My Philosophy
As a clinician, I am committed to my clients’ psychological health and I will do anything within my power to help them overcome their distress.
I believe that the foundation to therapy is an empathetic, supportive, and collaborative relationship. In the first session, I try to understand and assess the nature of my clients’ distress. Once we are on the same page, it is my job to formulate a treatment plan that is tailored specifically for the individual.
“It’s like any other skill. The earlier you learn it, the better off you are… We want to empower people, to give them the tools they need, so that they feel they have choices. This is a skill like any other. The more you practice, the better you do. The first time you play hockey, you fall all over the place, you can’t cope. But over time, the more you practice the better you play. Your skills develop. So it is with your brain.”
Dr. Andrew Miki (an excerpt from a Toronto Star newspaper article that reviewed his program at Baycrest Hospital in Toronto)
Cognitive Behavioural Tools
CBT resonates with me because I believe that one of my major roles is to teach people tools so that they feel empowered and equipped to proactively manage their lives. Once we have finished our work together, the tools and information that you have learned can be used to maintain your psychological functioning for the rest of your life. My goal is to help people become their own therapist so that they can live independently while feeling that they have my support should they ever need additional help in the future.
I believe that learning to effectively use the tools and strategies provided in CBT is a skill. Therefore, like any other skill, sport, or hobby, it can be learned. With practice and active use, people can become very proficient at using the tools effectively.
I use the concept of Mental Fitness because it is a good analogy of how I believe therapy should take place. If you were to see a physical trainer because you were not in optimal physical shape, you would learn a series of exercises and utilize a workout schedule. Over time, you may no longer need your trainer’s help because you have achieved your goal of becoming physically fit. However, if you were to stop exercising, your fitness would decline. The same principle holds for our mental health. Therefore, the CBT exercises should be learned and practiced by all of us in order to keep mentally fit.
I also like CBT because it is grounded in research and science. This distinguishes CBT from other types of therapy available to the public. In my practice, I only use evidence-based tools that are accepted by the medical and psychological communities.