APPROACH

Sara believes in presenting the client with a number of relevant options to approach the achievement of the goals set, and then following the lead of the client.  This approach requires a familiarity with many modalities, and a willingness to trust the client’s innate abilities to heal.  The general goal(s) of all the approaches she uses are to show clients how to access their own resources to gain self-acceptance and make healthy changes in their lives.  This may come through introspection and insights, through learning and practice of new skills, or the acquisition of knowledge. 

Using a Solution-Focused strength-based model allows client and clinician to uncover and apply existing strengths and resiliencies to current challenges.  This model places the highest emphasis on respect for clients and their competence, strengths and resources, and is defined by it's collaboration between client and therapist in finding solutions.  You'll often heard it said:  Rule 1. If it isn’t broken - don’t fix it.  Rule 2. If it works - do more of it.  Rule 3. If it doesn’t work, do something different.

Creating new, more empowering stories about the self is the goal of Narrative Therapy.  Using  techniques such as externalizing (The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem), and reframing (gaining additional perspectives that bring insight and clarity), the relationship to the problem can be shifted towards mastery.  Viewing a person as facing rather than being a problem reduces defensiveness and resistance in openly examining the problem. 

People learn in a variety of ways, and for those who respond to information and theory, a borrowing library (Bibliotherapy) is available.  Handouts and written exercises are an option as well.  Many clients find that gaining new theory, understanding and insight through these materials hastens the change process.

Cognitive Therapy enables people to see the relationship between certain thinking patterns and the symptoms they are experiencing.  By identifying the distortion, minimization, catastrophizing and other common errors in thinking, they are able to more accurately see and respond to their dilemmas.  It is useful in altering patterns of negative self talk, for stopping intrusive thoughts, for reducing panic, anxiety and depression. 

Behavioural Therapy helps people weaken the connections between troublesome situations and their habitual reactions to them, such as fear, depression or rage, and self-defeating or self-damaging behaviour. It also teaches people  how to calm their mind and body, so that they are able to regulate their feelings, think more clearly, and make better decisions.

Creative pursuits such as journaling, drawing or art are useful to some in therapy.  These activities often elicit useful material from the unconscious, and allow people to gain perspective, to express emotions safely, to problem solve, to gain a new more mastery-based  relationship with the material.

When working with trauma or acute stress, the Somatic Therapies are often the best approach.  These include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), visualization, breath-work, energy balancing, and many forms of anchoring and grounding, such as developing a special place where one is safe, at peace, and in control.

Variables such as age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and culture (to name a few) must always be considered in the therapy, as they inform the beliefs, values and behaviours learned.  Therapy is therefore concerned with being relevant and appropriate for the person seeking services rather than a “one size fits all” cookie-cutter approach.