Relational based approach
I offer counselling services that will nurture your spirit, help you overcome personal challenges, and foster deeper networks of support around you.
Fees
Individuals (50 min session): $130 + GST
Couples Counselling (80 min sessions): $160 + GST
Many health benefits plans will reimburse you for counselling services. Contact your plan provider before your first session to ensure that your plan covers the Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) designation.
Individual Therapy
Moving forward
When I work with individuals, I am always orienting my lens in two directions. Firstly, I look towards the broader context that surrounds a person. I see that many challenges an individual is experiencing are not always only or primarily to do with the person, but are impacted by the environment, culture and relationships that surround that individual. I wonder about what contextual, cultural, and systemic factors can be adjusted to alleviate distress. As well, I also look inward. I wonder about what is going on under the surface with a person such that they are experiencing suffering. Once trust is established, I invite clients to get to the root of the issue. My basic assumption is that getting to the core of the issue can offer greater understanding, compassion, and a way through and out of suffering. I also believe that simply holding space and being curious about a person is enough: people have the innate capacity, wisdom and strength to heal themselves and take actions that are in line with their values and desires. As a result, I am happy to work with clients who are stuck in various struggles such as:
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Anxiety, depression, fear, guilt, shame, negative thoughts, distressing emotions
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Ecological distress or climate dread
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Addiction/problematic substance use
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Self-harm, suicidal thinking, ‘obsessive’ thinking, eating challenges and negative body image
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Struggles with parenting, challenging behaviors with children
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Sexuality, gender identity, gender confusion, sexual orientation
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Trauma, post-traumatic stress, adverse childhood experiences
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Important life decisions, midlife and end of life challenges
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Grief and Loss
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Spiritual integration
"Roxy's compassionate support, encouragement, insight, and integrative therapy has helped me to discover what I have been seeking and not finding my whole life - the True Self within - Me. Thank you Roxy."
- BG (68 years old)
Couples Counselling
Enlivening the space between
When I work with couples and people who are in conflict, my underlying assumption is that people are doing the best that they can and, yet, sometimes intimate relationships can tap into our deepest fears, unfulfilled longings, and pain. When this happens, there is an opportunity for a deeper way to know and understand oneself and another. In conflict, there is enormous opportunity for growth and, potentially, there is a chance for deeper intimacy. My orientation with couples is to gently and consistently invite each member into a deeper understanding and compassion of themselves and of their partner.
Conflict is what happens when people come together. It takes work to learn how to live well alongside each other. In the midst of tension, there is always room for everyone involved to grow, learn, and help to heal ruptures. I work well with couples who are interested in this sort of growth - who want to understand themselves and their partner more and are willing to work at fostering a more compassionate and deeper connection.
My own experience of living in the midst of various communities, navigating complex relationships and studying various topics such as Attachment Theory, Family Systems, psychodynamic interactions, and theories of personality add to my own approach to couples work. I believe relationships can offer a pathway towards healing, even -and perhaps especially- if there is conflict or tension.
The Counselling Space
The counselling room is on the second floor in a well lit office space, facing away from the busy traffic and capturing the afternoon sunlight, through its two large west facing windows. The room is lit with lamps, which make it warm and inviting. There are no fluorescent lights. It is a few minutes walk from the downtown core and is accessible by bus. In fact, there are 15 buses that stop directly in front of the door to the building, which is on Douglas, just off Discovery street. The space includes access to single user bathrooms, and bottled water. The room sits comfortably 4-5 people. Unfortunately, the space is not wheelchair accessible.