Treatment Modalities

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a humanistic modality that posits emotional awareness leads to the following:

An authentic expression of Self
Authentic living
Meaningful relationship
An overall fulfilling life

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a type of therapy that focuses on the emotional connection between individuals in a relationship, particularly romantic relationships.

EFT emphasizes the importance of emotions in shaping our behaviours and relationships and the need for secure attachment and emotional bonding to establish and maintain healthy relationships.

EFT aims to help couples recognize and understand the negative patterns in their relationship and develop more positive interactions that promote emotional intimacy, trust, and security.

EFT has been shown to be an effective treatment for couples experiencing various issues, including communication problems, infidelity, and relationship distress.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a transformative, evidence-based, trauma-informed model that believes the following:

Trauma can cause fragmentation of self into different parts, rather than remaining whole
These parts can be understood as similar to various family members within a family unit that may be at odds with each other, resulting in inner conflict
There is a core Self that has the power to self-heal and carries intrinsic wisdom
The model uses a gentle and compassionate approach to
- identify various parts as they are appearing in the ‘here and now’
- restore connection, trust, and self-love between them and the Self

IFS is a psychotherapeutic approach that explores an individual’s internal system of different “parts”.

IFS is based on the idea that each person has different “parts” that make up their personality. If these parts conflict, it can lead to emotional difficulties and other problems.

The IFS model describes three different types of parts: Managers, Exiles, and Firefighters.

Managers are responsible for maintaining control and safety, while Exiles are parts of the self that have been pushed out of awareness due to painful experiences.

Firefighters respond to crisis situations and try to distract or numb the individual from emotional pain.

In IFS therapy, the therapist helps the individual explore and understand these different parts of themselves, identifying and resolving internal conflicts. This is done in a compassionate and non-judgmental way to facilitate healing from trauma and achieving a sense of balance and harmony within themselves.

IFS is often used to heal various kinds of trauma, including attachment, acute, complex and intergenerational trauma, and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.

It can also help facilitate personal growth, encourage authenticity, create healthy relationships, reduce stress, and increase self-awareness and self-compassion.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based model that believes:

Thoughts impact feelings and behaviours
Cognitive distortions (negative thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes) can be identified to change unwanted or problematic symptoms or behaviours

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT

Dialectic is a synthesis or integration of opposites.

The premise here is to make space for opposing truths to coexist within.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based modality that combines CBT and Mindfulness to help alleviate various psychological symptoms, including emotional dysregulation and interpersonal instability, through skill development in Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal effectiveness.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a goal-directed, strengths-based therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and achieving the individual’s goals rather than examining the root causes of their problems.

It is based on the idea that individuals have the skills and resources to solve their issues and achieve their desired outcomes. SFBT is typically brief because it focuses on identifying and building on existing strengths rather than exploring problems in depth.

During therapy, the therapist will collaborate with the client to identify their specific goals and ask targeted questions designed to encourage the client to think about their existing strengths and resources.

The therapist will then help the client create a plan of action, and through this process, the client will gain a sense of hope, empowerment, and confidence in their ability to make positive changes in their life.

SFBT has been found to be effective in treating a number of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and substance abuse.

It is also often used in counselling sessions to help individuals work toward specific personal and professional goals.

Focusing therapy (FOT)

Focusing-Oriented Therapy (FOT) is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the importance of getting in touch with the bodily felt sense to facilitate emotional healing and self-awareness.

This approach recognizes that insights and personal growth often come from within an individual and arise from the awareness of their body’s response to different situations, memories, and feelings.

FOT was developed by Dr. Eugene Gendlin, who studied the process of successful psychotherapy and found that successful therapy involved clients accessing their body’s felt sense.

The approach is grounded in the belief that one’s body has wisdom that can be accessed and utilized to address emotional struggles and find appropriate solutions.

In FOT, the therapist encourages clients to focus on their inner feelings and sensations while guiding them to explore and express their experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

The therapist helps the client to become aware of physical sensations or embodied feelings and helps them to focus on that sensation, allowing it to unfold and speak to them.

FOT is often used to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and related mental health concerns.

By tapping into the embodied experience, individuals can have new insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that they may not have been aware of before. With this awareness, they can learn to make positive changes, create meaningful relationships, and find more fulfilling lives.

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the emotional experiences of individuals to facilitate personal growth and healing.

EFT recognizes the importance of emotional awareness and expression in human functioning, and it aims to help individuals better understand and manage their emotions.

In EFT, the therapist and client work together to identify and process underlying emotional issues that may contribute to negative thoughts, behaviours, and relationship difficulties.

The goal is to help individuals become more self-aware, develop healthier emotional responses, and improve their overall well-being.

EFT has been successfully used to treat various mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship problems.