - -E.E Cummings
Confidentiality
Your confidentiality and privacy is important. Records of your appointments are kept per best practice guidelines. These records are locked securely and are released only to persons or service providers that you identify in a written consent form. Your records will not be released without your written consent unless they are subpoenaed by court. You have the right to be given a copy of your records and in such circumstances you will sign a form indicating that you have received these records and assume responsibility for the manner in which these copies will be used.
FEES AND BOOKING
For 50-60 minute session, my fees range between $70-$100 . Fees are payable at the beginning or end of each session, unless we make other arrangements. The agreed upon fee should be paid in cash or e-transfer at the begining/end of each appointment unless another arrangement has been made. Sliding Scale is offered for students and those in need of such adjustment. Requests for additional documentation or reports are charged at the usual hourly rate.
Cancellations Policy
If you need to cancel an appointment, please provide 24-hour notice. Providing less than 24 hours notice will result in a fee, due at the next session. However, Late Cancelation and or No-Show policies have changed due to COVID (no cancelation and No-Show fee)
Blog & Life
On My Body's Feelings
Therapy can be a tool of self-understanding and self-awareness. Most of us are not taught that self-awareness is a somatic process. Our culture teaches us to value our mind over our bodies. “Mind over matter”; implying mind >>> body. And we have various therapeutic models, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for example, are dedicated to the mind (thinking). So, as we prioritize our thinking over our bodies, we left out a key part to understanding ourselves; our feelings. Have you ever felt and reacted in a way that took even you off guard? Have you ever struggled to understand why you felt sad, angry, and or hurt? And have you ever felt made a decision guided by your emotions? Are you aware of the amount of decisions you make daily simply because of how you feel?
Our bodies hold our stories, they hold our experiences. We carry our history in our bodies. We carry our ancestors with us. Their memories. Therefore, to understand ourselves, our thoughts, our feelings and behaviours, we need to observe our bodies. Observing your body looks like a recognition of not only the thoughts the mind produces but also directing intention and attention to the feelings themselves. Questions like… “what am I feeling right now?” and “where am I feeling it in my body?” can be helpful...But this likely means feeling the hurt, sadness, and or anger and betrayal more deeply. Which, understandably, most of us don’t or can’t do on our own. I believe we have been conditioned to be afraid of our feelings. And rightly so! Feelings can overtake and overwhelm. But that is precisely because they are somatic. Feelings are felt, they are embodied. Research shows that it takes 90 seconds to identify an emotion, and once identified that emotion can I’d like to invite you in the moment to take an inventory of yourself.