Atlantic Yoga Therapy offers both psychodynamic psychotherapy and somatic or body-based therapy. Clients can choose to work specifically with talk therapy or body-based therapy, and some choose to integrate both. Integrating a somatic focus into psychotherapy does have to involve very much movement at all. Attuning to physical sensations (also called interoception) can allow opportunity for the body to speak and can deepen and add layers to the beneficial work done through talk therapy. For ongoing therapeutic work, a client treatment plan is built collaboratively after thorough assessment, and each therapeutic relationship looks different depending on what each client needs. Sessions are available virtually through a secure telehealth platform and in-person in Sackville, New Brunswick. Please see below for detailed descriptions of these approaches and follow the link to get in touch for scheduling and booking.
MA, CCC, LCT-C, TCTSY-F
I am a Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and a Licensed Clinical Therapist Candidate (LCT-C) with the College of Counselling Therapists of New Brunswick (CCTNB). I completed a masters degree in Counselling Psychology and have worked as a psychotherapist in both private practice and community clinic settings. For over 15 years I have been a student of Ashtanga yoga and I have studied yoga therapy and trauma theory with Ajna Yoga Therapy College and with The Centre for Trauma & Embodiment where I am registered as a trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator (TCTSY-F). I hold a certificate in Jungian Psychology from the C. G. Jung institute of New England and I am a fellow with the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society Quebec-English Branch in Montreal. I currently work with adolescents and adults who come to therapy for a wide variety of reasons including anxiety & depression, issues with eating disorders, addiction and in relationships, complex traumatic stress, and personality and mood disorders. I am very fortunate to practice under the guidance of my clinical supervisor and alongside excellent mentors and colleagues.
Psychodynamic therapy is a form of depth psychology. This means that client and therapist work with together to bring unconscious patterns into consciousness so they can be acknowledged and integrated. Therapy includes work with thoughts, beliefs, feelings & emotions, past experiences, family & ancestry, and an individual's personality, defensive or protective patterns, expectations, wishes, and desires. Interest and ability to commit to longer-term therapy is beneficial because the relationship between the therapist and client is central to this type of work and growth unfolds over time. Depth work can be useful where there are problematic or disruptive symptoms occurring in one's life, and it is also beneficial for working through developmental stages, life transitions, times of "identity crisis", or periods of loss and grief. The psychodynamic approach is an evidence-based approach with a long history of successfully supporting clients through depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, personality disorders, and issues that include a combination of symptoms. This type of therapy focusses on the meaning underlying symptoms as opposed to pathology, respecting individual differences while supporting clients to access deeper layers of meaning and connect to shared human experience.
We may also work with art, drawing, writing, dream-analysis and other forms of creativity and symbol-making during therapy sessions, depending on the individual client and what is needed.
Body-based therapy refers to a range of practices that facilitate and strengthen awareness of and connection to the realm of the body. The body has its own rhythms, its own pace, and its own wisdom, though there may be layers of tension, denial, fear, and other defenses that maintain the disconnect between mind and body. Particularly where the body holds pain and trauma, the mind may be very invested in "not feeling". Trauma-sensitive yoga therapy is primarily a "bottom-up" approach because it focusses attention on realms of feeling and sensing rather than cognition. Where accessing language and being present with inner experience may be difficult or painful, this type of therapeutic practice focuses on helping the mind to enter into the environment of the body slowly and with care.
Somatic (body-based) therapy can support an individual to regain agency, experience and strengthen inner and outer boundaries, and re-establish a relationship to internal sensations, instincts, and needs. Trauma-Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga in particular is an evidence-based approach for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and this approach can be beneficial for individuals with significant trauma, for those who feel disconnected from the realm of the body, and for those who carry shame or have a difficult relationship with the body.
They way that somatic practices are integrated into sessions will depend on the individual's needs and can include anything from seated mindfulness or breathing practices to yoga postures.
Sessions are $150 First sessions are always treated as an intake session so both therapist and client can get to know one another and discern whether working together therapeutically will be a good fit. |
Sliding Scale options are available for those who do not have access to insurance coverage. I do not offer direct billing to insurance. Please get in touch by e-mail or phone for more information. |