Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A: Psychotherapy (often referred to as mental health counselling) is a collaborative process between you and a trained licensed mental health professional. It offers a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space to explore your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and lived experiences, through a tailored evidence-based framework and collaborative goals. Therapy can help you better understand yourself, develop healthier coping strategies, and move through anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, or feeling stuck. 

Therapy is not about being told what to do, judged, or “fixed,” nor is it a quick solution. Unlike a coach/teacher, friend, or online tool, psychotherapy offers a consistent, attuned relationship with a trained unbiased clinician who can recognize patterns, gently challenge blind spots, hold risk responsibly, and help you process complex emotions in real time. Healing often requires more than information — it requires relational safety, attunement, depth, and consistent professional guidance. As an experiential, somatic-based therapist, I not only work at the level of insight and analysis — I also pay attention to your nervous system, bodily cues, and felt experience, supporting change that is both emotional and embodied.

The therapeutic relationship is a unique one, built on the foundations of trust, rapport, empathy, and a real human connection. 

A: Therapy sessions are typically 60 min. long (50 min. session + 10 min. admin time) and are booked consistently, usually weekly or biweekly, either virtually or in-person (whichever format works best for you). Depending on your presenting issues, therapy will likely span between 6 to 20 sessions or more.

A: While there are many types of supports available, I am a psychotherapist who specializes in and offers psychotherapy services only. Please see descriptions below for services that are not the same.

Psychiatry:

• Diagnoses conditions and can prescribe medication

• Usually referred to by a GP for complex mental health disorders 

Psychological Assessment/Services:

• Uses standardized tests to confirm a formal diagnosis

• Usually only needed if you're seeking formal accomodations at work/school

Coaching / Teaching:

• Goal-oriented support focused on skills, performance, and learning 

• Future-focused; does not treat mental health disorders

Crisis Services:

• Immediate, short-term support during acute mental health or safety emergencies

• Focuses on stabilization and connection to ongoing care

A: While I offer individual, couples, and family therapy, I do not typically provide multiple therapy formats simultaneously for the same client system.

This is because each therapeutic modality serves a different purpose and requires a clear clinical frame to remain effective and ethically sound. Working with an individual client, a couple, and/or a family system at the same time can create challenges around boundaries, confidentiality, and therapeutic alignment.

In some cases, I may recommend shifting between formats (for example, beginning with individual work and later transitioning to couple or family sessions) depending on clinical needs and goals. Recommendations are always made collaboratively and based on what will best support the client or family system.

If you are unsure which format is most appropriate, we can discuss this in an initial consultation and determine the best starting point together.

A: It’s very natural for parents to want clear, visible signs of progress. However, in therapy with young children—especially in play-based and grief-focused work—change often happens in ways that are gradual, relational, and not always immediately measurable.

Rather than focusing on session-by-session outcomes, progress is typically understood through broader patterns over time, such as:

• Increased comfort and engagement in the therapy space

• Changes in play themes (e.g., less distress, more integration of difficult experiences)

• Improved emotional regulation at home or school

• Increased ability to express feelings through play, behaviour, or words

• Subtle shifts in trust, attachment, and resilience

These changes often emerge slowly and may not follow a linear pattern. In fact, periods that appear “unchanged” externally can still reflect important internal processing.

My approach is based on a play-based, developmentally informed model of therapy, where the therapeutic relationship and emotional safety are central to change. This means I do not provide detailed session-by-session summaries, as maintaining a consistent and private space helps children feel free to express themselves naturally.

Instead, I provide regular parent check-ins (typically every 3–4 sessions), where we review general themes, progress, and ways to support your child at home.