Services

Art Therapy

Art therapy is a therapeutic tool that helps with the expression of experiences, feelings, thoughts and imaginations. Its effectiveness is linked to projections and interpretations that one makes with the creation of their art.

Art therapy can be a useful method of expressing oneself when words and feelings are difficult to formulate – when language fails, the visual “word” can work in its stead to make visible the invisible (thoughts, feelings, behaviours). Art therapy can be used to help facilitate the release of anxiety, of anger, of sadness, to bring about calm. Meditative art can also be used in the mindfulness process.

CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy is widely used as a short term treatment of anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive behaviours and stress. CBT maintains that how one thinks influences ones feelings and ultimately their behaviour. Therapy involves becoming aware of thought patterns that are habitual and often unknown and challenging these automatic thoughts to bring about a change in how one views, not only themselves, but world and people around them. For example, if one unconsciously keeps thinking that they will fail, then the feeling can be anxiety and ultimately they may not attempt what they fear and cause failure- a self-fulfilling prophesy—-and the loop continues.

Thought patterns become ingrained through repetition, causing feelings and ultimately behaviours to “rule” one’s life. Cognition- awareness of these thoughts throws a “monkey wrench” in this automatic process.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

DBT

A process commonly used for treatment of BPD- this process incorporates the management of feelings to gain mastery and ultimately reduce helplessness and anxiety.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic therapy, also known as insight-oriented therapy, focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in a person’s present behavior. The goals of psychodynamic therapy are a client’s self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior. In its brief form, a psychodynamic approach enables the client to examine unresolved conflicts and symptoms that arise from past dysfunctional relationships and manifest themselves in the need and desire to abuse substances.

Hypnosis

This is a gentle process which accesses the subconscious to create changes in thought, feelings and behaviours. At no time does one “lose oneself” and do something that violates one’s values or accepted patterns of behaviour. Hypnosis happens without awareness at times-driving and arriving at destination without being fully aware of “being there” is an example of self hypnosis. Repetitive activities can be hypnotic because they require no thought.

During a hypnotic session, one can come out at will without the aid of the therapist.
Hypnosis can help with anxiety, stress, and sleep, changing eating patterns, calm, confidence and other such situations.

Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling and community work, which centres people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives.

Guided Imagery & Relaxation

Guided imagery (sometimes called guided meditation, visualization, mental rehearsal and guided self-hypnosis) is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses the imagination in proactive, positive ways. It can be as simple as an athlete’s 5-second pause, just before leaping off the diving board, imagining how a perfect dive feels when slicing through the water. Or it can be as complex as imagining the busy, focused buzz of thousands of loyal immune cells, swarming out of the thymus gland on a search and destroy mission to wipe out unsuspecting cancer cells.

ImTT

Image Transformation Therapy- a new approach for resolving emotional challenges using the breath and visualization to release feelings and clear out negative memories. This procedure works on the premise that feelings of fear and shame underlie all emotions and they are held in place by a memory or image. Deconstructing these emotions and the image associated with them through this therapy of visualizing and releasing, is an easy and gentle way of removing them from the body.