Discover other therapeutic
approaches I use in my work
Why so many approaches?
That’s a fair question! When I work with my clients, my goal is always to come up with a therapy approach that’s tailored to every single client. I believe that your situation is unique so it requires unique approach as well. Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. My priority is utilizing an approach or combination of approaches that resonates with you.
As a result, our time spent together is more effective and comfortable for you as a client. Below, you will see what other therapeutic modalities and techniques I use when working with clients and why they are effective and beneficial.
Narrative therapy
This type of therapy is based on the premise that the stories (hence the name) you tell about yourself and your experiences shape the way you see the world and your place in it. Sometimes, these stories are filled with problems or negative experiences, making it hard to have a satisfactory life and a positive view of yourself and your life.
In narrative therapy, we work together to understand, rewrite, and reclaim these stories. Through this work, you can start to see yourself not just as someone struggling with issues or limited by a particular self-narrative, but as a person with unique resources and potential for positive change. Narrative therapy separates your challenges from yourself, allowing you to grow personally despite them. This is a creative, insightful, and empowering approach that combines easily with other techniques.
Mindfulness-based interventions
Mindfulness-based interventions are about attuning to yourself and your experience, and stepping back from judgment. Mindfulness skills are often useful to help us get in touch with our emotions, regulate ourselves, shift our attention from unhelpful thoughts, and engage meaningfully with what matters to us.
Mindfulness-based interventions are really flexible – it’s not just sitting and trying to clear your mind. We will work together to find simple and accessible practices that fit in with your life. These may involve breathing, movement, thought exercises, mindful everyday activities, and check-ins with yourself. Building in these practices can, over time, help us to cultivate new pathways in our brains and develop greater resiliency to stress and life’s challenges.
Parts work
Parts work is yet another approach I use that recognizes the different "parts" or aspects of yourself that influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Certain parts of yourself carry pain, fear, or anger, while others are more protective and hopeful. In our sessions, we'll listen to different parts of your mind, let them express their needs and address them so that you can heal from past experiences, especially those difficult ones.
All parts are good parts! However, sometimes a part can get stuck in an earlier adaptation that made sense at the time, but potentially isn’t so helpful in the present. We can work to update these parts so they can function in a way that feels adaptive now.
Parts work can be incredibly effective in therapy; by acknowledging and working with all your parts, even those that right now are difficult or overwhelming, you can develop greater self-insight and self-compassion. Parts work can provide a map of ourselves that can give new language and understanding to our inner experiences and how we interact with others.
Self-compassion
I tend to infuse self-compassion practices into most of the work that I do. Often, we may speak to others, and treat others, far more compassionately than we speak to and treat ourselves. In the words of Jack Kornfield, “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
I understand the challenges of changing your self-talk from criticism, judgment and expectation to gentleness, kindness, and care. Our inner critics can be a loud voice in our heads; it can be difficult to let them go or quiet them.
I also understand the fears and concerns that may arise with beginning to let go of a strong inner critic. There could be fears around losing motivation, under-performing, or being weak or selfish. These are all common fears! The research around self-compassion however, indicates that those who have high levels of self-compassion report greater motivation, ambition, accountability, self-confidence, as well as less stress and anxiety, and better relationships with others.
Developing more self-compassion involves understanding our inner critics and gradually shifting our interactions with ourselves towards more gentleness and care. This work often blends seamlessly with any other approach that we are using in therapy.
Book therapy in Ontario today!
I talk about a few different therapy approaches, and I understand it might be overwhelming or confusing. If you’re interested in any type of therapy, or even therapy in general, and you have some questions before you commit to working on your mental well-being, I’m here to assist you.
This is what this free consultation is all about! You can ask your questions and see if we are a good fit to work together - our vibe is just as important as the therapeutic modalities. If you decide to start therapy with me, we’ll discuss the next steps. If not, I will not pressure you into starting therapy with me (no one likes aggressive sales, right?)
If you want to book your free consultation, please go to my Jane App profile through the purple button.
If you want to ask some questions before you book, please feel free to send me an email - you can do so through the gray button.
I’m looking forward to speaking with you!
-Megan Strachan
Start with a free 15-minute consultation