PSYCHOTHERAPY

Helping you lead a calmer life

At some point in our lives, most of us will encounter difficult situations that challenge our ability to cope. For some, it’s leaving home for the first time; for others, it’s the birth of a child, a career setback, an illness, or a death in the family. In situations like these psychotherapy can be very helpful.

Psychotherapy is a special kind of conversation, conducted with the goal of developing a new perspective—one that offers the possibility of life with less sadness, anxiety, anger, guilt and shame. This new perspective helps clients to discover and nurture their own resilience in the face of life’s highs and lows.

Psychotherapy may be helpful if you are: 

  • Feeling chronically anxious, sad, or depressed

  • Behaving in ways that strain relationships with family, friends, or coworkers 

  • Struggling with the aftermath of trauma 

  • Navigating through a major life transition 

  • Coping with a physical illness or disability 

  • Facing parenting challenges 

  • Experiencing separation/divorce issues

The benefits of psychotherapy include:

• Greater emotional resilience

• Clearer sense of personal identity

• More stable mood

• A decrease in negative emotions

• More control over emotional reactions

• A deeper understanding of one’s self and others

Testimonial

“I was referred to Ava by my family doctor to help me deal with anxiety that I wasn’t managing well. We met virtually due to COVID and it was a life changing experience. Ava is very calm and listens to everything with no judgement. She’s extremely knowledgeable, offers practical and intelligent tools and ideas. I always walk away from our conversations feeling like I’ve learnt something about myself and techniques for managing my anxiety and situations that I’m dealing with at work or in my personal life. After every appointment I feel positive, focused and ready to put what I’ve learned into practice. We went at a pace that was right for me, there was no pressure to commit to any kind of fixed schedule. She is truly interested in helping me to succeed in managing my anxiety. I’m really grateful that I met Ava. ”

+ What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a relationship between therapist and client with the goal of developing greater self awareness. The day-to-day choices that we make are often influenced by our early life experience. These experiences may effect our ability to find pleasure and fulfillment in the present. When effective, psychotherapy allows us to move through the world with more ease.

+ When is psychotherapy helpful?

Our emotions are a vital indicator of our psychological well-being. They are a major source of information that help to guide us in makingdecisions that effect the quality of our lives. When our emotions are too powerful, they cease to be useful guides in that decision making process, and instead make it harder to cope with life’s challenges. If you find that you struggle with an excess of emotion, it might be time to consider meeting with a psychotherapist.

+ How long does psychotherapy last?

There are no hard and fast rules about how long psychotherapy should last. For some people, a few visits help to get then back on track. For others, psychotherapy becomes an ongoing part of their lives—a method of developing and maintaining optimal emotional health and self-reflection. How long psychotherapy should last is unique for every individual and is best decided by you and your psychotherapist.

+ What are the benefits of psychotherapy?

Some of the benefits include more control over your emotional life, a clearer and more grounded sense of self, greater resilience in the face of adversity, and more fufilling realtionships with others.

+ How do I know what type of therapy is best suited to my needs?

There are many types of psychotherapy—all of which can be effective. Different therapeutic approaches focus on different aspects of human experience. Additionally, no two therapists practice in the same way. Psychotherapy research is clear on one point—the most important factor that determines whether or not your therapy will be successful is the quality of your relationship with your therapist. Psychotherapy is most beneficial when you feel safe sharing your thoughts and feelings, and have the sense that your therapist is genuinely motivated to understand you.