Frequently asked questions

what ARE THE BENEFITS OF THERAPY?

Therapy is about change. If you are stuck in unhealthy patterns and habits that limit your ability to thrive, if your relationships are stuck in patterns of conflict, distance and misunderstanding, therapy can help you to get unstuck.  Therapy can help with specific problems such as anxiety, grief, fear, sadness, isolation, poor self-image, self-destructive behavior patterns, family disfunction, relationship conflict, communication and creative blocks.  It can also help you address the larger questions such as the search for meaning and purpose in life. 

How do I know if a therapist is right for me?

Research shows that the connection with the therapist (the quality of the therapeutic  relationship) is the most significant factor in effective therapy.  It is important that you find a therapist with whom you feel accepted, valued and heard.  I will regularly check in with you about what is and isn’t working for you in the process, about the pace of the work, your sense of progress towards your therapeutic goals and what you need to move forward.

HOW DOES CHANGE OCCUR?

Change is linked with curiosity, self-compassion, self-awareness and feeling safe enough to risk taking the first few steps.  Many of us have experienced trauma that has caused us to act and respond in automatic or unconsciously unproductive ways.  Understanding our trauma-responses, finding ways to heal from trauma and altering our reactions to triggering situations can be a huge part of changing and finding ways to thrive.  One small change within us can have a ripple effect on other aspects of our lives.

We do not exist in isolation but in relation to others. Sometimes the changes we need are in how we connect with others, how we share, how we are vulnerable and how we set boundaries.  Relational therapy recognizes that change occurs within individuals but also within their family  and social systems.
 

WHAT HAPPENS IN INDIVIDUAL THERAPY?

By slowing down your ordinary pace and looking more closely at the places you feel stuck, we can begin to identify obstacles, enhance resiliency and build skills and resources.  We can work on whatever specific issues you target, sometimes in the context of larger issues.  So for example, we could work to lessen your anxiety by practicing specific wellness techniques such as self compassion, mindfulness, reality checks, use of music and movement to name a few.  We might also look at how anxiety has been a helpful resource for you in your growing up and now, and work on acceptance and understanding of your anxiety as one of your protective factors.  We could work on how you might address real factors in your life that contribute to your anxiety (e.g. your role in relationships, work stress and effects of past trauma.) 

WHAT HAPPENS IN COUPLE THERAPY?

Couple therapy treats the relationship as the client.  That means our goal in therapy is to improve the health and well-being and functionality of the relationship.  My training in working with couples comes from the Gottman method and EFT (Sue Johnson), two of the most highly researched and proven successful approaches to working with couples, as well as a narrative approach. Together we will identify negative patterns of interaction and underlying emotions that fuel these patterns. We will gain an understanding of what kinds of interactions are toxic in relationships and what relationships need to thrive.  We will practice shifting to healthier patterns of being together and couples can work together to create a supportive and meaningful story of their shared lives.

WHAT HAPPENS IN FAMILY THERAPY?

We all exist in relationship to others.  Families often get stuck in unhealthy patterns that cause pain for everyone.  In family therapy, we will work on shifting negative patterns that create distress, building healthy attachment between parents and children (which means allowing for connection and independence, for loving, nurturing support and respect for individual needs and differences).

In working with families and children I take a trauma-informed approach which means building safety and security and trust in the thearpy room and in the therapeutic process.  I will follow the children’s pace and accept their need to lean in or away from difficult topics. Where possible, I will involve the parent(s) in the therapy and help them practice “being with” their children as opposed to fixing them.  I will include age appropriate therapeutic interventions involving art, music, games, mindfulness and calming exercises.  Children often have amazingly unfiltered access to their imaginations and their emotions and therapy will harness these strengths to help improve relationships and behavior.
 

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN THERAPY IS COMPLETE?

Therapy can be short term, medium-term or long-term.  Part of our regularly checking on your current goals and what progress we are making will help us determine when the therapy is complete.  My goal as your therapist is to work myself out of a job.  I want to help you get to a place where you don’t need my on-going help.  You have the right to terminate therapy at any time, as do I.  If I feel that we are not a good fit to work together or have other reasons for needing to end therapy, I will do my best to offer you access to alternative resources.

What IF I NEED EMERGENCY OR CRISIS SERVICES?

Here and Now Therapy does not provide emergency or crisis services.  Click on this link to access Klinic and a current list of crisis services in Winnipeg and Manitoba: http://klinic.mb.ca/crisis-support/