Toronto & Ontario-wide
In-Person, Online + Telephone
EMPOWERMENT & RESILIENCE
Post-Traumatic Stress: Quality Care for You
I have studied various approaches to trauma therapy including through certification courses at the University of Toronto and the Arizona Trauma Institute. My starting point is that clients with a background in trauma have been injured by past experiences and healing must take place.
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I use an Empowerment & Resilience structure in my collaborative therapeutic work with clients suffering from post-traumatic stress. My pledge of "Quality Care for You" reflects this approach that is based on the gold-standard Tri-Phasic Model (Herman, 1992) and is grounded in evidence-based neuroscience, neuro-psychological theory and best-practices in clinical trauma therapy.
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If you suffer from post-traumatic stress, you will learn to understand what's going on with you - in your brain and in your body. You will learn specific strategies to manage your post-traumatic stress reactions and, as a result, increase your lived and felt experience of safety, presence, relaxation and wholeness. Once you have some control over your stress reactions, Hope is within reach: hope for the future, hope for yourself and your relationships, hope for your career, hope to find meaning and a renewed sense of purpose in your life.
More Information
Definitions
Mental Health is a state of psychological well-being characterized by continuing personal growth, a sense of purpose in life, an ability to focus, prioritize and plan effectively, self acceptance and positive relations with others. Our mental health is expressed through how we think, feel and act in response to the challenges of daily life. (VAC, 2020)
Operational Stress Injury (OSI) is any persistent psychological difficulty resulting from operational duties performed while serving in the Canadian Forces (CF) or as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). It is used to describe a broad range of problems which include diagnosed medical conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other conditions that may be less severe, but still interfere with daily functioning. (VAC, 2020)
Objectives
I provide therapeutic services aimed at bolstering clients’ sense of wellbeing - this includes perception of emotional, psychological and relational safety and stability. Our work together will focus on healing from past and current psychological, emotional, spiritual and relational wounds and managing daily challenges. It is my goal to support clients to not only feel secure and healthy in their day-to-day lives, but also to find motivation, meaning and purpose to engage fully in their lives and relationships.
Guiding Principles
I provide therapeutic services in keeping with best practices in the field of mental health and with a focus on positive client outcomes.
In some cases, involving family members or other close people in specific ways may provide the best supports for clients.
As a Registered Psychotherapist I do not provide psychological assessments and diagnoses. That being said, when clients experience co-occurring/co-morbid mental health issues (e.g. anxiety and depression; chronic pain and depression; PTSD and depression; etc.), all areas of distress are taken into account during therapy. Sometimes, clients’ needs are best met in services offering more comprehensive supports than I can offer as a private practitioner and, therefore, clients with complex needs and concerns that fall outside my scope of competency will be referred to other professionals in order to ensure they receive appropriate treatment.
Clients’ motivation and readiness for change are instrumental in predicting effectiveness of interventions.
Payment
Direct-billing is available for pre-approved RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces personnel, Veterans and IRCC clients. This means that I bill your insurance provider directly so you do not pay out-of-pocket for appointments.