Regardless of the issues you are struggling with, Laurie will utilize a variety of counselling methods to ensure you receive the specialized support you are looking for. Her approach is to implement a combination of therapeutic practices that are both time effective and uniquely tailored to your needs and goals. She works collaboratively with you to provide the best possible opportunity for lasting positive change. Her practice is informed through extensive training in a variety of evidence-based therapeutic modalities, some of which include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Theory,
- Somatic Transformation,
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy,
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The goal of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is to develop ways of thinking and behaving that generate a better mood, a greater quality of life and increase self-esteem. Unhealthy or negative thinking can hold you back from living the life you want. CBT helps to move you towards your goals and to how you’d like to feel and behave. The focus of CBT to become more aware of how your thoughts, feeling and behaviour interact. In every situation you’re in, you make certain assumptions or interpretations about what is going on. These assumptions and interpretations are developed as a result of your past experiences, your values and beliefs you hold about yourself and the world around you. You then feel and act a certain way based on these thoughts. Laurie can help you identify patterns of negative thinking that may be driving your negative emotions, like anxiety, depression or low self esteem. Laurie can help you to develop more functional ways of thinking and identify positive lifestyle changes that will improve your quality of life.
Research suggests that CBT is an effective treatment for a wide range of issues. It is helpful to reduce anxiety and depression, create more confidence and attain healthier relationships. Research also shows that people who experience anxiety or depression are less likely to slip back into old patterns when treated with CBT, and when they get better, they stay better.
Call or email Laurie for a free consultation or book an appointment now.
Somatic Transformation
Somatic Transformation (ST) is a form of therapy that is aimed at relieving symptoms of trauma. The term trauma is used to describe a profoundly overwhelming event that undermines your sense of safety. Whether the traumatic event happened years ago or yesterday, it can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, or anxiety that just won’t go away. Often, it can also leave you feeling numb or disconnected, and feeling like you are unable to trust others.
Experiences that are often described as traumatic can include:
- violence and abuse
- car accidents
- intrusive medical procedures
- serious injuries
- sudden death of someone close
- natural disasters
An experience is more likely to be traumatic if:
- it happened unexpectedly
- you felt powerless to stop it
- it happened repeatedly
- it was done by someone in a position of power
If you have experienced any form of trauma, Laurie provides a space to help you make sense of these experiences and move toward healing. Somatic Therapy (ST) is a powerful approach, that offers a variety of benefits for healing trauma. As our bodies remember both physical and emotional injuries, ST can help to change how our bodies remember and hold onto the traumatic event. The aim of ST is to restore inner balance, and provide deep healing.
If you think Somatic Transformation therapy could help you, call or email Laurie for a free consultation or book an appointment now.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective therapeutic approach if you have experienced trauma or are suffering from anxiety, depression and/or other distressing life experiences. It is a safe, non-invasive form of therapy which directly affects the way your brain processes information. The idea behind EMDR is that traumatic events are not processed at the time they happened but are instead locked into the brain. Without processing, these memories can be suddenly “triggered” by sights, sounds emotions, smell and sensation. EMDR allows the brain to process these memories in a safe, non-invasive way using alternating eye movements, hand taps, or sounds. The result is elimination of emotional distress, gaining powerful insights and behavioural changes. This powerful therapeutic approach is a very effective treatment for many conditions.
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS PEOPLE SEEK EMDR THERAPY:
- Traumatic memories & PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief
- Panic attacks
- Guilt
- Chronic pain
- Addiction
- Abuse
- Phobias
- Poor body image
- Increase self worth and self esteem
If you think EMDR therapy could help you, call or email Laurie for a free consultation or book an appointment now.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Does it feel as though you can’t remember how to communicate because you have the same arguments repeatedly?
- Do you feel more lonelier in your relationship than when you are on your own?
- Do you avoid talking to your partner because you feel your partner doesn’t hear what you have to say?
- Do you find that you are just “going through the motions” of being in a relationship without any real intimate connection?
If any of these questions are true for you and your relationship, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples can help you and your partner develop a closer and more loving relationship. Often at the start of a relationship, couples feel an intense connection, which can fade over time. EFT helps couples regain their connection through exploring negative patterns that they have become stuck in and developing a deeper understanding of each person’s emotional wants and needs. With EFT, couples can learn ways to express their wants and needs in a safe way, so both partners feel understood, heard and appreciated.
Developing a close emotional connection with your partner can improve how you feel about yourself. Research shows that people in happy relationships have better emotional health, greater resiliency in stressful situations and higher levels of self esteem. Healthy happy relationships are at the core of our emotional and physical well being. Overall, the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.