How Can I Help You: What Therapy Looks Like

Building a Trusting, Informed Rapport

The basis of successful therapy is a trusting, informed rapport between client and clinician – I need you to know as much about what we’re doing as I do. I’m initially curious about your childhood history, substance use, sleep patterns and productivity. This information naturally invites discussions about relationships with family, friends and partners as our relationship deepens.

What We're Working Toward

All the while I’m noticing patterns in your behaviour and forming hypotheses about your difficulties, observations we will discuss in session. My long-term focus is to help my client better manage their amygdala – the “fight / flight / freeze / fawn” centre, or “dinosaur brain” that alerts us to risk. What I’m trying to do is desensitise the amygdala’s disproportionate responses to traumatic memories or to anxious expectations.

In the end, I want to make myself redundant with clients, to help them lead lives equipped with insights and skills to self-manage future emotional challenges.