Individual Therapy
To live a full and connected life in the face of difficulty - and even tragedy - requires the capacity to feel and make use of your emotional experience.
~ Dr. Diana Fosha
My Approach
In my work with individuals, I use an approach to therapy called both Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (STDP), so named because change is experienced after months not years of therapy. STDP is a well-known, well-documented and well-respected model of therapy that focuses on creating deep and lasting change for individuals. There are numerous research trials demonstrating its effectiveness and many articles and books illustrating its power in dealing with anxiety and depression and other therapeutic issues. STDP has the capacity to lead to positive, long-term, and significant personality change.
STDP increases an individual's self-awareness and self-understanding. When feelings and thoughts are understood and experienced, there is a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, negative behavioural patterns and psychological and physical symptoms. The power of emotion to transform is enormous. Clients frequently describe an improved sense of well-being, a deeper more intimate connection with others and much improved relationships.
I have trained for the past 30 years in various models of Short - Term Dynamic Psychotherapy. It has been my privilege to train with leading practitioners in this field including: Diana Fosha, PhD. (New York), Robert Neborsky, M.D.( UCLA,) Alan Abbass, M.D., FRCP (Halifax) and Allen Kalpin, M.D.(Toronto). I have also trained extensively with Dr. Josette ten Have -de Labije (Berlin) through the Washington (DC) School of Psychiatry.
It is truly difficult to live with emotional distress and to cope with the many challenges that occur in life. Considering individual therapy does not need to be an overwhelming choice. Beginning therapy can be a first step toward emotional wellness. Committing to this empathic and engaged therapeutic process provides you a powerful opportunity to create lasting and meaningful change in your life.
If you are considering Individual therapy, it suggests that you might be struggling with some aspect of your life, your feelings or relationships. People often believe that the role of the therapist is to offer specific guidance and direction about these problems, i.e. 'tell me what to do'. However, the real job of therapy is to help us explore the blocks that impact how we successfully process and manage our feelings, interactions and life decisions. A core belief of my practice is that we all have the capacity to make healthy decisions and maintain successful relationships. My role as a therapist is to work with you to build that capacity within yourself.