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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a short-term, problem-focused form of behavioral treatment that helps people see the difference between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and free them from unhelpful patterns of behavior.

CBT is grounded in the belief that it is a person’s perception of events – rather than the events themselves – that determines how he or she will feel and act in response.

CBT can help with:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Phobias

• Obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD)

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Substance dependency

• Persistent pain

• Disordered eating

• Sexual issues

Anger management issues

Most people with clearly defined behavioral and emotional concerns tend to reap the benefits of CBT. If any of the above issues resonate with you, I encourage you to try cognitive behavioral therapy.

With CBT, you’ll be able to adjust the thoughts that directly influence your emotions and behavior. This adjustment process is referred to as cognitive reconstructing, which happens through different CBT techniques.

Some CBT techniques are:

• Journalling

• Challenging beliefs

• Relaxation

• Meditation

• Mindfulness

• Social, physical and thinking exercises

Cognitive behavioral therapy is much more than sitting and talking about whatever comes to mind during a session. CBT sessions are structured to ensure that the therapist and the person in treatment are focused on the different goals of each session, which in turn ensures that each and every session is productive.

What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from different treatment approaches.

How does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy is an integrative psychotherapy and uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate the bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.

EMDR seems to help the brain reprocess the trapped memories is such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas, or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit EMDR Institute, Inc.

What does EMDR help?
EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD, although it’s been proven useful for treatment in the following conditions:

• Panic Attack

• Complicated GrieF

• Dissociative Orders

• Disturbing Memories

• Phobias

• Pain Disorders

• Performance Anxiety

• Addictions

• Stress Reduction

• Sexual and/or Physical Abuse

• Body Dysmorphic Disorders

• Personality Disorders

None of the above symptoms or experiences fit you?

Do you experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation? Do you tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers? Is there one or more dysfunctional belief that you believe about yourself that on an intellectual level you know is not true? You may still be a good candidate for EMDR therapy.

Contact us today for a free phone consultation to see if EMDR might help you release what no longer serves you.

Do you find it hard to control your emotions? Do your emotions often dictate your response? Do you wish you had the techniques to harness your emotions and move forward with your life?

If you answered yes to any of the above, I encourage you to explore Emotion-Focused Therapy or EFT.

EFT is an approach to therapy treatment based on the premise that our emotions are a key to our identity and a guide for decision making. When we lack awareness of our emotions or avoid unpleasant emotions, we are unable to use the information provided by these emotions.

EFT helps individuals to:

• Become more aware of their emotions

• Welcome, allow and regulate emotions

• Describe emotions clearly and in detail

• Evaluate whether the emotions are helpful or hurtful

• Identify the source of unhelpful emotions

• Develop alternative, healthy ways of coping with situations that often elicit hurtful emotions

Unlike other therapeutic approaches, EFT assumes that emotion can be a source of healing and works with specific emotions to increase adaptation.

Together, we’ll work on increasing awareness of emotions, separating useful from hurtful emotions and using healthy emotions to guide action.

At Relationship Experts Vancouver, we believe in a holistic approach to therapy that considers the intricate connection between mind and body. Somatic Experiencing (SE) Therapy is one of the powerful modalities we offer to help individuals and couples overcome the challenges they face in their relationships and personal lives.

What is Somatic Experiencing Therapy?

Somatic Experiencing is a unique and highly effective therapeutic approach that was developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, a renowned expert in the field of trauma and healing. This method is based on the fundamental idea that unresolved trauma and stress can become trapped in the body, manifesting as physical symptoms, emotional distress, and relationship issues.

SE Therapy recognizes that our bodies have an innate capacity to heal and restore balance. By tapping into the wisdom of the body, this therapy helps individuals process and release stored trauma, allowing them to experience a profound sense of relief and resilience.

How Somatic Experiencing Can Help You

Somatic Experiencing Therapy is particularly beneficial for individuals who:

1. Have experienced trauma: Whether it's a single traumatic event or a series of distressing experiences, SE Therapy can help you safely process and heal from these wounds.

2. Struggle with anxiety or depression: Often, anxiety and depression are rooted in unresolved past experiences that continue to affect your daily life. SE Therapy can uncover and address these underlying issues.

3. Face relationship challenges: Many relationship problems are connected to unprocessed emotions and trauma. Somatic Experiencing helps you work through these issues, improving communication and connection.

4. Desire personal growth: If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and enhance your emotional well-being, SE Therapy can provide valuable insights and tools.

What to Expect in Somatic Experiencing Therapy

Somatic Experiencing Therapy is non-invasive, respectful, and completely client-centered. It respects your unique pace and needs, ensuring that your healing journey is a comfortable and empowering experience.

If you're ready to embark on a journey towards healing and transformation, our experienced therapists at Relationship Experts Vancouver are here to support you. Contact us today to schedule your first session and take the first step towards a more balanced, joyful, and connected life.

Is anxiety taking over your life? Does it feel like you can’t control it no matter how hard you try? Have you already tried therapy but found it ineffective?

If this sounds like you, I’m confident I can help. My practice offers the most effective forms of treatment, to get the relief from anxiety that you deserve.

When it comes to treating anxiety disorders, research shows that therapy is usually the most effective option. That’s because anxiety therapy – as opposed to anxiety medication – treats more than just symptoms to the problem.

Often, these are the symptoms of anxiety:

• Nervousness, restlessness or being tense

• Feelings of danger, panic or dread

• Rapid breathing or hyperventilation

• Increased or heavy sweating

• Trembling or muscle twitching

• Weakness or lethargy

• Difficulty focusing or thinking clearly about anything other than the thing you’re worried about

• Insomnia

• Obsessions about certain ideas, a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Anxiety surrounding a particular life event or experience that has occurred in the past, a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder

Therapy can help to uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears, learn how to relax, look at situations in a new, less frightening way, and develop better coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills.

Most people will experience trauma in their lifetime whether it’s a car accident, abuse or neglect, the sudden death of a loved one, a violent criminal act, exposure to the violence of war, or a natural disaster.

While many people can recover from trauma over time with the love and support of family and friends and bounce back with resiliency, others may discover effects of lasting trauma, which can cause a person to live with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or posttraumatic stress far after the event has passed.

In these circumstances, the support, guidance, and assistance of a therapist is fundamental to healing from trauma.

Trauma Symptoms

According to the four types of symptoms listed in the DSM-5:

• Avoidance Symptoms

  • Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event

  • Anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt

• Re-experiencing Symptoms

  • Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks

• Hyperarousal Symptoms

  • Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance

  • Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm

  • Sleep disturbances

• Negative Mood and Cognition Symptoms

  • Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable

  • Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event

  • Change in habits or behavior since the trauma

Research has proven psychotherapy to be the most effective form of treatment for trauma. Most commonly, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are used in treating trauma.

If you or someone you know matches the trauma symptoms listed above, we are confident that we can help and invite you to contact us.

Are you a newlywed? Did you just get engaged? Are you and your partner looking to take your relationship to the next level?

When you’re considering marriage, deciding on your honeymoon or figuring out where you want to live are among the first things you start to plan. Premarital counseling might be last on your list, if it’s there at all. While it’s not an engagement topic that’s very fun or romantic, premarital counseling can set your marriage up to succeed and survive long-term, in spite of the odds.

Premarital counseling can help you and your significant other improve your relationship by helping you develop better communication skills, learn conflict management, uncover your shared core values as well as identify differences that could create future conflict. Working with a therapist, you can discuss expectations with your partner that will help better prepare both of you for marriage.

So if these sound like you:

• You and your partner have arguments that don’t get resolved

• You feel like you’re always the one who has to compromise to keep the peace

• You’re concerned about how your partner’s financial situation will affect you as a married couple

• You’re worried about losing affection or having a diminished sex life after marriage

• You want to find healthier ways to resolve conflict

• You want to resolve religious or financial differences

• You want to define your marital roles and expectations

… Then premarital counseling can be a great benefit to both you and your partner.

The intimate nature of marriage requires that you talk to your partner about everything, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable. Premarital counseling will help you learn how to be a better listener, and how to make your voice and needs heard in a productive and positive manner.

Premarital counseling will also show you how to handle conflict in your marriage. When you live with someone, you will have arguments ranging from the very mundane to more serious issues. How you argue will be a part of the story of how you are as a couple. Learn how to de-escalate arguments and how to fight fairly, so you don’t cause emotional pain from things you said that you’ll never be able to take back.

In pre-marital counseling, we will likely bring up topics that you’ve discussed with your partner previously, as well as subjects you hadn’t considered before. This fresh perspective from an objective third party will uncover new details from your partner. This is also an excellent time for us to find unexpected areas where you disagree, and give you the tools to handle possible future conflict.

Getting married is one of life’s most treasured experiences. Premarital counseling can help you and your partner turn that momentous occasion into a loving, lasting relationship. For guidance and support to strengthen your future marriage, please contact us today so we can schedule an appointment.

Do you feel like your relationship is at a standstill? Are you and your partner stuck in the same argument loop every night? Do you feel like you and your partner are drifting away? Do you desire more intimacy between you and your partner?

All things can be improved, changed and bettered, with just a little support, no matter how big or small. With couples therapy, you’ll learn how to communicate your feelings and needs, and get what you want out of your relationship.

Some issues that bring couples to therapy are:

• Addiction/Partner Addiction Support

• Balance (Work/Life/Family)

• Blended Families

• Chronic Illness

• Divorce

• Extended Family

• Infidelity/Cheating

• Intimacy

• Mental Illness

• Pre-Marital/Readiness

• Pornography

• Sex

In our couple’s therapy sessions, we help people develop the necessary skills needed to maintain sustaining love.

If any of the above relate to your and your partner in your relationship, contact me today for a free consultation. We would love to speak about how we may be able to help reconnect and rekindle your love for one another.

Our family affects who we are and who we become, both for the better and for worse. We learn our vocabulary, our habits, our customs and rituals, and how to view and observe the world around us.

Anyone seeking healthier, closer family relationships can benefit from family therapy.

Common reasons for seeking family therapy include:

• Divorce

• Parent-child conflict

• Problems between siblings

• Domestic violence

• The unexpected or traumatic loss of a family member

Family therapy is necessary to address family issues and heal a family’s wounds. If any of the above scenarios resonate with your family, consider seeking family therapy. Family therapy can be beneficial on many different levels.

Some positive family therapy outcomes are:

• Strategies to develop and maintain boundaries

• Fostered sense of cohesion and communication among family members

• Promotes problem-solving through an understanding of family patterns and dynamics

• Builds empathy and understanding.

• Reduces family conflict

Studies show that family therapy is particularly important for families with members who struggle with substance abuse, eating disorders and other behavioural issues. When the whole family grows, each member is better off.

With Richard Tatomir, Founder, Canadian Certified Counsellor #4610.

I have over a decade of experience in the counselling/mental health field in Canada, the UK, and US, and over 5 years experience as a Counsellor-Educator, Clinical Supervisor, and Researcher (Mental Health Training Program Development & Evaluation) in University, Healthcare, Government, Private Practice, as well as Community Services, Professional Association/Society Boards, and Grassroots initiatives. I am currently Clinical Faculty and Supervisor in a Graduate-level Counselling Psychology program near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

A few common examples of who and what I provide supervision or consultation on:

-Grad student looking for supervision in a specialty area or approach (especially Trauma, Relationships, or Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy—see my bio for full list of specialties),

-Launching/Expanding/Repositioning your practice, going from individual to group practice or adding mental health programs/services to your organization

-Case consultation re clients

-Professional practice issues, such as ethical dilemmas, transference, burnout, or career/life transition

-Emerging leaders in mental health with a desire to supervise in future, or are already in a supervisory/leadership role, whether formal or informal

-Pre-Service/Qualifying/Recently Immigrated counsellor needing additional hours to become certified/registered.*

Individual, Group (Supervision/Consultation cost can be split among a group of 2-4+ colleagues/supervisees), Training, and Supervision-of-Supervision options available.

*Since sessions are occurring with with a qualified counsellor, they may be reimbursed by many extended health benefits providers, or may be a valid Professional Development business expense/tax deduction (always consult with a tax professional). Hours can count towards both required hours for initial certification/registration requirements, and required Continuing Education (CE) hours needed to renew certification/registration, with many Counselling-Therapy/Mental Health & Addictions/Social Work professional associations or regulating bodies, including CCPA, BCACC, CRPO, in Canada, and in some parts of the US and Internationally.