All helping professionals, such as counsellors, therapists, social workers, psychotherapists and psychologists use research-based practices to inform their work, and do this by choosing specific modalities to do so. These are - formal, organized methods with specific philosophies and sets of skills or insights or practices that are meant to help you - the client.

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A good metaphor might be, modalities are like the branches of the tree. All connected to the trunk, all providing some shade, nutrients and other goodness to the tree, but all look different - some may be really long, some may be really tiny, some may be straight, some may bend and curve.

Another metaphor may be thinking about modalities like different types of construction tools to build a house - all look different, do different things at different stages or times, and still help build the house.

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My modalities are:

IFS - Internal Family Systems. This modality was created by Richard Schwartz. IFS says that we have many 'parts' of ourselves and that our relationship with these is vital to attend to. Have you ever said, "part of me wants to, but another part doesn't." IFS works to help us relate to these parts new in ways which helps us to heal from trauma, navigate relationships better, reduce emotional reactivity, foster better understanding of ourselves, and manage many other mental health symptoms.

ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This therapy created by Russ Harris helps us with skills and insights to Be Present, Open Up, Do What Matters to us - even through great stress, trauma, or emotional distress.

DBT - Dialectial Behaviour Therapy. DBT was created by Marsha Linehan. It was originally created for people in extreme distress - but DBT Skills can be for anyone. These skills focus on acceptance and change, and offer skills to do both so we can live lives worth living.

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These therapies are much more than I have stated here - they are incredibly nuanced and extend far beyond these introductory statements. If you have questions about them, let's chat in session!