Find a Therapist in Gibsons, British Columbia.

Whether you are suffering with long standing anxiety and depression, facing a difficult transition, or frustrated with a current relationship, psychotherapy can help get to the root of your struggles. Psychotherapy differs from advice: as a therapist, I won't offer quick fixes or inspirational sounding platitudes. What I will do is join you in thoroughly exploring your current problems. This helps you tune into with your emotions, needs and desires in a way that can clarify purpose, improve your connection with others, and help you make important decisions. I have extensive training in psychotherapy - please get in touch to discuss how psychotherapy can be helpful to you right now.

Clients who receive psychotherapy from me will learn about the root of their issues and how to heal these wounds. Many issues we face in life are deep rooted in our childhood or resulting from traumas we have survived and need to be addressed to be truly free and achieve peace and serenity. I will help you learn to live a vital, rich meaningful life and overcome any mental health issues.

My approach is rooted in creating a collaborative and empathetic space where clients can explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I believe in the power of a therapeutic relationship built on trust and respect, serving as a foundation for the transformative process of self-discovery and healing. Drawing from various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, and Humanistic approaches, I tailor my methods to meet the unique needs and goals of each individual. By fostering a non-judgmental environment, I aim to empower clients to openly express themselves and work towards understanding the underlying factors influencing their behaviours.

The circumstances and issues that you are dealing with are unique to you, but you don't have to face them alone. Every individual has different experiences, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, cultural backgrounds and "upbringings". Counselling sessions are private and confidential, and can provide a way for you to explore your problems and really tune in to your feelings. This is an opportunity to speak freely about your circumstances and release pent up feelings, without having to worry about what others think or feel, and without receiving unwanted advise from family, friends or coworkers. At the root of the problem, there are very real, legitimate and understandable reasons for feeling the way you feel, thinking the way...(view profile to read more)

People seek psychotherapy for many different reasons. You may want to heal from a traumatic event, or resolve problems in your relationships or life situation. Perhaps you are looking for support or guidance as you deal with a loss or transition. Maybe you feel “stuck” in a difficult relationship, need help making a tough decision, or feel your life has lost its meaning. In a safe, supportive, and confidential space, I can help you gain new perspectives, improve your relationships, alleviate distress, and learn strategies for dealing effectively with challenges in life.

Life and relationships become painful, sometimes paralyzing when our emotions overwhelm us. Emotions are actually intended for good - they are intended to give us motivation and information; specifically they inform us of how to act in the way that is in keeping with who we are. I help people to face their emotions, take from them the lessons that they offer and move forward positively in their lives. You do not have to be stuck, paralyzed and fearful, you can be peaceful, productive and motivated.

Our thoughts have a huge impact on how we view and act in the world. I will work with you to explore how your thoughts have been influenced by your experiences growing up, as well as by significant life events, loss and/or trauma. I use approaches from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you calm your mind and invite you to consider the possibilty of expanding your perceptions of life experiences as a way of creating changes in yourself and in relationships.

Counselling is my life's work. I am in love with learning and do not believe in a "one size fits all" approach to therapy. My first priority is to establish a good relationship with my client(s), to listen and create a safe space for them. I use my instincts, my years of experience and wisdom to customize treatment for each of my clients. I respect the wisdom of each person and believe that counselling can be a collaborative process between therapist and client. I am there to support, encourage, listen with compassion and to guide clients to find their own direction and empowerment. I also teach specific skills for communication, managing depression and anxiety and trauma symptoms.

My approach to therapy is inspired by the teachings of Carl Rogers, who believed that the most effective way to help individuals was through a warm, empathetic, and understanding relationship. I create a safe space for my clients to be open, honest, and vulnerable, allowing them to work through their challenges and find their own answers within themselves.  I use a holistic and integrative approach, drawing from a range of therapies, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), ego states theory, somatic approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, resonance and more.

Psychotherapy is a fancy word for "talk therapy." Within a safe, therapeutic relationship psychotherapy can help clients explore and gain an understanding of how their past may be influencing the present and how behavioural and relationship patterns may be getting in the way of reaching goals. Heather is familiar with all of the major approaches to psychotherapy and may incorporate other forms of therapy, including somatic therapies, to respond to the unique needs of each client.

I use a two pronged approach in assisting clients . The first is called CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is highly used in counselling. It increase a clients awareness and enhances their education and skills. The second component, and I believe the most important, is the Reduction of Emotional Charge connected with the issue. Some times CBT is sufficient to bring about permanent change. But often people relapse because the emotional stimulation/reaction had not been reduced & they default to their old coping mechanisms.

Fundamental to the work is a good therapeutic relationship. That is, we have the collaboration and trust to combine your knowledge of yourself and your situation and my skills and knowledge of the clinical issues to make change happen. With established trust and rapport between us, we can develop a structureless structure for our treatment plan. That is, one flexible enough to give space to deal with thoughts and feelings spontaneously each week, and structured enough to accomplish your goals.

Psychotherapy is deep work that involves a willingness to access painful experiences and emotions so that they can be faced, talked about, and digested. In the beginning of therapy you might feel temporarily worse before you feel better. That’s because you’re allowing yourself to feel the pain you had to numb yourself to in the past in order to survive. But that’s not where we stop. As you release yourself from past hurts and integrate them into your personal narrative, they lose their grip on you. Ultimately, the therapeutic process can lead to new freedoms to be yourself, improve your relationships, and engage in the world in more fulfilling ways. You walk with a lighter step.