What Does A Therapy Session Look Like?

Individuals

A therapy session for an individual includes a space where you are free to discuss your own unique needs. The initial session includes learning about what brought you to the therapy or counselling room. This space is reserved for you to bring forward situations that may be causing you to pause or reflect in life, process, and question a situation or situations which are taking place. This time is reserved for you to confidentially discuss thoughts without feeling judged or if desired to dig deeper into your past and understand how your past has influenced you to respond in the ways you are now responding. It is a time to find healing from past injuries in life and a space to learn to move forward to a better future.

Couples

The initial session will include both partners, where you are able to discuss your history and what your relationship looks like. There will be an opportunity to discuss the reasons for seeking couples counselling and what your hopes and goals are for therapy.

Following that initial session, I will meet with each of you separately for one session to gain further insight into your personal history and what you may be experiencing in the relationship.

Following those individual sessions, we will all meet together for the sessions, with the sessions focusing on slowing down the conversations that keep us “stuck” in our communication patterns. These communication patterns become a dance between partners; this habitual dance becomes that disconnection that keeps you apart. Realizing that your partner’s steps are in reaction to your steps, and your steps, in turn, impact your partner, is a breakthrough that will change everything between the two of you. Once your particular negative pattern is clear, it’s possible to learn and practice new steps leading to a “dance of connection.”

Succession Planning

Succession planning can be a real time of challenge for families – regardless of the family member. Transferring a family business to another family member (oftentimes a child or children) is a decision that takes careful planning and conversation to ensure that the transition can go smoothly. I focus mainly on farming families with succession planning; however, succession can take place in any family business and includes those difficult conversations with all members of the family. My goal with succession planning with families includes ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard; that difficult conversations can take place and that the legacy of the family business has the opportunity to be transferred to the next generation while still keeping the family unit intact; while also maintaining and supporting relationships.

Why Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)?

I believe that close, secure relationships are as important for humans as food, water and shelter. My goal is to help couples recognize and understand that it is misunderstanding, not malice which is at the root of relationship distress. The model of EFT does not place blame on either partner; instead, it’s the cycle between individuals that causes reactive and misattuned behaviour. We all long to be loved, and when humans are in an emotionally responsive relationship, they become happier and healthier individuals. Emotionally Focused Therapy helps couples to break away from their cycle of arguing, blaming, silence and frustration and instead learn how to better connect with one another.