Therapy Is Just Talking, Right?
There are actually lots of different therapy types and techniques out there that occur while therapists and clients are talking.
I ‘borrow’ from a few different therapies depending upon the client (e.g., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Person Centred Therapy and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy), but my go-to approach is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT (spoken as the word ‘act’, not A.C.T).
What is ACT?
Instead of fighting or avoiding uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches you to accept them and respond kindly, says the Cole notes.
You might be thinking- but I don’t want to feel like this anymore, that’s why I’m coming to a therapist! I get it.
But here’s the important part: ‘Acceptance’ doesn't mean you agree or like these experiences—it means you're willing to acknowledge they exist and not let them get in the way of you doing things in your life that are important to you.
I love ACT because I find it’s a realistic approach for the complicated lives we all lead these days, and it provides lots of practical tools that you can apply to your everyday life.
For any research nerds out there (perhaps just me), there have been almost 18,000 studies in the last ten years that show ACT is effective for a wide range of mental health issues.
What does ACT achieve?
You know how we often get stuck in looking at things from a particular perspective? ACT helps us separate ourselves from our unhelpful thoughts, so we’re less likely to get stuck in loops of doubt and negative thinking.
How can ACT be applied?
People often ask me if I give ‘homework’ to do between sessions. I’m not going to give you lots of paperwork to fit into your already busy life. However, I will ask you to practice some of the skills you’ll learn in our sessions. That’s because the more we practice things, the better we become at them (such as musical instruments and languages).
It’s the same with therapy. The good news is that anything I ask you to practice will always be directly applicable to your everyday life. I don’t promise miracles, but it’s rare that people don’t learn how to deal more effectively with their situation if they come to therapy with an open mind and are practicing the skills to see what works best for them.
I want you to move away from the things that don’t serve you or bring you joy start living your life on your own terms. This is especially true for those who find themselves in a situation that doesn’t have a ‘solution’ (such as having a chronic illness or you’re a caregiver). Taking an active part in therapy will give you the tools to heal and thrive.
My goal is for you to feel confident that you have the tools you need to manage the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that you encounter in life. Because the reality is that life can be So. Freaking. Hard. I want you to feel more hopeful, have healthier relationships, understand patterns of behaviour and learn to accept yourself.
I want you to move away from the things that don’t serve you or bring you joy to start living your life on your own terms. This is especially true for those who find themselves in a situation that doesn’t have a ‘solution’ (such as having a chronic illness or you’re a caregiver). Taking an active part in therapy will give you the tools to heal and thrive.
My goal is for you to feel confident that you have the tools you need to manage the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that you encounter in life. Because the reality is that life can be So. Freaking. Hard. I want you to feel more hopeful, have healthier relationships, understand patterns of behaviour and learn to accept yourself.
How I work...
First, we’ll have a free 20-minute consultation, so I can find out more about what you’re looking for and we can decide if we think we’d work well together.
Then, we’ll agree a time to meet for a 50-minute session, where I’ll ask you some questions to understand you a bit more and we’ll decide what we’re going to work on first.
We’ll meet every week or every other week after that, when we’ll discuss what’s going on for you, agree what we want to work on in the session and I’ll highlight any relevant skills that could be helpful as we talk.
After attending therapy for a while, many people will do monthly ‘check-in’ sessions, just to help them keep using the skills they learned.
Sessions
I offer a 20-minute free consultation for new clients so we can talk about the issues challenging you and I can answer any questions you may have.
Regular sessions are 50 minutes long and are charged at $160.
Cancellations are free when more than 24 hours’ notice has been provided. Otherwise, the full fee must be paid.
OHIP does not cover counselling or psychotherapy. Some health insurance companies cover services provided by mental health professionals. Carefully check your benefits plan to understand your coverage. Unfortunately, I am unable to directly bill insurance companies.
Payment is by e-transfer or credit card. A receipt will be provided after each session, which will include my registration number with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
