Therapy Services

Therapy Interventions

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a well known and increasingly popular form of psychotherapy.  CBT has been tested in many studies and found to be helpful in a wide variety of difficulties including depression, panic disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders.  CBT has been shown to help keep people well after they recover initially.  

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is known as the gold standard when it comes to
psychotherapy. It requires working with a psychotherapist in a collaboratively structured way.
CBT directs you into looking at your negative and faulty ways of thinking, so you may identify challenging events more clearly and instead of simply reacting, respond to them in a more productive way.

CBT, either alone or in combination with other therapies, can be a very powerful tool in
treating psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD or an eating disorder. However, everyone who benefits from CBT does not necessarily have a psychological condition. CBT is a powerful tool for anyone to learn how to manage stressful life situations effectively.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a trans-diagnostic treatment, which means that it can help people with a wide range of diagnoses or challenges because it targets underlying issues of emotional, behavioural, interpersonal and self dysregulation. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of DBT in treating Self-harm, Suicidal Behaviour, Eating Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, internet/tech addictions, Personality Disorders (e.g. BPD), Depression, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, Aggression and Disorders of Impulse Control.

DBT is centered around four core modules:

1. Mindfulness: Learning to stay present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, rather than getting lost in them.

2. Distress Tolerance: Building your ability to cope with and manage intense emotions without resorting to harmful behaviors.

3. Emotion Regulation: Gaining skills to identify and influence the emotions you feel in a more positive way.

4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Developing strategies to communicate more effectively, set boundaries, and improve relationships.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a powerful therapeutic approach designed to help people heal from the emotional distress caused by trauma, anxiety, and other distressing life experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on reprocessing unprocessed memories that are stuck and continue to trigger negative emotions or beliefs.While EMDR is widely known for its effectiveness in treating trauma and PTSD, it can also be beneficial for anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, and other emotional challenges.EMDR helps process distressing memories and negative beliefs that contribute to these conditions, allowing clients to experience relief and build healthier responses to life’s challenges.

EMDR may be a good fit if:

• You know logically that you’re safe, but your body keeps reacting as if you’re not

• Certain memories, images, or moments feel “stuck” and still carry a charge

• Your reactions feel bigger than the present situation (even when you understand why)

• You’ve talked things through, but the same automatic anxiety or emotional responses keep returning

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS is a powerful, non-pathologizing therapy model that views the mind as made up of different “parts” that carry emotions, beliefs, and past experiences. Rather than seeing these parts as problems, IFS helps you build a harmonious relationship with them, allowing for deep healing and self-awareness. IFS therapy focuses on exploring the different parts of yourself in a safe, guided way. Rather than suppressing or fighting against difficult emotions, IFS teaches you to befriend and understand them, leading to profound emotional relief and self-growth.

Key outcomes of IFS include:

• Increased emotional regulation and nervous system balance

• Reduced anxiety and inner pressure

• Greater self-confidence and self-trust

• More authentic relationships and boundaries

• A deeper sense of inner calm and clarity

Somatic Therapy

Somatic Psychotherapy is based on the belief that sometimes the difficult emotions (sadness, anger, grief) that arise during a difficult or traumatic experience, do not get fully processed and remain trapped in the body leading to distressing emotional and somatic symptoms. Somatic symptoms are physical symptoms with no organic cause) such as chronic pain, digestive disorders, sleep disturbances, etc.

An advantage of this therapy for trauma is that it focuses specifically on the body and does not involve any cognitive processing (thinking or talking about the traumatic event). This can be helpful for those who find speaking about the trauma too difficult or who do not have memories of the event. It can also be helpful as an adjunct to traditional therapy either before to prepare the nervous system for processing.

Somatic therapy helps the nervous system update these automatic responses by working with sensation, regulation, and safety in the present moment.

This approach is especially effective for:

• Generalized anxiety and chronic worry

• Panic and hypervigilance

• PTSD and developmental trauma

• Emotional overwhelm or burnout

• Feeling disconnected or numb