MSW, RSW, FCGPA
Individual, Couple & Group Therapy
How I Envision Therapy
I have worked in counselling and psychotherapy for over thirty-five years, initially in hospitals and community mental health settings, and for the past twenty years, in private practice. I provide individual therapy, couple therapy, and group therapy for adults, in person and online.
My approach is eclectic, stemming from a psychodynamic base which considers both conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves, and expanding to incorporate interpersonal and structured approaches depending on the particular situation. At the heart of the process is the respectful connection between client and therapist as we collaborate together.
We work as curious co-investigators gradually understanding the complex layers of the issues at hand as well as elements beyond initial awareness. The aim is to feel more freed up from one’s troubles, to operate from a base of choice, to be able to take any necessary actions, and to enjoy life more fully.
Throughout the process of our work together there may be times of disconnection and I like to check in for feedback about how we are working together. Expressing any dissatisfactions and examining them can help the therapeutic relationship deepen. I appreciate life’s frustrations and sorrows as well as the comedic dilemmas of being human, and I welcome clients into a warm, open, and reflective environment.
I work with a wide variety of issues including relationship challenges, self-confidence, identity, family-of-origin struggles, work or career stress, issues with disordered eating, parenting, adjustment to adult ADHD, infertility, adoption, anxiety, depression, loss and grief, aging, and life transitions.
Individual Sessions
Individuals often approach therapy with a specific concern or problem that is bothering them and creating anxiety or discomfort. We meet in a private confidential space and try to deepen an understanding of the particular issue. Usually people feel understood, not judged, and the experience of speaking freely opens the door to relieving tensions, feeling more one’s true self, and finding a perspective and a direction toward feeling in a better place.
Couple Therapy
With couples, there are often issues with emotional connection and attachment as well as challenges with communication and resolving differences, including those that stem from differing early experiences. There are also life events that create particular stresses. In couple work, the approach is not judging who is right or wrong, but developing a better understanding of each other, better awareness of repeating patterns, and better coping skills to face challenges and foster closeness.
Group Therapy
In group therapy, a small group of strangers meet regularly, stepping outside their regular lives into a confidential bubble where they can speak freely apart from the constraints of social niceties. This can provide a validating, challenging, and reality-testing experience within a supportive environment. There are some key agreements necessary to be able to insure a safe and confidential experience.
Long Term Women’s Group
My weekly women’s’ group has been running for the past fifteen years, and it still includes one original member and a couple of members from the early days. This group is for women who, despite being bright and accomplished, have some degree of dissatisfaction in their personal lives. They typically are seeking to grow and develop in areas such as the ones listed here.
This group is typically full and only occasionally has a vacancy. But if you are interested in exploring this option, please contact me to discuss the possibility.
- understanding an excessive need for approval
- becoming less perfectionistic and self-critical
- developing confidence in making decisions
- understanding and changing power and control issues with others
- developing better emotional connection in relationships
- exploring issues impeding closeness, tolerating strong emotions
- obtaining feedback about how one is perceived by others
- developing assertiveness in relationships
- becoming more able to face conflict and cope with stress
At this point in my career, it is my great pleasure to be a part of mentoring our next generation of therapists. I provide consultation, clinical supervision, and therapy for therapists.
Supervision
I offer clinical supervision, not only examining the case material, but also reflecting on its impact on the therapist. In addition, I consult on workplace culture, stress, and dynamics, helping therapists develop coping strategies and evolve their career direction. I especially enjoy supervising and mentoring therapists into group therapy.
Therapists’ Group
Interpersonal Process Group for Therapists
This group has been working together for almost ten years. It grew out of an earlier group which began several years ago as ‘Case Consultation and Support for Therapists’. In the process of this earlier work, it became clear that challenging case material often touched and affected the therapist personally as well as professionally.
We also began to notice that our interactions with each other were as important as the clinical situations. As a result, the group spent less time on clinical consultation and more time on the therapists’ own life issues and in examining the here and now process that evolved in the group experience. In the end, it became a rich place for personal and interpersonal learning that was different from how the group was originally conceived. We re-contracted and began again in the fall of 2015.
The current group has been meeting with its revised mandate for close to a decade, and it provides an opportunity for personal growth and exploration of group dynamics and group process for high functioning people who are therapists for others. The group meets twice each month for 90 minutes, and we also have intermittent retreat times for full day or half day sessions.
Although the group is generally full with only occasional vacancies, any new prospective members are invited to contact me to discuss this possibility.
Personal Therapy for Therapists
Irvin Yalom, the prolific writer and teacher in the field of group psychotherapy gave a talk in Toronto many years ago that I attended. During the Q & A a young psychiatric resident asked: “Dr. Yalom, is it really necessary for a psychiatrist to undergo personal therapy?”
Dr. Yalom replied: “It depends on whether or not you want to become a good therapist.”
I believe that we do our best therapeutic work when we also sort out our own stresses, backstory, and conflicts－something I have engaged in myself for many years. I truly wouldn’t be able to do the work I do if it weren’t for the supervision, clinical consultation, and personal psychotherapy that’s helped me understand and integrate my own life story along the way. I welcome inquiries from therapists seeking personal therapy.