
Weekly connection with a professional, in the comfort of your own sweatpants, and your dog by your side.
Individual Virtual Therapy in British Columbia
Fun facts about online counselling
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It can be more cost effective for both your time and money overall. Considering transport or fuel costs and the time it takes to travel to and from an office vs your own sofa.
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On the rare occasions that internet has been on the blink or has been slow, it helps to have the Zoom meeting on mute and I call you on the phone at the same time. This way, we can see each other, hear each other and put less pressure on your computer-processor-machine-thingie! The picture-syncing time has always caught up in doing this trick.
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Online therapy has been shown to be just as effective as in person. An even helps accessibility for people who are living with social anxiety, or health or mobility issues.
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Your dog and cat will likely keep our conversation confidential, and so they are totally welcome to join!
Does it need to be this hard?
There are so many different treatment options and services out there, that it gets confusing. There’s too much noise and congestion with conflicting information, that it all just starts to sound like the same thing.
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All you know is that you feel anxious, disconnected and distracted and you just want to feel better. Can I just get a cream for that?
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Its like you can’t even turn a corner or be on online without seeing another “breakthrough method” or another high brow testimonial, swearing by the idea that they have finally found a groundbreaking solution that has changed their life.
All of this information has got you in analysis paralysis and you feel stuck in decision fatigue, like you’re falling asleep just searching for the movie that it going to click with you, because there is so much to wade through, and its taking so long.
What if this can be tailored just for me, by a specialist?
It’s a relief to know that there is no one magical modality of therapy that is more superior than another, according to research. What is even better, is that it mostly boils down to the therapeutic relationship, across all modalities, again, according to research. And it may help even more to know that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has a ton of evidence base backing its effectiveness for anxiety, depression and a bunch of other stuff. And I happen to specialize in CBT.
You’re not only going to have found a therapist you can finally click with, but you’re going to experience all the benefits that CBT has to offer, tailored to you and without it feeling like a prescription. You’re going to be able to access your calm from your body, and access clarity from your mind, and after learning these skills, you’ll remember them for life, just like riding a bike.
And how would that feel, to be set with skills you can take with you forever? You can experience life in a new way, approaching life with confidence and knowing that even if you don’t have the confidence in other areas right now, you know it in your bones exactly how to get it.
A one-stop-shop would be handy...
Imagine releasing that pressure you have put on yourself, like the kettle’s incessant whistling has quietened down to stop. You do not have to figure all this out on your own, I have got you. I am a therapist and fellow human being, who wants to do this work with you, just as much as you do.
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CBT is like a one-stop-shop for your healing, and every session will have an intention set by you, and we will collaborate to discover the right tools to try on.
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You’ll have the warm and accepting space you need to explore, and be curious about the different aspects of your life that seem to be tripping you up.
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By the end of each session, that sense of satisfaction will hit like a cookie a la mode, knowing that you were heard, understood and respected. That you worked on exactly what it was that you wanted to. And that the approach and methods fits you like a glove.
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After our sessions, expect a short and sweet summary of our session in an email, and I am keen to include a little piece of homework (only if you’re into that, you feel ready for it, and you like to nerd out as much as me, and if you actually have the time). This is to promote curiosity, self compassion and will give your healing a boost!
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And even when we’re wrapped up our work together because you’re ready to move on, top-up sessions are always available if you need that check in to maintain or accelerate your momentum.
What the heck is CBT?
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) runs on the premise that our thoughts influence the cascade of emotions and physical feelings we experience, which in turn, will influence the way we act in the world. The theory is, if we change our thoughts, we change our feelings, and behaviours and habits. Its popular because its highly researched and replaceable. That means that you can pretty much work along a manual which has been reproduced and reproduced like Andy Worhol's pop art. CBT is also traditionally a short term therapy (6-20 sessions) and has shown its effectiveness for specific issues. This has made it easy to fund in services and this produces more and more research!
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The downsides of this, is that it can be quite ridged, and "cookie-cutter" depending on who you work with. You're supposed to work on one issue at a time, to "remain faithful in fidelity" to the treatment protocols.
*I'm not a purist, as this does not serve the vast majority of people... we can be way more flexible, creative and holistic than this!*
But CBT has given the world a tremendous foundation to grow from, and you might even notice that it is at the cornerstone of all the self help literature you will get your hands on. Furthermore, the Law of Attraction literature is filled to the brim with CBT based concepts!
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But psychology and neuroscience has grown a lot since the birth of CBT and we are understanding more and more about the role of the body, and the mind-body connection. We know more about the roles of the nervous system, family systems & attachment, systemic issues, cultural and diversity issues, and trauma and addiction.
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*Phew! That's a lot to unpack!* So this all needs to be incorporated!
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Although CBT is the primary modality you will see us use, we will also play with insights and tools from Mindfulness based practices, grounding techniques and somatic (body-based) work, Compassion Focused Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These modalities have a growing evidence based treatment which are hugely effective in helping people heal and reveal an authenticity, to who they always have been at their core.