Trauma-Focused Therapy

Trauma-focused therapy recognizes that trauma is not an isolated moment in one’s life, but an event which has implications on how one experiences their world including grief, shame, pain and external stimuli. Our trauma-focused therapist is skilled and experienced in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) such as sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual violence, as well as the symptoms of trauma such as eating disorders, autoimmune disorders, and relationship fractures. A trauma-informed counsellor, is guided by the six key principles of the approach.

What to Expect

The six key principles to trauma-informed approach include:

Safety: Creating space where people feel culturally, emotionally, physically and spiritually safe, as well as an awareness of potential discomfort and unease.
Transparency: This means not catching those seeking support off-guard by providing full and accurate information about what is happening in session, and what to expect in the future.
Choice: This principle recognizes that ‘yes’, and only ‘yes’, means yes. People seeking support lead the pacing and subject matter of the sessions.
Collaboration and Mutuality: This principle recognizes that healing happens in relationships with shared decision-making.
Empowerment: A fundamental part of progress is recognizing progress. Empowerment is about validating strengths and building upon them.

Disability Justice- Informed Therapy

Disability is the great equalizer. Every person will experience disability at some point of their lives. Disability is part of human diversity. Despite this, our value in society is determined by our ability to produce. Disability Justice challenges this concept of value. It insists that our worth is inherent. Disability Justice is transformative justice, meaning it implies a movement-building strategy and an anti-capitalist critique. A Disability Justice- informed counsellor is influenced by the ten principles of Disability Justice.

What to Expect

The ten key principles to Disability Justice-informed approach include:

Intersectionality: This means viewing issues based on the intersections of an experience such as race and class.
Leadership of those most impacted: This means learning and being led by those most impacted by systems of oppression.
Anti-capitalist politic: This principle puts people over profit.
Commitment to cross-movement organizing: This principle encourages us to work collectively across disciplines for the betterment of everyone.
Recognizing wholeness: This means recognizing our wholeness outside of bodies and profit.
Sustainability: This means process over productivity for our sustained energy.
Commitment to cross-disability solidarity: This means working collectively across the disability spectrum.
Interdependence: This principle recognizes we are all connected.
Collective access: This means prioritizing access to those most historically marginalized.
Collective liberation: This means no one is left behind.

Psychodynamic Approach & Internal Family Services

Psychodynamic therapy encourages self discovery. A person-centered psychodynamic therapist is interested in your foundational experiences, and how you experience the world. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psychodynamic model which aims to help people identify and accept the different parts of themselves and heal the parts that are wounded.

What to Expect

The role of a therapist is to act as your mirror to identify your patterns, and a memory to encourage you towards your goals. The client-focused process facilitates self-discovery, self-acceptance, and provides the means towards healing and positive growth. Psychodynamic work may be done creativity such as using art interventions. Clients are encouraged to follow their impulses while we explore their insights to find the hidden meaning their experience. IFS therapy focuses on past experiences including childhood experiences. We work to understand how your experiences may be driving certain behaviours.