I have worked extensively with people of varied cultures and family dynamics, and across a wide spectrum of presenting problems. My services are evidence based, which requires me to track outcomes and provide my clients with feedback surrounding their achievement of collaborative therapeutic goals. During your initial session I will listen to your experiences and then describe the preliminary approach I would take to help you address the challenge(s) that you are facing. During this initial session we can decide together if what I can offer would be helpful, and we will revisit objective measures of progress throughout therapy.

Sessions are 50 minutes in duration.

The current rate for an individual session is $115, including tax. Couples therapy sessions are $125 including tax. All session rates are subject to change at the discretion of Mental Strength Therapy.

I have a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in behaviour analysis and am a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA).

Clinical behaviour analysis focuses on observable behaviours that occur in an individual's environment, and the scenarios and skills that can help to increase or decrease targeted behaviours. The behaviour analytic approach helps people to identify patterns of behaviours that occur in response to environmental changes, with the goal of increased skills, effectiveness, success, happiness, and contentment for the individual seeking therapy.

DBT provides clients with new skills to manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. DBT specifically focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas. First, mindfulness focuses on improving an individual's ability to accept and be present in the current moment. Second, distress tolerance is geared toward increasing a person's tolerance of negative emotion, rather than trying to escape from it. Third, emotion regulation covers strategies to manage and change intense emotions that are causing problems in a person's life. Fourth, interpersonal effectiveness consists of techniques that allow a person to communicate with others in a way that is assertive, maintains self-respect, and strengthens relationships. - Psychology Today

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a unique empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behaviour change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means contacting the present moment fully as a conscious human being, and based on what the situation affords, changing or persisting in behaviour in the service of chosen values. - Association for Contextual Science

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you carefully observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. - Psychology Today

In most cases, no. My fees are scaled to reflect the current reimbursement schedules of third-party insurance providers, and as such my therapy services are half the cost of those suggested by the Psychological Association of Manitoba (PAM). Third party insurance providers generally reimburse clients between $250 and $500/year, which equates to 1 - 3 sessions at the rate suggested by PAM. Thereafter, clients of those following this fee schedule are required to pay the entire cost of services. In short, my fees are 50% more cost-effective after 2 - 6 sessions.

Evidence-based practice in psychology is the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. - American Psychological Association

It is part of my process to consistently review your goals for therapy, which includes exploring the option of reducing or terminating sessions, based on our progress.