My Therapeutic Approach

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy developed for trauma. While you focus on a memory, your therapist guides bilateral stimulation (eye movements, buzzers, or sounds) that help your brain reprocess the memory. When memories are processed, they don't feel as triggering. You keep your memories and all the feelings that make sense. You leave behind the fear of the memories themselves and the beliefs about yourself/the world that don't fit for you anymore. EMDR doesn't ask you to talk through every detail (top-down processing); it works with how the memory lives in your nervous system (bottom-up processing). EMDR can also be used to assist with concerns like anxiety, depression, stress, and more.

CBT is a therapy that examines the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Together we identify patterns of thinking that fuel anxiety, depression, or stuck behaviours, and we build new responses. CBT is one of the most studied forms of therapy and has strong evidence for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns. I also use Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP), which was adapted from CBT to address anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

DBT was originally developed for emotional intensity and self-harm patterns and has since been adapted for anxiety, trauma, and relationship struggles. It blends acceptance with change. Building skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. We use DBT-informed skills when they fit, not the full DBT method.

ACT helps you make room for the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with being human while moving toward what matters to you. Instead of trying to delete uncomfortable inner experiences, ACT teaches you to notice them, hold them lightly, and act in line with your values anyway. It's especially useful when trying to "fix" thoughts hasn't worked.

Trauma-informed care is a way of working, not a single technique. We do the work that you choose, at your pace, within a relationship that is authentic and safe. It means therapy is paced to your nervous system, prioritizes safety and choice, recognizes how past experiences shape present reactions, and avoids approaches that can be too intense or even make things feel worse.

We start with what you're bringing in, what you've already tried, and what feels right to you. I share what I think might fit and why, and we agree on a plan together. Most therapy with me blends modalities in a way that supports you as an individual. I generally lean into neuroscience, cognitive behavioural therapy, and trauma-informed practice to understand our inner worlds. Then, I pull strategies from ACT, DBT, EFT, ERP, and EMDR depending on what makes the most sense for you.

Almost always several. People are not one thing, and neither is therapy. The plan we build is shaped by your goals and adjusted as we go. If something isn't working, we say so and shift. That said, if you want to dive completely into EMDR or Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, then we do that.