Grief & Loss

Loss and sorrow are fixtures of life and yet the heart breaks open in new and different ways each time. Sometimes it is even hard to recognize what was lost in order to grieve. Grief counselling applies for many types of loss and offers guidance through the pain towards greater understanding. Drawing on research, I often use mindfulness, CBT, somatic experiencing, art, and ecotherapy as building blocks for effective grief therapy. No loss is too small or unworthy to talk about. Some examples (not exclusive) are listed below:

• Bereavement
• Failed expectations
• Injury/illness
• Chronic pain
• Loss of a pet
• Loss of home or natural environment
• Loss of income/career

Anxiety & Panic

Feeling highly anxious or having panic attacks can be a scary and unwanted experience. Anxiety is often a response to uncontrollable situations like unemployment, performance expectations, social situations, climate disasters, food/income insecurity, immigration, or many more that cause fear. Feeling stuck in constant ‘fight, flight or freeze’ is exhausting and can limit quality of life and yet how to manage it can feel illusive. Counselling can help you recognize anxious patterns and offer new ways to cope to reduce anxiety in your mind and body. Breathwork, CBT, movement, and nature practices are some effective strategies offered in counselling sessions.

Depression & Despair

Feeling dread, despair, low mood, or fatigue for weeks or months may be symptoms of depression. It is important to discuss these concerns with your family doctor, along with any thoughts of self harm. Often counselling is a recommended option to reduce depressive symptoms and improve quality of life. Connection to nature and building emotional self-awareness and understanding of life-patterns through counselling may help.

Life Transitions & Changes

Change, even if planned, can be a stressful event and often include feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, anger or grief. Upcoming changes or life transitions from the past can also impact mental wellbeing in the present. Finding support can help unpack the distress and emotions surrounding change and encourage our natural resilience. Life events may be:

• Academic transitions, distress
• Career change or stress
• Identity distress
• Cultural stress, immigration
• Non-event transitions (things that you wanted to happen but never did).

Trauma (acute/chronic)

Traumatic events can be very individual, but generally trauma is understood to be an event (single or recurring) in which the nervous system becomes overwhelmed by a life-threatening situation(s), which alters the way one process memories and pain. Often times prior trauma can limit potential life goals and impact relationships. I follow the work of Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. James Gordon, and Dr. Peter Levine in understanding and working with trauma using body somatic practices, as well as CMT for understanding pathogenic beliefs. I am also certified in level 3 by the Trauma Informed Practices Institute of BC.

Low Self-Esteem

Feeling lost, unsure of the future, or not belonging can lead to feelings of low self-esteem. Unraveling the threads of this can be confusing and complex, therefore, support in a non-judgmental environment of counselling can help healing. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with the emphasis on personal values is one effective strategy for low self-esteem. Compassion and developing belonging is another long-term goal.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism and high achieving can drive out joy of any success and in daily life. What does the critical self say to justify this? Looking at this internal voice and unpacking its role in counselling may help allow self-compassion to flow and melt the strain of perfectionism.