I am an “eclectic” therapist, which means I don’t subscribe to any single theory of psychotherapy. Instead, I believe that different people (and people facing various challenges) are helped by different approaches. At various times, with various clients, I might draw my approaches from any of the following schools of psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral, Feminist, Psychodynamic, Solution-Focused, or Narrative. Schools I almost never draw from (so that I won’t disappoint you if you’re looking for these!) include Gestalt and Psychoanalytic approaches.

I am a very straightforward counsellor—I’ll always tell you why I’m asking about something or suggesting you try something. I believe in “demystifying” therapy, meaning I believe the more you understand about why we’re doing something, the more likely it is that it will be helpful to you. I also believe in “working myself out of a job” by teaching you skills that you can later use on your own, without the help of a therapist. One thing I’m not is passive: I’m not going to just sit there and say “uh-huh” and “how do you feel about that?” I will certainly listen, and I will ask you how you feel (among many other things), but I think there’s a lot more to good therapy than just listening. When I have an idea I think might help, I’ll say so.

I am very “real” when talking with clients—I’m quite open about my own life, and when I think an example of my own struggle or insight might be helpful, I’ll share that—not because I think my answers are necessarily yours, but because I believe that counselling is a real encounter between two real people (not a distant, formal expert “treating” a “patient”). I also bring my sense of humor into the sessions. My partner and I often joke that we choose to live in a sitcom: lousy things happen to us regardless, but seeing the humor in things allows us to live in a comedy rather than a drama. I hope my bringing humor into the session may invite you to make a similar choice, or at least provide a momentary respite from the seriousness of the concerns we’re dealing with.