So, you might be here because you’re trying to assess whether therapy is right for you and you just want to know what you can expect. Now, I can promise that if you’ve met one therapist, you can just say that you’ve met one therapist. Just like there are many different people with their own ideas of life, education and unique life experiences, there are therapists who are just as unique.

Regardless of your history with therapy, I’m so glad you’re here. You don’t realize it, but you have taken a step towards a more integrated and balanced self. You care about your mental health, and you realize that there is value to working with a professional to figure some things out.

If you’re the type who needs more information before you commit, I hear you. I’m like that too. So, let’s get into it

**Consultation**

This consultation call will give you the chance to decide whether I would be able to support you in your wellness journey. Once you share a little bit about what’s going on for you, I will share my style and approach. You can ask any questions you have as well. Then, you will decide if you’d like to book a session or to think about it a little bit more. ***This not a chance for me to convince you to work with me.*** If I notice that you are looking for something different, I will get a bit more information and then connect with my network of therapists and pass their names on to you.

**Session One**

**First:**
When we meet, we will discuss informed consent which is from the forms I would have sent you to complete. There are some policies that are important for you to know, so I repeat them at the beginning of session.
**Second:**
We talk together about how you want the session to go. This is your first session, so go easy on yourself! I can ask prompting questions; or you can go ahead and share what has brought you into therapy.
Some other topics that come up: what your life looks like; your goals for therapy; your experience with therapy; current coping skills etc.

Session Two and Onwards

I always start with asking you if anything came up from last session and do a quick recap of the last session to get ourselves into therapy mode. Then we set an agenda, we usually list what’s on your mind, and then I’ll invite you to choose what you want to dive deeper into. I also add anything I’d like to address . And then we work! I ask lots of questions, I might provide some psycho-education, we may engage in an exercise, or we may focus on exploring your thoughts working to gain an understanding of your inner wisdom etc.

**Therapeutic Modality**

I have been trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
CBT has received a bad reputation regarding its rigidity and gaslighting approach especially in the face of racial trauma. I take this into consideration and do not use it as a manualized treatment but rather integrate it into our sessions. The idea that our thoughts impact our emotions which impact our behaviours has been widely studied and is an evidence based intervention. But nothing is perfect. And I am consistently engaged in decolonizing therapy and learning more ways to serve my clients.
I also utilize DBT as a skill building intervention. We incorporate principles of mindfulness, managing emotions, improving relationships, validating self and managing distress.
Other modalities which underlie my approach is Strengths Based, Anti-Oppressive, Anti Racist, Client Centred, Trauma Informed.
I’m also learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and body-centred bottom up practices to help manage emotions.

Style

I have worked with adolescents for the majority of my career. They can smell bullshit a mile away. So, I promise you, I’m as real as it gets. I can be directive in session if needed, or I’ll let you take the lead (as long as we are still doing some work). You will be challenged, I’ll do it in a caring and supportive way, but it will happen. We will also laugh, we’ll cry and I’ll hold space for you whenever you need it. We’re going to be a team. Therapy gives you a full 50 minutes to focus on YOU, to help you say out loud what you might have been thinking lately, to have someone to bounce your thoughts off of, and maybe look at different ways to live your life.

I hope this provides you with some more information about what therapy is like at Balanced Self. If you’re interested in working with me to address some mental health concerns, let's connect!