Services and Fees

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy or EFT was developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and Dr. Les Greenberg and is a research-validated approach that is shown to have a 75-90% success rate with couples in 8-20 sessions.

EFT was even shown to be effective with couples that were already in the process of getting divorced. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is founded on the premise that our partner is an attachment bond which is just as important for emotional wellness as an infant's first attachment to a caregiver is. Basically, the comfort of knowing we are loved never goes away as we age. .

When couples have trouble in a relationship, they are struggling with a basic attachment issue, according to Dr. Johnson. They want answers to questions such as, “Are you there for me?” “Can I count on you?” and “If I call, will you come? But if a couple is not in tune, asking those questions can be troublesome. The signals they send can be distorted and misinterpreted, with no easy response. In a healthy relationship, our partner provides a place of safety, where we can be vulnerable, to share our hopes and fears without worry of criticism or rejection.

According to Dr. Johnson, a breakdown in a couple’s communication system typically leads to one of two patterns. One is using anger to get a response: “I can’t get you to respond to me, so I will get angry, coercive, and blaming. Occasionally, it will make you pay attention to me.”Another pattern is that one person shuts down as a way of dealing with difficult feelings or the partner’s anger: “I can’t get you to respond to me with acceptance, so I will try not to need you at all. I’ll try to shut you out.” Unfortunately, shutting down blocks the other person out and exacerbates the negative emotional system.

When couples first meet the connection is strong but over time lack of attentiveness, not feeling heard or unresolved hurts create distance in the relationship. Protests to this change in connection are what Dr. Johnson calls "demon dialogues". Demon dialogues are really protests about the loss of connection, the experience of fear, sadness or loneliness often appears as anger or shutdown.

Couples then when triggered end up in these demon dialogues which can happen for a variety of reasons a certain look or tone even can set off a negative cycle. These fights can become standard in some relationships, but if they gain momentum, they can take over, resulting in a devastating feeling of aloneness.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) offers a roadmap to help couples understand how to self-correct when these demon dialogues surface. Once couples understand their negative cycles they can work towards finding more loving adaptive responses to meet each other's needs for connection.

Internal Family Systems IFS

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a powerful and compassionate approach to healing emotional struggles. Developed in the 1980s by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS views the mind as made up of different “parts,” each with its own voice, emotions, and purpose. Schwartz, originally a family therapist, noticed that people often described inner conflicts as if different parts of them were in disagreement—and he began to explore this idea as a therapeutic model. In 2015, IFS was officially recognized in the U.S. as an evidence-based practice, and it’s now used widely for issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and even chronic pain.

IFS is based on the idea that we all have different parts inside us—some that try to protect us, others that carry pain, and others that try to manage how we interact with the world. These parts aren’t flaws—they developed for a reason, often to help us cope. At the center of it all is the “Self,” the calm, wise, and compassionate core that can help bring balance and healing.
Therapy begins by identifying the different parts within you and understanding their roles. This helps create insight into your inner world and why you may react the way you do in certain situations then you begin to unburden those parts by gently revisiting earlier experiences and offering them understanding, care, and relief.

Once healing has taken place, the goal is to build a more balanced and collaborative inner system—where your parts feel safe, respected, and led by your Self.

IFS is a flexible, non-pathologizing approach that supports deep personal growth. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship issues, IFS offers a respectful, empowering way to understand yourself and create lasting change from the inside out.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy CBT

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT? CBT is a form of talk therapy that focuses on how our thoughts influence our behaviour and emotions. Aaron Beck one of the founders of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) explains CBT is “a time-sensitive, structured, present-oriented psychotherapy directed toward solving current problems and teaching client’s skills to modify dysfunctional thinking and behaviour. Research has repeatedly found CBT to be effective with a variety of conditions such as depression, anxiety and phobias. CBT has also been shown to be effective with addictions, eating disorders, stress, OCD, panic attacks, procrastination, insomnia and even those recovering from cancer. I have advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through the Beck Institute and I have logged hundreds of hours using CBT over the years and I have had tremendous success with a wide variety of clients.

Everyone from time to time struggles with negative thinking. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets erroneous beliefs and faulty thinking to reframe the thoughts to be more accurate and balanced. Our beliefs develop over time about ourselves, others and the world around us but may have no basis in fact, however, these beliefs will greatly influence how we interact with others and see the world. In addition, our ability to have a healthy mindset and outlook is reliant on how positive and hopeful we feel.

For example, someone who encounters an angry boss who demands a meeting later that day may assume they are getting fired and as a result be overwhelmed with anxiety and panic. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches clients to look for facts and not draw on assumptions which then reduces the anxiety. One key aspect of CBT I appreciate is CBT encourages clients to develop healthy ways of coping and the skills to achieve more balanced thinking long after they have ended treatment.

Mindfulness

Since most of our suffering originates in our thoughts and automatic behaviour patterns mindfulness is an important part of developing the awareness which leads to positive change. Mindfulness is defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). In other words, mindfulness involves directing attention to the experience in the present moment and a non-evaluative observation of that experience (Bishop et al., 2004). Research has consistently shown that mindfulness is an important predictor of well-being." Higher levels of mindfulness have also been found to be associated with various positive psychological outcomes, such as lower levels of neuroticism, depression, and anxiety as well as higher levels of self-esteem, vitality, and authenticity

Online Psychotherapy Fees

A 60 minute session is $175 for individuals and $205 for couples, a sliding scale is available if you meet the income criteria. Psychotherapy Fees are not covered by OHIP but can be covered by extended insurance plans, please check with your insurance provider. We accept bank transfer and all major credit cards

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416-826-0842

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Address

150 Duncan Mill Road, Unit 2