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Welcome!
I’m Esther, welcome! We often feel stuck, overwhelmed, or burnt out in life. We are not designed to respond to life’s challenges alone. I offer a space to navigate life’s challenges in a safe, non-judgemental, and compassionate space to discover your next best step.
I whole heartedly believe you deserve to know your therapist’s background to make sure their approach fits your needs. I have been a therapist in the field for the past fifteen years bringing experience from my work in both private practice and community mental health. I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (#1610) who holds a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University (CACEP).
Individual Therapy Approach:
I help adults that are struggling with self criticism, low sense of self, anxiety, and negative body image. My work supports individuals with building self-awareness, processing emotions, and coping skills to shift their experience of themselves. I integrate the following therapy models based on individual needs: Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed, Attachment Theory, Mindfulness, Self Compassion, Sensory Regulation, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Radically Open Therapy (Informed).
Couple & Family Therapy Approach:
I help couples in the Abbotsford area who are experiencing conflict, disconnection, or feeling stuck in their relationship patterns. Couples often feel unsure how to navigate unresolved hurts, a betrayal, or approach feeling stagnate in their relationship. I help couples to communicate, share their experience, re-connect, and rebuild after a period of disconnection or mistrust. An area of specialization is exploring how anxiety, self criticism, and negative body image can impact ones ability to be present, attuned, and experience connection in relationships.
I support parents of adult children to rebuild communication, addressing past hurts, and exploring new relationship patterns. This can often include advanced care giving skills in supporting an adult child with anxiety, depression, or disordered eating. My work is informed by Emotion Focused (EFT) and Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) which is centered on the power of attachment science - that we heal through secure, attuned, and connected relationships.
Clinical Training:
Advanced Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) from the International Institute of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy - efftinternational.org
Certified Caregiver Workshop Facilitator (EFFT) - https://efftinternational.org/workshop-facilitators
Couples Therapy in the 21st Century training with Dr Sue Johnson.
Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy from the Vancouver Couple & Family Institute - https://vcfi.ca/
Level one Gottman Training through the Gottman Institute- https://www.gottman.com/
Observed Experiential Integration (OEI) level one seminar
Trauma & Attachment Science Informed (Trainer: Dr Sue Johnson)
Building A Lasting Connection Facilitator Training - https://www.buildingalastingconnection.com/
Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP): The Gold Standard in Anxiety & OCD Treatment (Trainer: Becky Beaton-York, Ph.D., ACERP, CERP-P)
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