What is counselling or therapy?
Counselling, also known as therapy, is a collaborative process whereby the therapist uses established skills and techniques to assist clients in achieving their goals. Through the therapeutic relationship, the counsellor assists the individual, family, or group to work through distress resulting from problems which may include; personal relationships, life events, mental or physical health concerns. The process of therapy often works to alleviate distress, or for individuals to gain personal insight in order to fully realize their potential and make positive changes in their life.
My Philosophy
It is my belief that emotional problems emerge and are maintained as a result of early life experiences. This is explained by Attachment Theory,[1] which proposes that infants have an innate need to attach to their primary caregiver. Any disruption, such as when the child is separated from their caregiver or if the caregiver is unable to appropriately respond to the child’s physical and emotional needs, may result in an insecure attachment between the infant and his or her caregiver. An insecure attachment system can be the foundation for person to become more vulnerable to developing mental health concerns since the ability to regulate emotions were affected in their early developmental stages. However, despite early circumstances, I believe that everyone is capable of change and growth in the context of a supportive attachment focused counselling relationship.
[1] Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guildford Press.
[2] Rogers, C. R. (1992). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 827-832.
[3] Trauma (2022) CAMH; https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/trauma#:~:text=Trauma%20is%20the%20lasting%20emotional,regulate%20emotions%20and%20navigate%20relationships.
[4] Parnell, L (2013). Attachment-Focused EMDR, Healing Relational Trauma. New York: W. W. Norton & Company
