Our Approach to Therapy
The ripple effect of addiction and mental health issues can hold us hostage, interfering in our ability to live fulfilling lives and develop meaningful connections with others. Many harbour a sense of shame reflective of stigma which serves to silence and with that dismiss both the severity and prevalence. It is common to have developed and maintained coping mechanisms that no longer serve a purpose yet have become habitual and with that familiar.
Therapy is a place where thoughts and feelings are explored, validated, and with that normalized. Healing occurs through self-discovery and the sense of empowerment that accompanies this.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. With this understanding, clients begin to accept their hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behavior, regardless of what is going on in their lives and how they feel about it.
Adlerian Therapy
Adlerian therapy, also called individual psychology, is a short-term, goal-oriented, and positive psychodynamic therapy based on the theories of Alfred Adler—a one-time colleague of Sigmund Freud. Adler focused much of his research on feelings of inferiority versus superiority, discouragement, and a sense of belonging in the context of one’s community and society at large. According to Adler, feelings of inferiority can result in neurotic behavior but, in the right setting, can also be used as motivation to strive for greater success. Adlerian therapy focuses on the development of individual personality while understanding and accepting the interconnectedness of all humans.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term form of psychotherapy based on the idea that the way someone thinks and feels affects the way he or she behaves. CBT aims to help clients resolve present-day challenges like depression or anxiety, relationship problems, anger issues, stress, or other common concerns that negatively affect mental health and quality of life. The goal of treatment is to help clients identify, challenge, and change maladaptive thought patterns in order to change their responses to difficult situations.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Culturally sensitive therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes the therapist's understanding of a client's background and belief system as it relates to their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, social class, religion/spirituality, and language. Cultural sensitivity is woven throughout the context of the therapeutic relationship as therapists tailor their approach to align with and respect the differences in opinions, values, and attitudes of various cultures.
Compassion Focused Therapy
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy and regarded as a 'third wave' of behavioural therapies. Through the integration of mindfulness techniques, emphasis is placed on developing awareness as to how one responds to their thoughts and emotions. When considering mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, CFT focuses on feelings associated with self-criticism and shame. Within the context of therapy, CFT aims to foster a sense of emotional connection to both oneself and others.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy, also known as humanism, is a form of talk therapy that focuses on a person’s individual nature, rather than assuming that groups of people with similar characteristics have the same concerns. Humanistic therapists aim to consider the whole person, especially their positive characteristics and potential for growth, not only from their professional viewpoint but from a client’s own personal sense of their behavior. The emphasis in sessions is on a person’s positive traits and behaviors and developing their ability to use their instincts to find wisdom, growth, healing, and fulfillment.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy is a form of counseling that views people as separate from their problems and destructive behaviors. This allows clients to get some distance from the difficulty they face; this helps them to see how it might actually be helping or protecting them, more than it is hurting them. With this perspective, individuals feel more empowered to make changes in their thought patterns and behavior and “rewrite” their life story for a future that reflects who they really are, what they are capable of, and what their purpose is, separate from their problems.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is derived from psychoanalytic therapy, and both are based on the work of Sigmund Freud. Psychodynamic therapy is an in-depth form of talk therapy based on the theories and principles of psychoanalysis. In effect, talking about problems in a therapeutic setting can be extremely valuable for the individual. Comparatively, psychodynamic therapy is less focused on the patient-therapist relationship and more focused on the patient’s relationship with their external world.
Strength-Based Therapy
Strength-based therapy is a type of positive psychotherapy and counseling that focuses on your internal strengths and resourcefulness, rather than on your weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. The tenet is that this focus sets up a positive mindset that helps you build on your best qualities, find your strengths, improve resilience, and change your worldview to one that is more positive. Practitioners believe the main reason to discuss a patient’s problems is to discover the inner strengths clients can tap into in order to build solutions.
'When you shut down emotion, you're also affecting your immune system, your nervous system. So the repression of emotion, which is a survival strategy, then becomes a physiological illness later on.'
Gabor Maté