Therapy is all about you…

While many therapists focus their training on specific approaches (e.g. CBT, EMDR, EFT, DBT, etc.) this only typically makes a difference of less than 1% in the work. I have training in a number of approaches but know that this is not where the magic happens. What do I do instead? I focus on 2 main things: Your rating of how life's going between sessions & your rating of how the sessions are going. This information helps us to know if 1) our work together is helping you see results and 2) if we're working together in a way that fits you best. I make time each session to inquire about these details and we make adjustments as we work together based on your feedback. I know how much energy it takes to participate in therapy. I seek to be accountable to you for the time and energy you're putting into therapy. Your feedback helps me to keep your voice and needs central. It also makes a big difference to how effective therapy is for you!

Instead of trying to fit you to any one therapy approach, I work with you to understand how you grow, learn, and adapt to make therapy fit you.

While there are many approaches to therapy (over 400 and counting), the approach only accounts for up to 1% of the outcome. What accounts for the bulk of progress in therapy? YOU! As the client, you, your relationships, and your life context account for up to 85% of change in therapy. That's why I prioritize exploring your skills, hopes, preferences, life circumstances, and relationships to create as much momentum and change as possible. Other factors that account for change in therapy are the therapeutic relationship, who I am as a person and my life experiences, and the hope we create together in this work.

The research on therapy shows that you should feel better sooner in the process of therapy rather than later, typically in the first handful of sessions. We can assess if therapy is helping you based on how you rate your life each time we meet using the Outcome Rating Scale (see below). If it’s going up then we’re on the right track.

While I’m able to help the majority of my clients meet their goals, I’m not always able to help every client. As a feedback-informed therapist, I monitor your progress each session and make adjustments and discuss these with you along the way if change is not happening. I respect your time, energy, and investment in therapy. If I’m not helping you after making some changes I will help you find suitable help elsewhere for you to meet your goals.

It all depends on your goals and rating of how things are going between sessions. I use two measures, the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and the Session Rating Scale (SRS). The ORS is filled out by you at the start of each session (takes about a minute) which tells us if things are improving, the same, or declining. We use this, in combination with your goals, how you're feeling, and my clinical training to inform when to conclude therapy. Concluding therapy happens when you've met your goals and you’re rating your life favourably. Most people take between 4-10 sessions.

I’ve offered teletherapy and virtual sessions since 2020. As the client, you get to choose whichever option suits you best, phone or virtual.

Virtual and teletherapy has been shown to be as effective as in person therapy (https://tinyurl.com/5et7mzdt) and also has some benefits, like: no commute, less time off work, you can access it if you can’t arrange childcare (Paw Patrol and Fishy Crackers usually does the trick for 50 minutes!), and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

Teletherapy requires a clear phone connection. Virtual therapy requires a good internet connection (if you stream Netflix and Youtube you should be good) along with a laptop equipped with a camera and mic. It also requires a private space from which you can meet virtually with me. I will email you a secure link to join me in session similar to Zoom. If you opt for teletherapy I’ll call you at a time we’ve agreed upon.

While virtual and teletherapy are suitable for the vast majority of people, some might not have the safety required for this option. I’d be happy to offer you alternative options for help elsewhere if this is the case for you.