Therapies

With specific training and experience in delivering cognitive behavioural-based therapies, mindfulness and acceptance approaches, psychodynamic theory, Psychological Skills Training, and EMDR, I offer proven strategies to work with anxiety and trauma. Here's a little bit of what these are about. 

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ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

ACT is a more recent development of cognitive behavioral therapies. In ACT, we learn a new way of working with the unhelpful thoughts and emotions that threaten to derail us, letting go of our efforts to change them. After all, it’s not realistic to expect that you can control how you feel and think. And it can be exhausting! Fortunately, we can train ourselves to respond to stress in our lives in productive ways and grow confidence in our ability to deal with it. ACT relies on mindfulness to develop greater awareness and engagement in the present moment, so we can choose to do those things that align with our values. 

Attachment theory

However, sometimes there are deeper issues at play that may keep you from successfully using strategies to work with anxiety. If this is the case, and you want to get to the root of the problem, we can work together to uncover and understand what may be feeding into self-doubt or fear. Understanding of how our early relationships with our primary caregivers influence how we function in our current relationship is not just enlightening. It can open up the capacity for us to have compassion for ourselves - which paves the way for change that is truly transformative. 

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Trauma-focused

Both trauma and anxiety responses stem from the fight or flight (or freeze or fawn) branch of our nervous system that activates when it perceives a threat. Rarely do we encounter actual physical danger but our body and mind can surely act like it when triggered by a trauma memory or when we think about doing something we are scared about (like speaking in public). I can help you learn to regulate your body and retrain your nervous system to respond to stressful situations and meet challenges without being overwhelmed. 

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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

Perhaps trauma or past painful experiences instill limiting beliefs and are getting in the way of your ability to deal with stress, If so, you may benefit from EMDR.

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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is an effective alternative or complement to other forms of mental health therapy. It is an extremely effective therapy for many people and often provides quick results.​

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EMDR is:

• Widely recognized by mental health professionals as the leading treatment for trauma

• Proven to be effective in treating anxiety 

• Typically not as time-intensive as psychoanalysis

EMDR does not require extensive retelling of traumatic experiences. By using simple bilateral stimulation (usually tapping or eye movement), it

• Stimulates the brain’s natural processing capabilities

• Facilitates the integration of traumatic memories so they no longer trigger unhelpful responses

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Working through traumatic events that are still impacting you today can bring you to a place where you are empowered to move forward. (And FYI, trauma does not have to be "major" to impact you negatively.) 

Click here for more information on EMDR.

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Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach for working specifically with trauma. CPT is a narrative trauma-focused therapy that addresses negative thoughts and beliefs ("stuck points") that keep people from integrating their traumatic experiences adaptively and moving forward. 

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Psychological Skills Training (PST)

If you are interested in enhancing performance in a particular area, I offer Psychological Skills Training (PST) as a qualified Performance Psychology practitioner. PST is learning how to regulate your body and mind to optimize performance. Strategies include body regulation (e.g., relaxation), imagery, mental rehearsal, goal-setting, self-talk, systematic desensitization, attentional control, mindfulness, pre-performance routines, and cognitive restructuring. All high-level performers use at least some of these strategies, and most people can benefit from adding to a "toolbox" of psychological skills. 

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High-performance training in the arts has traditionally focused on the technical and physical aspects of performing; performers in the business domain focus on the content that needs to be delivered. Typically, little consideration is given to the psychological dimensions that can make or break a performance, whether speaking in public or playing a music audition. In contrast, high-performing athletes commonly employ sports psychologists as they understand the necessity of training the craft of performance - which is a related, yet different skill set!