Coaching, Counselling, Workshops
Certified Wellness Counsellor
Certified Holistic Life Coach
Life Skills Facilitator
BMus Horn Performance
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few frequently asked questions regarding my private practice. If there are any further questions you may have, please reach out to me at resonantenergytherapy@gmail.com.
Index
How do I become a client?
Easy! All you have to do is fill out the Client Registration Form to let me know what sort of support you are looking forward and I will get in touch as soon as I can to set up your free fifteen minute discovery call.
If my bookings are currently filled up, I will add you to my waitlist and reach out to you the moment I have an availability open up.
What is your style as a counsellor?
My style as a counsellor is extremely client centred and co-creative. I always seek informed consent, check in and ensure that my client feels that they are in the drivers' seat at all times. I trust my clients and believe in their ability to live the life they are seeking. I am there to assist, hold safe space and offer ideas or resources when needed.
I tend to offer a lot of empathetic reflections and inquire around things rather than asking blunt questions. I do challenge clients from time to time, often with a bit of humour. I have a pretty big sense of humour, so my clients and I often share quite a few laughs when appropriate in session as well.
I like to use lots of visualizations and metaphors as well as creative explorations for problem solving, and I will ask lots of questions around emotions and feelings in your body. I do take handwritten notes during session and often show clients what I've written or read it back to use it as a tool to support us in the process.
My counselling space that you'll see through Zoom often features either a blank white wall with some hanging Pothos vines, or my dining room window...also full of plants! You might see me sipping my tea from time to time during the session too. My favourite is Social Coffee's Roasted Almond tea, yum!
What does 'trauma informed' mean?
In every aspect of my practice, I take what's called a trauma informed approach. This means that we will always proceed with awareness that trauma can and does exist for coaching and counselling clients, and we work with it rather than turning a blind eye. We stay sensitive to staying with your window of tolerance and not allowing you to be pushed outside of your personal limits. I am also an advocate for consent in everything. I will not push an agenda on you or ask you to do anything without your consent. We will be a team that operates with your best interest at heart every step of the way.
How does Life Coaching differ from Therapy?
Life Coaching is not a healing modality. Where therapy seeks to dive into the why of patterns in our life so that we may root them out and re-wire our nervous systems, coaching aims more to provide us action based tools to facilitate the changes in our every day life. In coaching, we will focus on the emotions here and now, supporting them all with deep empathy, and then we will co-collaborate on ways you would like to move forward in your life. We won't spend much time exploring the past, but rather moving forward with goals for your present and future. Sometimes in therapy we will use coaching as a tool depending on where you are in your journey, however in coaching we do not dive into therapy.
What modalities are trauma healing modalities?
Trauma is a stored or stuck energy pattern in the nervous system. It is fight or flight energy that was never processed, or that has been repressed into the body. As a result, if we want to release trauma we need to spend time working with the body and the nervous system itself. We can explore expressive arts therapy, somatic therapy, eco therapy, and any other body based healing modalities to process trauma. Narrative therapy, CBT and DBT can all be integrated with somatic therapy to incorporate a more healing approach as well.
What is the difference between Wellness Counselling and Therapy?
In my practice, I use the terms counselling and therapy interchangeably. That having been said, I am not and will not be a "psychotherapist". Counselling can be a profound healing journey that takes many forms from talk therapy to somatic informed body based approaches, however within my practice I do not have the qualifications to support clients dealing with severe mental health crises or diagnoses. I am also not a psychologist or psychotherapist, meaning that I do not diagnose. As a counsellor, I see myself as a stepping stone in my client's healing journey, entrusting that they have power within them to heal, process and be authentically themselves. I am simply there to support and offer resources that may be of assistance. It is important to note that Wellness Counselling is more appropriate for folks who are not dealing with intense cognitive or physiological responses to trauma (ie severe diagnoses or mental health conditions). In the case that someone was dealing with a more severe negative experience of mental health, I would refer them out to a psychotherapist or connect them with a psychiatrist to better support them.
What can I expect when working with a Pre-Licensed Counsellor?
At this time, I have now completed my current educational pursuits. I have a Professional Counsellor Diploma, as well as other holistic coaching and counselling certification. That being said, I am currently not licensed by a governing body. My responsibility now is to ensure that I only practice within my scope, and that I respect the boundaries of the different licensing bodies as I work towards gaining my own credentials with them.
My responsibility to you is to always let you know what is within my scope and what is not, and to link you with appropriate resources to fill in the blanks. Your informed consent is the guiding principle in my practice.
Regardless of where I am at in my training or credentialing, I will always check in with you and ask your feedback on how I'm doing, the care you feel you are receiving, and what we might be able to do differently.
As a counsellor, I do have a supervisor who I turn to to discuss ethical questions and any uncertainties you and I may have in the therapeutic process. This exists at every stage in my credentialing and training.
In this space of pre-licensing, my hope is that we will share in transparency, clarity, professionalism and the highest quality of care so that your experience has as great a value as it possibly can.
How do I choose the right modality?
The good news is that you don't have to choose anything right away. When you register as a client, you will be able to select any of the programs that interest you. During our discovery call, I can explain the differences between life coaching and counselling in more detail as well.
As far as the different counselling modalities, you don't actually have to choose at all. I will always offer you little tastes of all them with your consent and interest. That being said, if you'd like to read more about the modalities I am informed in through my training, please feel free to read more about them here!
What does a 'holistic' approach entail?
Holistic refers to the consideration of the whole person, rather than viewing someone in a certain lens. in my holistic practice, I seek to explore the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical considerations going on in your life as we move forward on your journey. I believe that in order to facilitate change, we need to hold our whole selves in the frame and explore the big picture that is our life. In a holistic model, we do not see anything as a 'symptom' (in fact we move away from that word altogether) but rather as an indicator that something isn't working for us. We don't simply eradicate the 'symptoms', we explore it, hold is, and work through the root of whatever has been going on for you.
Why is the rate what it is?
I included this question because it's one that I personally have a lot. Why is counselling so expensive? It helps to know that though we only sit together in session for an hour, I will be caring for your case for at least another half an hour or forty five minutes each week as well as your session. As a small business owner, I have some ancillary fees such as insurance, the platform we use for virtual counselling or rental space for in person, and all the technology I use for booking, invoicing etc. Part of being a counsellor means keeping up with continued education, so that can be another fee that I am offsetting.
Counselling is an investment in our wellbeing and life. My rates reflect the training and quality of care that I am trying to ensure, while also reflecting my values of making mental healthcare more accessible.