Sometimes, a person has thoughts, feelings, or beliefs that are distressing, or they do things that they don’t understand and don’t like. These things make their life difficult. My focus is on how the past affects the present, even if a person can’t see the connection. I understand that while situations feel hopeless, there are ways to use what we know of the science of the brain to find new options. Having worked in community mental health for several years, I’m familiar with the psychiatric diagnoses, including borderline personality disorder. I use a client-centred focus, and feel strongly that criticism has no place in therapy.
I use mostly use DBR Therapy in my practice, borrowing from other therapies as well, to address a wide variety of concerns, including trauma and dissociation – major traumas, and “smaller” traumas that aren’t always labelled as such – long-ago hurts that still affect today’s life. You don’t have to know what’s wrong in order to see me. Our work is centred on symptom relief.
Experience has shown me that everyone is doing the best they can, and that behaviours or symptoms that are causing distress have evolved for a reason, even if we can’t see it. Our job is to work together to discover what that reason is and to heal it. Every person has the ability to grow given the right opportunity and support. There is always hope!
