Most women have no idea what makes them happy am I right?

As little girls, we’re taught to be all sunshine, rainbows, and perfection, in EVERY aspect of our lives, 24/7. 365 days a year. 

Growing up, we’re given a cookie-cutter checklist of what happiness is: 

• Thin body (that never ages) 
• Successful career
• Handsome husband
• Big house in the suburbs
• Well-behaved, beautiful kids

You know, the whole white picket fence story? 

No wonder we’re all struggling! The bar is set so high that it’s unachievable.

I call that bar – “supposed to” culture. 

“Supposed to” culture is what leaves us emotionally exhausted and stops us from prioritizing ourselves and figuring out who we are and what ACTUALLY makes us happy. 

“Supposed to” culture even has it’s grubby little hands on the therapy world! It says therapy is “supposed to” be clinical, dry, and formal (no thanks!) and that if you seek out support, there’s something wrong with you. 

Let’s be honest, that’s why most people talk themselves out of therapy.

But I don’t buy into that rigmarole!

Therapy is for EVERYONE. And my style of therapy is DOABLE.

Here’s what I mean by that…

D – Doable. Sure, some days are hard in therapy, but if you trust the process and are ready to do the work, you’ll see ACTUAL changes in your thoughts and feelings – as well as in your daily life.  

O – Open minded. There’s nothing you can say that I’ll judge you for. You don’t have to hide things. It’s okay to be vulnerable and messy here. 

A – Authentic. Come just as you are. I show up authentically so that you can practice being authentic too. 

B – NOT Boring. Life is serious enough. In our sessions we don’t just talk about hard things and cry, we embrace fun, laughter, and silliness.

L – Loving. I hold your hand from day one. I’m gentle and kind, always. 

E – Emotional. I create a space where you can share ALL of your emotions, even the most challenging ones. I will never tell you that you’re being too emotional. Emotion is welcomed AND encouraged here.

Sound like it might just be for you? AMAZING!! That is exactly what I was hoping for.

Making therapy DOABLE takes some of edge off doesn’t it?!?

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Still feeling some anxiety around getting started? It’s nerve wracking, I get that! I felt the exact same way before I found my perfect therapist too. It’s completely natural.

Starting therapy can feel like going to the principal’s office, you have no idea what is coming next and how things are going to go.

So, with that in mind, let’s outline exactly what you can expect so there’s no surprises. I want to make this as seamless and easy for you as humanly possible.

STEP ONE: Book a consultation call.

Yep, it’s that easy, you don’t have to just dive in blindly, let’s connect and have a little chat. It’s important for you to get to know me and quickly feel at ease.

This is why I offer free consultation calls, so you have the opportunity to share a little bit about yourself in a no pressure situation.

You can ask all your questions and practice feeling into your intuition. You will know pretty quickly if it’s the right fit.

If at the end of the consultation you aren’t feeling it, that’s okay too! I will have been pleased to meet you.

STEP TWO: Taking the next steps.

Alright, we did the consultation and you’ve made the decision to move ahead and work together 1:1, woohoo!

So now what?!?!

At the end of the consultation we will book our first session together, it is usually about a week later. We will find the perfect time that fits your busy schedule.

The best part? We will work entirely online, meaning you can meet me wherever you feel comfortable. I have seen clients from all over Ontario, some of them in cars, closets, living rooms, offices, near a lake, you name it, I’ve had sessions next to it.

From there we will do a little bit of light paperwork. I will forward you a contract/confidentiality agreement (all electronic, no need to mess with a scanner and printer, YUCK!).

I will also provide you with a clarity questionnaire, just a few questions that allows me to get to know more about you, your history, your goals, and how you prefer to work together.

STEP THREE: The first session.

Alright, you have done all the things at this point, submitted your paperwork and you’re ready for that first session.

It is entirely normal to feel some nerves on that day.

Afterall, you don’t quite know how it’s going to go right? You might wonder:

“What if I have nothing to say?”

“What if she judges me?”

“What if I just cry the entire time?”

You can set all of those fears off to the side for a moment. I will be your caring and compassionate guide.

I am here to meet you exactly where you are, to give you all the space you need to find comfort and ease. I will hold your hand if it gets too emotional.

Your only job is to show up, to FINALLY put yourself first and allow yourself to simply BE.

That first session will likely be a lot of “emotional show and tell.”

What is that you ask?

That is my funny little term for sharing a little bit of this and that, it might feel like you’re all over the place and that is completely normal.

Afterall, you want to share all the pertinent details and sometimes one story takes you into another.

I will be here, supporting you, hearing you, seeing you fully. That I can promise you.

STEP FOUR: Moving ahead.

Typically, for the first four sessions or so, we will meet weekly. This will ensure we build enough of a foundation of trust to create a customized plan of care for sessions to come.

This usually happens quite organically, with me always following your lead.

I am not here to force you into anything you don’t feel comfortable with, everything we do together is your choice.

Even though we might have one plan, sometimes it changes, depending on what is coming up for you in session.

STEP FIVE: How I practice.

You have already learned that my style of therapy is DOABLE.

But what you might be wondering about is what techniques I use in the therapy space.

Cool! Let me take a moment to share a couple of those techniques with you now.

RELATIONAL – Say what? What does that mean Denise? It means the entire foundation and basis for our therapeutic relationship will be rooted in our RELATIONSHIP.

Meaning, you come to trust me, you practice what it is like to be in a positive, caring relationship.

One where your NEEDS are top priority, where you can speak your mind and nothing is off limits.

No need to pretend to be someone or something you’re not, just showing up exactly as you are.

SOMATICS – You might have heard this term before in the wellness community, if not, that is totally okay too.

Simply put, using somatic allows you to reconnect and experience what is happening in the BODY.

We spend so much time up in our heads that we lose track of all the messages and experiences we are having from the neck down.

In our work together we will reconnect to those sensations, creating a safe space to really feel into them, even the ones that are uncomfortable.

You will relearn the language of your body and learn to trust it’s wisdom.

EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This is a method many therapists use to effectively process trauma or challenging memories.

Using different tapping methods, you will be invited to work towards processing these memories, while always knowing your safety is top priority.

We will use grounding techniques and develop resources that will allow you to go deeper while keeping your wellbeing in the forefront.

While I have many other techniques in my arsenal, I won’t continue to list them, we can chat more about those when we connect on our consultation call.

So, that’s about it, hopefully I have given you all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Should you wish to connect and set up a consultation, simply leave a comment below and I will get connected with you right away.

You are worthy of joy!