Treatment Modalities
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy identifies how relationship problems occurring in the present may stem from relational patterns that were learned early in life. Psychodynamic therapy is particularly useful in understanding how experiences of childhood abuse, neglect, or other traumas have impacted your present day relationships. The goal is to understand how these patterns may have been useful in the context in which they developed, but are harmful in the present. Psychodynamic therapy is designed to understand these patterns and change them.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
EFT, as the name implies, is designed to facilitate the healthy expression of past and present emotions. EFT is an effective treatment for the negative impacts of childhood trauma and neglect. It has been shown to be particularly effective for couples. In EFT for couples, partners are encouraged to identify and interrupt cycles of interaction and learn to communicate in more emotionally attuned and effective ways. EFT fosters a more compassionate view of ourselves as individuals and engaged partners in relationships.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT is based on the idea that the way we think influences how we feel and behave. CBT has considerable research to support its use for a wide range of problems. Therapy focuses on challenging unhelpful thoughts that are causing problems like depression, anxiety, eating difficulties, substance use, relationship problems, etc.. The client and therapist examine these beliefs to develop more balanced alternative thoughts and behaviours. Sessions involve homework assignments that clients practice between sessions. Clients are taught the skills to be their own therapists in future.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
CBT-E has been well-researched as an effective treatment for eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. The first step in the treatment is to establish regular eating and interruption of behavioural symptoms like restriction, bingeing, and purging through use of healthy coping skills to manage urges. Then, the client and therapist challenge negative thoughts about weight, body image, and food that maintain disordered eating in order to foster healthier beliefs and behaviours. A full course of treatment is 20 sessions long and clients have regular out of session practice assignments to improve their eating, reduce their symptoms, and reinforce skills learned in session.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Arfid (CBT-AR)
CBT-AR is a type of CBT specifically designed to address the symptoms of ARFID including sensory sensitivities, lack of hunger or interest, and anxiety that make eating difficult. Goals of CBT-AR include helping clients achieve a healthy weight, correcting nutritional deficiencies, and encouraging clients to eat a nutritionally diverse range of foods. In this treatment, clients learn about the factors that lead to and maintain ARFID and practice making concrete changes to their eating to increase the volume and variety of their food intake. Clients are in control of what changes they make to their diet. Treatment is 10 sessions long and each session involves out of session practice with making changes to their eating.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is a trauma-focused cognitive behavioural treatment in that it focuses on how thoughts are connected to emotions and behaviours. CPT has been shown to be an effective treatment for trauma-related problems like PTSD The goal of CPT is to decrease symptoms of PTSD including distress about memories of the trauma, negative beliefs and feelings about the trauma and feelings of anxiety or stress associated with the trauma. Clients learn strategies to challenge beliefs about the trauma that are inaccurate or unhelpful using worksheets and exercises. A full course of treatment is 12 sessions long and clients have practice assignments each week.
Trauma-Focused Therapy for Self-Harming Behaviours
Many people with PTSD also struggle with other problem behaviours like eating disorders, substance use, and self harm. Often, these behaviours are used as a method of coping with upsetting traumatic memories, which, while helpful in the short term, can have negative long term consequences and can ultimately make PTSD symptoms worse. Growing research suggests that treating PTSD and these other problems together is the most effective approach. I specialize in this kind of integrated treatment using evidence based treatments and techniques to help clients get maximum relief from their trauma and associated symptoms.
Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD
CBCT is an evidence-based couple treatment for PTSD that aims to improve both the symptoms of PTSD and relationship satisfaction. Couples are taught conflict management skills to establish relationship safety, increase intimacy through effective communication, and challenge problematic thoughts about PTSD and the relationship. With these skills, couples learn to "shrink" the role of PTSD in their relationships. A full course of treatment is 15 sessions. Couples have regular out of session practice assignments aimed at reducing avoidance of trauma-related reminders and challenging trauma-related beliefs that are keeping the couple "stuck" in PTSD.
