Sexual Abuse Therapists in M6C

You are hurt beyond belief. The person you trusted; the person that committed to you. The person who told you that they love you.... is the person that has betrayed you! This is a shocking discovery, even if it is not the first time! I understand the heart ache, the confusion and the difficulty in trying to navigate your present pain and work towards re-grounding yourself and healing.

Customized treatment plans for Individuals/Couples Facing: Sex Addictions. We help help to Heal Affairs, Sexual Trauma, Porn Addiction, Love Addiction and Sex Crimes are my specialties. This includes the person experiencing these challenges, and their partners and families who are confused and hurt. According to Parole Services, I have never had someone sexual re-offend while under my care and have only had 5 couples ever separate under my care. I can help with sexual enhancement, growing in intimacy, and relationship recovery. Imagine the possibilities that good therapy can have in your life!!

There are moments in our lives where we feel stuck or moments of crisis where we have done things that we don't feel ok about. We may be living with persistent fears, thoughts, and behaviours that frighten us, or no longer align with who we are. We may experience difficulties in our relationships or trouble managing the world. We may suffer from current experiences of harm and violence, the wounds from our past, or repeating patterns and behaviours that no longer serve us. In these moments, it’s important to have a space to process our fears, pain, and our hopes while building skills, self-compassion, and a vision for ourselves.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, depressed, hopeless, lonely,confused, scared, frustrated or stuck? Are the issues that you are facing getting in the way of your daily functioning, enjoyment, health, relationships, goals, academic success, job performance and of the hopes and dreams that you have for yourself? Are you tired of feeling the way that you are and want something different for yourself? If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, then you've come to the right place! We can work together to help you move toward a healthier and happier place in a way that fits for you.

My belief is that people come to therapy to have an experience that is markedly different from what they encounter in their daily life. My training and experience allow me to have the tools to provide an opportunity for that different experience, whether it is getting relief from anxiety, finding grace and gratitude in the midst of grief, or gaining clarity and calm in a situation of overwhelm and confusion. We work collaboratively and creatively to uncover the root causes of your distress or dissatisfaction, and address them without re-traumatization. Our work together is safe, deep, transformative, and often spontaneously joyous.

As a Registered Psychotherapist, human being, and author of 'Binge Crazy: A Psychotherapist's Memoir of Food Addiction, Mental Illness, Obesity & Recovery' (2018), I view seeking help as a strength - requiring the courage and wisdom to reach your own truths. My practice, based in Gestalt therapy - a holistic, here and now approach encompassing any and all aspects of your life - includes other modalities to find what works best for you - from creative forms of expression to more structured methods. In Gestalt, you are the expert (on you) and I am the guide to help you explore what needs healing.

You can be free to live your best life!!! I provide collaborative therapeutic work in assisting you to resolve issues, restore perspectives and recharge your dreams. I am a caring psychotherapist with a genuine enthusiasm for people to know inner wellness and personal freedom. My significant experience have provided me confidence in treating various psychological, emotional and behavioural issues in individuals, couples and families. My approach is to provide meaningful and effective treatment in a safe, nurturing and non-judgmental environment where you can find a support that is compassionate and transformative.

With over 30 years of clinical experience, I welcome Children, Teens, Adults, Couples & Families into my practice who are facing anxiety, depression, anger, trauma, grief, addiction, chronic pain/illness, or stress from relationship conflicts. I specialize in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Relapse Prevention Therapy, and Self-Care which are personalized to your unique circumstance. I also provide a special Couple's Program and a Deeper Healing Program that addresses pain and utilizes strength to repair.

I came to Gestalt Psychotherapy after a decade of teaching yoga and meditation workshops in Canada, Greece, Mexico and Nicaragua. I noticed that wisdom practices (such as meditation, yoga, breath-work, and reflection) lead people to face vulnerability and perhaps even pain inside their minds, hearts and bodies. Many people have insights about themselves, but they believe they can mentally figure it out on their own. We are not meant to do all the processing on our own. The therapeutic relationship allows us the support of a compassionate and trained witness so we can explore what is present.

You deserve to be free and to live a full and happy life! It is our genuine desire that you experience personal freedom. From this safe space you will be able to discover your true identity that will help you connect that Heart-Mind Unity that helps you live from the Fullness of Being. You will be able to dismantle negative beliefs and perceptions about life and find the wisdom to solve present difficulties. You will learn to restore healthy perspectives that will lead you to realize your dreams, resolve conflicting desires, navigate the demands that are made on you, and find meaning to your existence.

Before entering my current program of study, I worked as an advocate and counsellor for survivors of abuse for several years. During this time, I recognized the transformative potential of safe, supportive relationships. I came away from this experience wanting to provide this to others. My therapeutic approach is informed by relational principles. My practice is firmly rooted in the belief that human beings rely on nurturing connections not only to survive but to grow and thrive. Because of this, I emphasize establishing a genuine and safe therapeutic relationship that may serve as a foundation to our future work together.

I am an experienced therapist with 34 years of practice to draw upon. I will listen carefully as you describe the issues that you need support and help to sort out. Often, an increased understanding of the challenges that you face can be very helpful to move forward in your life. As well, learning some new skills to manage the issues and/or gaining a new perspective on the issues can be useful as well. I appreciate that it is not easy to embark on a therapy course so I make every effort to be supportive and understanding as we build a therapy relationship.

I believe that each us carries inherent goodness inside of us, and sometimes we can become stuck. As a therapist, I see my role as creating a space where you can feel supported to explore the parts of you that are hurting and also to nurture your own inner compassion and wisdom. Working from a non-pathologizing approach, I believe that all behaviour meets a need. The work of therapy is to develop a deeper understanding of what purpose protective mechanisms like addiction, anxiety, and self-harm have played in your life, and what you need to feel supported to grow and change.

Underneath your anxiety, depression and anger there are feelings that need to be explored, known and expressed. This awareness is valuable and will be the foundation of future possibilities and choices. I will provide the support you need to start this journey and then will challenge you and offer new choices in a way that empowers you. I will help you get more curious about things you haven't paid so much attention to and together we will explore struggles, issues and then new possibilities.

I often meet people who notice they are repeating relationship patterns and behaviours, and they aren't sure why. Sometimes, you may remember how these strategies were protective and kept you safe in the past, or you may not. I support the people I work with to sense, with compassion, how powerful and ingenious these strategies are. Sometimes when we meet, you've come to a place of knowing that these same protective strategies aren't as effective as they used to be, and you're wondering why or are looking to change. We come to decide in therapy what to hold tight to and what to set aside for now.

Let's face it, sometimes life get complicated. It comes with many stressors and challenges. In these moments it becomes easy to get trapped in negative self-talk cycles, bouts of low mood, high levels of anxiety or stress and an uncertainty of what do next. As a psychotherapist I aim to work with you to develop skills and resources to combat the stressors that you are experiencing in life. I acknowledge that every person is a unique and complex human being and as a result I welcome you, as you are in order to help you become the person that you want to be.

Our comprehensive DBT program is committed to providing compassionate & effective treatment for individuals who may experience intense emotions (such as anxiety, depression, anger, shame, guilt), impulsive behaviours (such as self-harm, suicide, stealing, substance use, risky behaviours), & stormy relationships (which could look like switching between pushing people away & clinging to them, challenges with saying no). We also offer trauma treatment through Prolonged Exposure-DBT and/or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) because many of the current day experiences, emotions & views of the world, are based on previous experiences.

I work with adults and couples to help them move towards a state of continued growth, compassion, and self-awareness in a way that is collaborative, strengths-based, and empowering. I believe in creating a client-therapist relationship that fosters authenticity, support, and space for both acceptance, and for change. This can begin in our very first session. Together, we can begin to tease apart the adaptive approaches to dealing with and moving through life you've grown accustomed to, and begin to decipher which of these patterns are serving you, and which you may be interested in moving beyond.

I offer a warm, creative, down-to-earth approach that is client-focused and collaborative. I work from a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive framework. I believe in bringing light and air to the parts of ourselves that need time and space to emerge. In our increasingly fragmented world filled with smart phones and twitter feeds, we could all use some good old-fashioned connection. I bring a deep curiousity about the ways we move through the world, the stories we tell ourselves and how our relationships are affected.