Healing happens in relationship.

The relationship between therapist and client is central to successful therapy. Psychotherapy is a unique kind of relationship unlike any other in your life. It is an open, non-judgmental, confidential space where you can work through any issue and share whatever is on your mind, knowing that you will receive acceptance and empathy. One way to think of therapy is as a structured relationship with one end goal in mind — for you to thrive. Stefan strives to create an empathetic, warm environment for you to challenge yourself and grow. Himself a wounded healer, Stefan has personally experienced the long-term benefits of psychotherapy and seeks to pass on this gift to others.

Areas of focus

The following are some of the issues that Stefan has successfully explored with clients. If the challenge you are facing is not listed, please do reach out to see if Stefan can help you. If it is outside the scope of what he offers, he will do his best to connect you with a resource better tailored to your needs.

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Relationship struggles

• Domestic violence and abuse

• Men's mental health

• Childhood abuse and family of origin issues

• Gender and sexual identity exploration

• Pain management

• Anger management

• Trauma

Routine Outcome Measurement (ROM)

Routine outcome measurement (ROM) is an integral part of how Stefan practices psychotherapy. ROM involves regularly collecting feedback (via outcome measures) to track therapeutic progress and to measure the relationship alliance. ROM allows us to measure your progress in real time and allows us to optimize the therapy process according to your preferences.

Therapeutic Approaches

While Stefan has extensive training in a variety of psychotherapy models and approaches, the following are a few of the primary models you may encounter in your sessions, each grounded in solid research.

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
  CBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy with a proven track record in treating depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, and a range of other mental health issues. This form of structured therapy is based on the principles that psychological problems are in part the result of unhelpful thinking patterns, and are aggravated by learned or unhelpful behaviours. From a CBT perspective, people's suffering can be treated by learning better coping skills and transforming self-limiting beliefs.

• Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
  SFBT is a future-oriented goal-driven short-term therapy that integrates many principles from the positive psychology field. Its aim is to help clients achieve lasting change by prioritizing a solution focus rather than staying mired in problems. SFBT is a strengths-based approach to change, with a heavy emphasis on eliciting positive emotion and hopefulness in the pursuit of achieving and sustaining desired behaviours.

• Narrative therapy
  This respectful, non-blaming approach centres the client as the expert in your own life and helps you re-author painful narratives that no longer serve you. Narrative therapy sees problems as external to the client and assumes that you have existing resources, abilities and skills that can help resolve the problems you face. Two key principles of narrative therapy are continued curiosity, and the courage to ask questions for which you do not have the answers. Narrative therapy emphasizes how our social environment shapes the stories we tell ourselves, for better or for worse.

• Gottman Method Couples Therapy
  Developed by Drs John and Julie Gottman, and based on decades of research, this method of couples therapy provides you with a roadmap for managing conflicts, deepening friendship and intimacy, sharing your dreams and life purpose, and building a sound relationship. The Gottman method helps couples to develop antidotes to harmful communication patterns, and heal past hurts while minimizing relapse.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
  EMDR was developed by US psychologist and educator Francine Shapiro, and has been found to be very effective in the treatment of traumatic stress and other mental health conditions. EMDR is based on the idea that clients' symptoms are often due to incomplete processing of disturbing life experiences. EMDR is a method that allows for memory processing and integration of traumatic experiences, allowing you to be more adaptive in facing present and future challenges.