Counselling / Therapy
My office is located at Suite
212, 2186 Oak Bay Ave. (entrance next to Ivy's Book
Store).,
in the Oak Bak Village. Sessions also are available
by Skype.
I believe the relationship you have with
your counselor is very important. A natural trust, comfort and
resonance with your counsellor will help support the exploration you
want to undertake. For this reason, I offer a 30-minute no-fee consult
which gives us both an opportunity to meet.
Sessions are 75 minutes
and the fee is
$125. I find that 75 minutes,
rather than the usual 50-minute sessions,
allows the necessary time to explore the issues you want to
discuss in depth. The extra time often results in fewer sessions.
Some extended health benefits may be
covered. Please check with your provider or HR person. I am a
registered clinical counsellor with the BCACC (British Columbia
Association of Clinical Counsellors).
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I have been successful in counselling
individuals, couples and families for years. I offer a depth and wealth
of experience and expertise.
Counselling can improve our sense of well-being
and make a real difference in our quality of life as we seek better
understanding and awareness of life issues and challenges. Humans have
great capacity and are innately wired to grow and to change patterns
and behaviours that no longer work for us. I strive to support people
as they create the best life possible given their own unique
circumstances.
I offer varied methodologies and approaches when
counseling. Each
client is unique and I endeavour to offer approaches that best suit
your
needs. I value and integrate positive psychology methods. I do not
consider focusing on and analyzing pathologies a useful or positive
practice for any client.
Seeking counselling is an indication
of sound judgment and healthy choice. We all have aspects of our life
that can be improved. Counselling is valuable because
it allows the client to view their issues and challenges from a larger
perspective rather than from an enmeshed perspective while entangled in
certain emotions, behaviours and
communications.
I have considerable experience
with issues such as:
- Addictions, including
sexually related
- Couples / Relationship /
Intimacy
- Confidence and Self-Esteem
Issues
- Depression / Anxiety /
Stress
- Eating Disorders
- Fear — transition from a
fear-driven life
to a courageous, free life
- Grief / Loss
- Spiritual Issues
COUPLES
COUNSELLING
I have a strong background and many
years
of experience counselling couples. I have been
extremely fortunate to have had many opportunities to learn
from some of the most respected couples' facilitators. Among them are
Gay and Kathryn Hendricks, Harville Hendricks, John Gottman, and Liana
Cane and Robert Balliod. Most notably, I have assisted Robert and
Judith Gass (www. Sacred Union.com) in their week -long intensive
couples retreat, for the last ten years. As well as assisting in the
seminars, I counsel the couples individually during the
seminar. Furthemore, over the years I have counselled many
couples in private practice. This has enabled me to work with hundreds
of couples facing many different issues and challenges.
Issues that many couples commonly
encounter include:
- Creating more intimacy
- Communication (i.e., how to communicate
needs
and desires in a more loving and conscious matter, how to have
difficult conversations successfully)
- Affection, sensuality and sexuality
- Breaking free of on-going negative
patterns
- Agreement and consistency regarding
parenting
- Being assertive (rather than passive or
aggressive)
- How to move into a more loving, deeper,
spiritual connection
- How to deal with chronic health / pain
issues
in relationship
- Pornography issues / addictions
PLEASE SEE THE SEMINAR PAGE FOR INFORMATION
REGARDING THE DESIRE AND INTIMACY PROGRAM MY LIFE PARTNER AND I
OFFER
Professional
Credentials, Affiliations and Certificates:
Relevant Degree:
Master of Transpersonal Psychology
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA (www.ITP.edu)
Affiliations:
CCA- Canadian Counselling Association
BCACC- British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (pending)
SDI- Spiritual Directors International (www. SDI.org)
ATP- Association of Transpersonal Psychologist
Long-Term Certificates and Trainings:
ITP Transpersonal Studies (one year)
ITP Spiritual Psychology (one year)
Art of Spiritual Guidance (two years)
Spiritual and Psychological Alchemy (eighteen months)
I have also been fortunate enough to attend
many
week-long seminars with the leading psychologists and thinkers of our
times.
I offer supervision for new counsellors and therapists; for
counsellors seeking integration of issues pertaining to spirituality,
to
sexuality or of a transpersonal nature; and for counsellors wanting
to gain more skills and experience working with couples.
Also, PLEASE SEE SEMINAR PAGE
FOR
THE DESCRIPTION OF PSYCHE, SOUL AND SPIRIT. THIS
TRAINING PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO OFFER PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND
INTEGRATION OF PSYCHOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY.
Some
frequently asked Questions about counselling and my responses:
Q- What is transpersonal
psychology?
Transpersonal is a holistic approach to psychology that grew from
humanistic psychology (Maslow and May, among others). It is positive
psychology rather than emphasizing pathology or analyzing behaviors.
Personally, to me the essence of transpersonal psychology is to
understand and respect that each aspect of an
individual needs to be recognized and valued. When striving to gain
self awareness and a greater sense of well being it is important to
include the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual qualities
of a person in the exploration. Regardless of the issue presented by my
client, I believe that beneath the challenges, pain, and real life
dilemmas we might encounter, there is a central core being, an
essential self that needs to be acknowledged. My experience both
personally and professionally is that when one has a healthy and
reflective relationship with their essential self-life becomes
enriched, more joyous, and deeply meaningful.
Q- Do you have a
specialization?
No, I like to work with many different issues and people. I
am curious and engaged in the individuals that become clients, the
person is always much more than the issue they are facing. I believe
that many common issues are interrelated and to limit the scope of the
approach might result in limiting the possible ways to resolve the
issue.
Although I have many years of experience working with couples and love
that work, I also gain much and enjoy the intimacy of one-to-one
sessions. A family counselling dynamic is also a rewarding experience
for me.
Q- Do you continue learning
about
new possibilities for assisting your clients?
I feel strongly that those who are fortunate enough to be working with
others as counsellors and therapists must continue to pursue their own
growth and understanding of how to assist those who trust us for
guidance. Presently, I am undertaking a learning path related to
exciting new revelations surrounding the field of neuroplasicity. It is
exciting to learn new ways of helping people let go of the chronic
thoughts and behaviors. We are at a crossroads in history when science
and wisdom from many indigenous traditions are beginning to merge,
which is very inspiring. As you can see from this website I have
undertaken several long-term trainings that have enriched my life. My
on going personal development makes it possible for me to offer new
insights, practices and ways to facilitate change for my
clients.
Q-Do you have any
counselling/psychology experience other than private practice?
My overall counselling experience has been
extremely varied. It has ranged from working with autistic children at
the May Institute in Chatham, MA, to working with abuse- and domestic
violence-related issues from both men and women's perspective. I bring
to my practice of counselling all of my professional experience, as
well as the rich and varied life experiences and teachings I have been
privileged to have.