How I work
My Approach: AEDP, Brainspotting and IFS
Talking about what hurts matters, but sometimes it is not enough. These three approaches help you reach what words alone often cannot: what your body holds, and the parts of you working hard to keep you safe.
AEDP
Healing happens in connection. You do not have to face hard feelings alone.
What it is
AEDP, developed by Dr. Diana Fosha, starts from a hopeful belief: everyone has a natural capacity to heal, and it comes forward when we feel safe and not alone. We slow down and notice what is happening in your body and emotions. With support, feelings that once felt too big can move through and settle.
What a session can feel like
- Slower, warmer and more present than a typical talk therapy session
- Me checking in often: “What are you noticing right now?”
- Room to feel, not only to explain
- Pausing to take in moments of relief, pride or calm
It can help with
Trauma and attachment wounds, grief, anxiety and depression, shame and self-criticism, and relationships.
My training: Level III AEDP Therapist. I am also the Facilitation Manager at the AEDP Institute. Learn more at the AEDP Institute (opens in a new tab).
Brainspotting
Where you look affects how you feel.
What it is
Brainspotting, developed by Dr. David Grand, uses where you rest your eyes to reach what is held deep in the brain and body. Together we find a “brainspot” linked to what you are working on, and you stay with whatever comes up while I stay right with you. You do not need to retell every detail, and you stay in charge of the pace.
What a session can feel like
- Quieter than talk therapy, with time to simply notice
- Sometimes gentle music that moves from ear to ear
- Thoughts, feelings, images or body sensations shifting on their own
- Ending with time to settle and reflect
It can help with
Trauma, anxiety, performance blocks and performance anxiety, sport injuries and setbacks, and feeling stuck. It can work well by video.
My training: Certified Brainspotting Therapist and Approved Brainspotting Consultant. I also offer consultation for Brainspotting-trained therapists. Learn more about Brainspotting (opens in a new tab).
IFS
There are no bad parts of you.
What it is
IFS, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, sees the mind as made up of parts. Some protect you, like the inner critic or the people-pleaser. Others carry pain, fear or shame. Underneath them all is your Self: the calm, curious, compassionate core of who you are. From there, you help your parts let go of burdens they were never meant to carry, including ones passed down through generations.
What a session can feel like
- Turning toward a feeling or reaction with curiosity instead of judgment
- Getting to know what a part is afraid would happen if it stopped
- More space and choice inside, and less inner conflict
- Growing kindness toward yourself
It can help with
Self-criticism, people-pleasing and burnout, anxiety, trauma, inner conflict, and legacy and intergenerational burdens.
My training: Level 2 trained Internal Family Systems therapist. Learn more at the IFS Institute (opens in a new tab).
How they fit together
I do not use these approaches like a recipe. In a single session, we might follow a feeling in your body the way AEDP does, find a brainspot to go deeper, and get to know a protective part that shows up along the way.
Your pace
You are the expert of your own life. We go at a pace that feels safe, and you can always pause or change direction.
Culturally affirming
These approaches were developed mostly in Western settings. I adapt them to honour your culture, faith, family and community, and the impact of racism and racial trauma.
Body and mind
All three pay close attention to what your body is telling you, not only to your thoughts.
Online, across BC
All three can work well by video. Before we begin, I will help you set up your space so you feel comfortable.
Want to go deeper? These approaches are also the heart of counselling intensives. More about my background and training.
Curious which approach fits you?
You do not need to choose before we meet. Book a free 20-minute video call and we will talk about what you are hoping for and how we might work together.
Book a free 20-minute consultationPrefer to write first? Send me a message