Here are a few things I honestly value, in my life & in my work as a therapist.
Presence.
Being here –now– is everything. Thinking about how horrible the past was, or how scary the future is, is understandable. Sometimes we need to learn from what’s happened, or plan for what we want. But really, to deal with anything, we need to be calm enough to think. Recognizing that in this moment we can take a deep breath, we can relax our shoulders, we are safe… Sometimes we have to do that before anything else.
Creativity.
Everyone is so unique. Working together to figure out what’s helpful for (the one and only) you, means I always get to be creative. So lucky! Being creative also helps us not get bored. If talking gets old, we can go for a walk, or use music, art, or humour to keep ourselves engaged. Believe it or not, therapy can be engaging and fun (and often is).
Knowledge.
What I love about psychology (nerd alert!), is that there is always new research, which we can use to figure out the best way to reach our goals.
For the last decade, I’ve done and presented my own research, and worked on some amazing teams. I love going to conferences, classes, workshops. But my favourite part is that I get to bring it all back to my clients, in a way that is actually helpful.
Working in a field that’s constantly moving forward is so exciting!
Non-conformity.
I was trying to think of a “nicer” way to put this… Individuality? Perhaps it’s the punk in me, but “non-conformity” fits best.
So much of what weighs us down relates to society’s standards. “Be a perfect student, get a good job, look a certain way, don’t offend anyone”. I’m sorry, but screw that.
I’m not suggesting we quit our lives and start a band, but if we find ourselves living someone else’s’ idea of a good life, who is going to live ours? We only live once.
It’s worth considering whose dreams we’re chasing, and why. What if we look back one day and realize we were too distracted to live our dreams, because we were so busy making others happy? Them being happy is their job to figure out, not ours.
Empowerment.
When I was young, my best friend was bullied and attacked, just for being herself. For this and other reasons, I learnt about hate, discrimination, and injustice early.
As my client, this means you will always be accepted for who you are. You won’t be “challenged” on your experiences of oppression. I love working with folks from all cultural backgrounds, and proudly work with and support those from the LGBTQ2S community. If you are dealing with discrimination or bullying, I will not only be therapist, but your ally and advocate.