Aly Giesbrecht Counselling
cCc; MA Counselling Psychology
Who
Therapy can be beneficial for people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds. There are thought to be two experts in the therapeutic relationship...
What
There are some basic things you can expect from therapy, including standards of practice, general flow of sessions, and more...
Why
People come to therapy for many reasons, and no reason too big or too small. Here are some common reasons people seek therapy...
How
Therapy can take a variety of forms, from individual to group therapy, online to in-person, talking to artistic expression...
My Approach
​I am trained and experienced working with trauma, and have undergone additional training to work with neurodiversity, addiction, and personality disorders. For a full list of relevant trainings, please click 'Read More' below.
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I'm generally described as warm, gentle, and understanding.
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My approach is primarily a blend of the following therapeutic modalities: attachment, internal family systems, neuroscience, somatic, polyvagal, cognitive-behavioural, and emotion-focused.
I now offer EMDR therapy as well.
a note about what therapy is not...
There are some misconceptions about therapy... let's tackle a few of them here:
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Therapy not a sign of weakness. It takes courage to be vulnerable. Contrary to popular belief, in many ways it's 'easier' and 'safer' to stay silent and struggle alone (despite that the effects of doing so are often quite painful). But it's important to know: we all need help at times.
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Therapy is not just for those who are 'really messed up'. This is another misconception that can unfortunately prevent people from reaping the benefits of therapy. The truth is, therapy isn't only for times of crisis. Some utilize it as a way of staying on top of their mental health and well-being, too.
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Therapy is not an indication that you are somehow inadequate in skills, ability, or strength. It shows that you're human and are in the process of growing and learning--and that is a life-long process.
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Therapy is not only about focusing on what's going wrong in your life. Rather, it's about focusing on what's meaningful in your life. Addressing what's not going well is absolutely an important part of therapy, but as your therapist, I'm also interested in celebrating with you what's going well for you. So don't be shy about letting me know about those things, too!
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
Maya Angelou