AREAS OF THERAPY
Our Oakville therapists have specific training to help people (ages 12 and up) with a variety of counselling needs, including (but not limited to): anxiety; depression; stress; identity formation; trauma; abuse; spiritual matters; codependency; grief; anger; values assessments; substance use; self-esteem; conflict resolution; relationship support; career counselling; navigating life transitions: and preventative counselling.
ANXIETY
Anxiety is a mood disorder with symptoms which include: panic, worry, fear, racing thoughts, emotional upheaval, and an overwhelming sense of losing control. The most common form of anxiety which we see at our Oakville therapy clinic is a general variety which affects all areas of a client’s life and emotional health. Other varieties which we have supported clients through include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a wide range of phobias. Sadly, untreated anxiety has the potential to reappear over and over, so we always encourage people to seek a therapist near you and begin your healing journey when symptoms first arise.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a condition which features chronic low mood, feelings of sadness or gloom, and a general loss of interest in activities that were once meaningful. Clients with depression often describe being overtaken by feelings of not caring and experience major changes in how they think, feel, and act. For some clients, depression appears alongside anxiety. In these cases, a simple—yet beneficial—way to differentiate them is to note that anxiety typically involves a negative view of the future, while depression often involves a negative view of the past. More structured psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) —provided online or in-person at our Oakville therapy clinic—can be helpful in treating depression.
STRESS
Stress management is perhaps the single biggest threat to our mental health today. Every day we are surrounded by noise, pressure, and unhealthy standards, each of which can impact us in negative ways. Learning how to manage stress is a vital part of healthy living in the 21st century. This process includes identifying stressors, evaluating their effect on our daily life, and charting a new course of stress management so clients can make more freeing choices. Online therapy and in-person therapy in Oakville are both great options to help achieve these goals.
IDENTITY FORMATION
One of the phrases you hear a lot around our Oakville therapy clinic is ‘identity project.’ We encourage our clients to be thoughtful people who are constantly giving themselves permission to redefine who they are. This happens when clients examine their thoughts, emotions, and actions to help determine how they line up with their overall values. This step of self-examination is a vital part of optimal living and one which we support our psychotherapy clients with on a daily basis. Again, both in-person therapy and online therapy are suitable venues to make these sorts of strides at a therapy clinic near you.
TRAUMA
Trauma is as unique as the individual feeling it. Anything that overwhelms our ability to cope has the power to have a traumatic effect on us. Once our coping mechanisms have been overwhelmed we can often be triggered later in life by seemingly 'minor' things. This process can cause us to relive events ‘out of nowhere.’ Because of the long-term negative impact which unresolved trauma causes, we always encourage people to speak with a therapist near you regarding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you take your first steps toward achieving freedom.
ABUSE
At our Oakville therapy clinic, we often say that the bravest people in the world are those who are willing to do the tough work of healing after they’ve been wronged by others. In the case of abuse, this process can often be a long and painful one which leads clients into places which they would have never found on their own. Often abuse survivors are called to have tremendous amounts of forgiveness, healing, and emotional resolve, and we count it an honour to support clients with that journey here at Whiteboard.
SPIRITUAL MATTERS
The world’s faiths and religious traditions have brought peace to millions. However, for many people, the ideas of faith and spirituality have also brought about powerful and confusing questions about forgiveness, doubt, and the meaning of life. The process of understanding your faith is a complex journey filled with beliefs which often define us as people. Here at our Oakville therapy clinic, we understand the complexity of spirituality and consider it a privilege to provide psychotherapy for clients as they understand the meaning of their faith experience.
CO-DEPENDENCY
Co-dependency occurs when someone struggles to find their identity apart from an overly close relationship. This sort of relationship is also referred to as ‘enmeshment,’ and it can often cause challenges for the people involved. These challenges include identity confusion, boundary issues, and major concerns related to self-worth. Unravelling these concerns in either in-person or online therapy can be a difficult process which often requires the patience and wisdom which comes from a psychotherapist near you.
GRIEF
Sadly, we will all lose someone we love at some point. While this process is inevitable, it doesn’t make the journey any less painful. For some, the process of grieving can appear to be quick and relatively painless. For others, the process of making sense of loss can be a complex journey which requires weeks, months, or even years to understand. In these cases, individuals require professional support from a local psychotherapist based on patience, wisdom and therapy methods such as Narrative Therapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
ANGER
In and of itself, anger is not a bad emotion. It can create new frontiers by providing clarity, creating resolve, and moving us to action. However, when anger is allowed to run free it has the power to damage our emotional lives. In these cases, we may need guidance from a therapist near me to manage our emotional weight. Doing so will help ensure that our experiences with anger are healthy and lead to positive outcomes. This growth is achievable from both online therapy and in-person at our Oakville therapy clinic.
VALUES ASSESSMENTS
People have wondered about the definition of happiness since the beginning of time. Research has shown that people are happiest when they are in a position where they're free to express their values. In other words, the happiest people are those who are free to think and act in line with their deepest beliefs. The questions which naturally arise from this are ‘What are my deepest values and beliefs?’ and ‘How can I live these out in my daily decision-making?’ At our Oakville therapy clinic, we assist clients in answering these questions to help people become more happy and free.
SUBSTANCE USE
One of the most common mental health issues is substance use and abuse. Managing the use of drugs, alcohol, and other substances can be tricky for some people and destructive for others. Understanding the cycle of desire and reward which drugs and alcohol can cause requires focus, awareness, and an eye on a client’s goals. We cherish the psychotherapy support that we provide for those facing addiction and other behaviours at our Oakville therapy clinic. We welcome the opportunity to support people as their local psychotherapist.
SELF-ESTEEM
All of us struggle with some parts of our self-esteem. The dialogue which we have with ourselves about our career, our looks, our home, and our abilities has the power to build us up or tear us down. By working with a psychotherapist near me, clients at our Oakville therapy clinic are given Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) tools to begin understanding the weight of their own self-esteem. This process is often long and hard, but the results are important for anyone trying to live a positive life of self-love.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
The presence of conflict can sometimes spur us on to new growth. More often than not though, conflict leads to fear, anger, and resentment. Often the thing we need in the midst of conflict is support from a psychotherapist near me to see the situation in a new way. This often involves recognizing how our own actions and reactions play in maintaining a conflict. This sort of self-awareness, when combined with an attitude of humility and listening, is often the most effective way to resolve conflict which we see at our Oakville therapy clinic.
RELATIONSHIP SUPPORT
When relationships work well they are uplifting and positive parts of our lives. However when relationships sour they can bring about some of the most painful emotions we can feel. These emotions only grow when they are tied to hurtful events such as infidelity, lies, betrayal or neglect. Because of the emotion which surrounds these sorts of wrongs, recovering from issues often requires a psychotherapist like those at our Oakville site.
CAREER COUNSELLING
One of the markers we carry as adults is the identity which we associate with our career. Because of this, when we face a career change it can often disrupt our emotions. By engaging in career counselling such as those offered at our Oakville therapy clinic, we can make sure that areas like goal setting, personality testing, and career assessment have been addressed. Once these pieces have been put into place, clarity—and solid decision making—is much more likely to follow.
LIFE TRANSITIONS
A new school; a new job; a new relationship; a new baby; a new town; a new province; a new country. These transitions can all be thrilling, but they can also be fearful at the same time. Experience tells us that shying away from new experiences is rarely the way to guard our emotional health. Instead, by seeking out a local psychotherapist, people can learn how to manage transitions in a way which can lead them toward an exciting new future.
PREVENTATIVE COUNSELLING
At our Oakville clinic, we often say that the best time to seek counselling is before a crisis ever arises. Much like maintenance for your car ensures fewer issues in the long run, the same is true for psychotherapy. For a lot of people, the answer to the question, ‘When is the best time for counselling?’ is simply ‘Now.’