Intimacy Issues, Life Transitions Mindfulness approaches

Intimacy Issues, Life Transitions

Intimacy issues are common for people who fear vulnerability. Some people can become vulnerable in front of a few trusted friends, however, but when a relationship starts becoming too close, they feel suffocated. In this sense, the intimacy issues are seated in the fear of developing a deep and meaningful relationship with another person.

Two fears that are at the heart of intimacy issues, are the fear of abandonment (fearing the partner might leave them) and the fear of engulfment (fearing that they would lose themselves in a relationship), which sometimes co-exist. These fears, often rooted in childhood traumas, are often deeply entrenched in codependent adult relationships where they cause friction.

A therapist who works with people who have intimacy issues will first help you to learn to become comfortable with yourself and accept yourself for who you are. You will explore the complex past events that have created these intimacy issues and discover that those events don't have to cloud your present experiences.

This process is essential in discovering that rejection does not have to be a traumatic experience. Finally, you will learn how to set personal boundaries that will help you to avoid the fear of engulfment and to cope, should abandonment occur. While healing intimacy issues can be a challenging and somewhat painful task, the rewards are incredible.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses intimacy issues, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Life transitions can be rewarding, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily easy. Change usually comes with mixed emotions, challenges and stress. It's natural to feel anxious, confused, unsettled and fatigued, no matter how you have looked forward to a change. While promotions at work can be positive and exciting, there are also negative transitions that could make you feel hopeless and negative, anxious and unable to see the solutions to the inevitable problems you face.


Some of the common transitions that people face include moving house, divorce, remarriage, empty nest syndrome, concerns about aging, adjusting to a new job, illness, or death of a loved one.

During periods of transitions, it's common for emotions from some of your past experiences to be triggered, which can make the current situation feel so much worse. That's when confusion takes over, leaving you feeling out of control and confused.

Transition counselling can help you deal with your life changes and the emotions that you are feeling in a safe and effective manner. You will be able to find the root causes of your reactions and you will be able to face the changes head on. You may even be able to push past your self-imposed limits to broaden your horizons and find a strong, new you.

You will gain clarity and understanding, as well as self-confidence to help you feel more grounded and you will develop a sense of purpose in your life. Transition therapy  has helped hundreds of thousands of people to come to terms with difficult issues in life and you can too.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses transitions, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Mindfulness approaches, Integrative Psychotherapy

Mindfulness approaches help clients to be focused in the here and now. Generally rooted in Eastern meditative techniques,  Mindfulness approaches offer a non-judgmental alternative therapy for dealing with stress and other psychological issues.

By observing worrisome thoughts and learning to accept situations for what they are, people can learn to cope with issues better and make more productive choices.

Mindfulness approaches include a range of models, including dialectical behaviour therapy,  mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. These approaches can be used in a wide range of settings to reduce the symptoms of a broad spectrum of psychological issues.  These therapies can be practiced effectively in individual or group therapy.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Mindfulness approaches, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Integrative Psychotherapy covers the many different aspects of human behaviour and functioning. Interventions in integrative psychotherapy are based on the notion that no single approach is effective or even adequate for every client. Instead, each approach offers some perspective into an aspect of the client's behaviour.

In order to facilitate completeness, integrative psychotherapy aims to maximize a person's being on an interpersonal, intrapsychic and socio political level, while regarding the client's personal limits and constraints.

The therapist has to also commit to the process of integration.  Integrative Psychotherapy therapists have an ethical obligation to immerse themselves in the field and to stay on the cutting edge of developments in the Integrative Psychotherapy field.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Integrative Psychotherapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Ronald Ma

Psy.D., R.Psych
    • Online booking
There are many different reasons people might seek counselling. You may be looking for support for something specific or you might feel something’s just been off and want help figuring it out. In either case, it... Read more

Joachim Sehrbrock

Ph.D., R.Psych
    NOTE: We currently provide online and in-person therapy services When we feel overwhelmed, stressed, or bogged down by difficult situations or circumstances, it can be tough to see where to go,... Read more

Toni Pieroni

M.A., RCC
I believe that healing, growth and development occur within the context of relationship. Therefore, choosing the right therapist is a critical aspect of the therapeutic process. I bring over 40 years of personal... Read more

Michal Regev

Ph.D., R.Psych
Dr. Michal Regev is a Registered Psychologist and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been counselling individuals, couples, and families since 1990, and has trained psychologists and counsellors in... Read more