Counselling and Psychotherapy

You may come to therapy for relief from depression, anxiety, fear or other stressors. Maybe you want to get to know yourself better, change patterns that are not working for you, or because you aspire to grow and be a better version of yourself. Counselling/psychotherapy offers a safe, non-judgemental space to navigate your way through life transitions, separation, doubt, difficult choices, grief, pain, trauma, stress, relationships or important life events such as marriage or the birth of a child. It is a place for you to find your voice, explore options, invite different perspectives, discover your purpose and feel empowered.

Our childhood and life experiences, physical or mental condition, addiction or collective family history may have created difficult circumstances in our lives. We might be in pain, sad or confused. We may be exhausted, tired of being strong or pleasing others. Maybe we don't feel that we are enough or the idea of happiness or wellness can seem like an illusion. Whatever your circumstance may be, counselling/psychotherapy can help you learn to give yourself a chance and embrace your ability to be your own agent of change. 

There is a complex interconnection between mind, body, heart and spirit. Health and wellbeing is achieved when all these aspects of our self is in balance. To achieve our highest potential, enjoy good health and be happy or at peace, we need to nurture our whole being. It doesn't matter if our body is healthy and fit if we are consumed by feelings of sadness or that we have a perfect and successful career if we feel disconnected from our world and those around us. Life can be full of possibilities but we may have fear and doubt clouding our vision or everything can look wonderful on the outside while we feel physically and mentally exhausted and overwhelmed.

In general, counselling aims to help you find solutions and make choices through exploration of options, identification of strengths and needs, locating information and providing resources while promoting a variety of coping strategies. Psychotherapy aims to help you address difficulties that could be of a more emotional nature for the purposes of promoting positive personal growth and development (http://OCSWSSW.org). Whatever form of support you need, it is important to know that both modalities offer very empowering experiences which can help you achieve your goals, gain more clarity and emotional wellbeing or help you reframe your story. Therapy helps you collect the tools needed to find different narratives that transform painful experiences into stories of strength and resilience as you approach them from a different perspective.

The work Terra does with individuals, families and groups is informed by an Indigenous worldview. This means, she practices as a Wholistic Health Practitioner, considering all aspects of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual health, collective family histories, lifestyle, food and nutrition in your time together. Her approach is trauma and attachment informed, which means she has a deep understanding of how trauma affects the brain, body, thoughts and emotions, how we are shaped by our earliest bonding experiences and how this continues to play out in our relationships.

She holds certificates in Addictions, Trauma, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and has pursued professional development in Expressive Arts, Brief Solution Focussed, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapies. Terra is a registered member of the Ontario College of Social Work and Social Services Workers (OCSWSSW) and the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW).