About Us
MISSION STATEMENT
A life of meaning is about deep relationships. Our guiding mission is to create a space for clients and clinicians to build relationships towards a more meaningful life for all.
You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it (2:21)
Pirkei Avot
Our approach to change through therapy
What we are trying to change through therapy is:
- the nervous system,
- neurological pathways, and
- the body’s response to stimulus.
Therapy can help facilitate these changes through:
- how we speak and interact with one another in session,
- creating new understandings and meanings of life events,
- learning skills like noticing and naming emotions in the body, emotional regulation, and better interpersonal skills,
- examining and committing to one’s values,
- practicing these new ways of being in session and out in the world.
The theories that inform our work are Mindfulness, Attachment Theory, Poly-vagal Theory, Narrative Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
OUR TEAM
While we are a small team (of one!), we plan to expand to create a space where both clients and therapists can centre relationships and thrive.
My name is Karen (although I promise, I am not a ‘Karen’!). I have walked many different paths in life, in many different locations, held many titles, roles, and identities. I am a nature lover, a bibliophile, a life-long learner, and a genuine, open-hearted person. I approach my work with the humble intention of doing my part to ease a small part of the world’s grief.
Balancing leading and following
If a surgeon’s instrument is the knife, a therapist’s instrument is themselves. This stems from the idea that therapeutic change happens in the relationship that is created during sessions. This leads me to trying to find a balance between being intentional about how sessions flow – what we do, what we talk about, how we talk about it – and being my authentic self. Some therapists are very structured, sticking to one approach and favouring homework, and some are very loose, following the client’s lead entirely. I’m somewhere in the middle: centring the client, their knowledge and expertise, & directing sessions so that we stay on task and I work myself out of the client’s life.
Working towards change
I understand the brain to be a problem-solving machine that helps us make sense of the world, but it often uses old and uninformed patterns of response that leave us stuck, confused, and hurting ourselves and others. Self-awareness is the cornerstone of change in therapy! While I will offer unconditional acceptance and deep care to my clients, I will also ‘hold your feet to the fire’ to help facilitate this self-awareness and speak with honesty and integrity in our work together, helping you become more skilled in naming and examining your own patterns and beliefs. Our work will not be about solving your short-term problems, but increasing your capacity to “be with” life’s ongoing problems on your own by learning how to reconnect with yourself.
Get a free consultation
Book or call today to find out if we are right for you.