I am a Registered Psychologist in Vancouver providing individual
therapy to adults with the following issues:
Disordered Eating: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Purging, excessive/compulsive exercise, negative body image
Low Mood: Depression, hopelessness, worthlessness, suicidal thoughts
Addictive Behaviors: Alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling
Relationships: Attachment, conflict, abuse, divorce, parenting
Life stress: Major life transitions, work/life balance, stress management
Anxiety Disorders: Social Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias (e.g. flying, heights, elevators), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Low Mood: Depression, hopelessness, worthlessness, suicidal thoughts
Addictive Behaviors: Alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling
Relationships: Attachment, conflict, abuse, divorce, parenting
Life stress: Major life transitions, work/life balance, stress management
Anxiety Disorders: Social Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias (e.g. flying, heights, elevators), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
My Treatment Approach
My treatment approach generally involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions. CBT is a combination of two effective and well-researched forms of therapy: Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy.
Cognitive Therapy involves partnering with a therapist to examine the way your thoughts influence your feelings. You and your therapist track your thoughts and evaluate how adaptive or rational they are. Then you work to change your thinking patterns to reduce negative emotional consequences, such as depression or anxiety.
Behavior Therapy focuses mainly on how some thoughts or behaviors may accidentally get "rewarded" within your environment, contributing to an increase in the frequency of these thoughts and behaviors. Behavior Therapy varies, depending on the problem, and often has several elements. For example, you may work with your therapist to increase activities that bring you pleasure, increase relaxation, or improve your overall quality of life. You may work to confront feared situations (e.g. public speaking, social situations), one small step at a time.
Together, Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy form a style of therapy which is present-focused, goal-oriented, and teaches skills to help you make changes in your life. Treatment focuses on identifying the ways that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected and how they affect one another. Because these dimensions are linked, CBT approaches allow for you and your therapist to work collaboratively to intervene at different points in the cycle, so that altering one dimension (e.g. thoughts) can help alleviate difficulties in another (e.g. feelings).
CBT is based on scientific evidence and has been shown to be effective in treating many forms of anxiety, eating disorders, relationship problems, substance use, depression, and difficulties with anger and emotion regulation.
Cognitive Therapy involves partnering with a therapist to examine the way your thoughts influence your feelings. You and your therapist track your thoughts and evaluate how adaptive or rational they are. Then you work to change your thinking patterns to reduce negative emotional consequences, such as depression or anxiety.
Behavior Therapy focuses mainly on how some thoughts or behaviors may accidentally get "rewarded" within your environment, contributing to an increase in the frequency of these thoughts and behaviors. Behavior Therapy varies, depending on the problem, and often has several elements. For example, you may work with your therapist to increase activities that bring you pleasure, increase relaxation, or improve your overall quality of life. You may work to confront feared situations (e.g. public speaking, social situations), one small step at a time.
Together, Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy form a style of therapy which is present-focused, goal-oriented, and teaches skills to help you make changes in your life. Treatment focuses on identifying the ways that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected and how they affect one another. Because these dimensions are linked, CBT approaches allow for you and your therapist to work collaboratively to intervene at different points in the cycle, so that altering one dimension (e.g. thoughts) can help alleviate difficulties in another (e.g. feelings).
CBT is based on scientific evidence and has been shown to be effective in treating many forms of anxiety, eating disorders, relationship problems, substance use, depression, and difficulties with anger and emotion regulation.
Specific Interventions Offered:
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy - Enhanced (CBT-E for Eating Disorders)
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
- Dialectial Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
- Cognitive Therapy
- Behavioral Activation
- Relaxation Training
- Mindfulness and Meditation
- Coping Skills
Please contact me with any questions about how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches could help improve your quality of life.
