Dundas Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Counselling Approaches

At Dundas Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, we believe we can all benefit from counselling especially when it feels like problems or difficulties are overwhelming and too challenging to work through alone. Finding someone who is a good fit with you is important so that you can build a trusting relationship and together find solutions to your problems or learn new strategies to address your difficulties. Our goal is to create a warm, trusting and compassionate environment where you will feel comfortable talking about what brings you to counselling and exploring problem areas as well as fostering your strengths.

We have worked with many individuals over the years and believe it is possible to change our circumstances and improve how we address various situations and relationships in our lives. Taking a collaborative approach, and so working together, ensures that we recognize that you are the expert in your life while our experience and knowledge may lead to practical suggestions that you will find helpful in addressing problems.

We believe it is important to use approaches that are supported by the research literature. We are committed to keeping up to date with the current research literature and participating in ongoing professional development by attending conferences, workshops and other opportunities for training and learning.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a brief, structured therapy that suggests that our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours are connected and so influence each other. CBT also recognizes that our environment or the context in which we live influences our feelings, thoughts and behaviours. This approach focuses on present difficulties and concerns while also recognizing how our past experiences may have played a role in how we learned to deal with current problems or problem situations. CBT has been extensively researched over the past 50 years and found to be successful in addressing various mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD or trauma, insomnia and so forth.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an effective and well researched approach that helps people with a wide range of issues. ACT acknowledges that part of being human is experiencing not only happiness but also suffering. ACT promotes strategies that encourage psychological flexibility so that we can move towards living a life that is aligned with our personal values. Individuals learn how to make healthier connections with their thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical sensations. This leads to goals or behavioural changes that guide us towards living a more  meaningful life aligned with our values.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

IPT is a brief, attachment focused and problem-based therapy that suggests that relationships and life events impact our mood or emotions. IPT emphasizes the importance of resolving interpersonal problems and strengthening support networks. IPT will focus on a key concern in one of three areas - recent life changes or transitions (separation, divorce, marriage, job changes/loss, loss of health) interpersonal conflicts (family, friends, at work) or grief (death of a significant other). Since the 1970’s IPT has been well researched and found to be an effective treatment.

Other therapy approaches we use include:

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Schema Therapy

Behavioural Activation (BA)

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Motivational Interviewing

Emotional Regulation Skills

Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Self-Compassion

Narrative Therapy

Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT)