Divorce and/or Separation, Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual, Death and Dying, Stress Management Somatic Approaches

Divorce and/or Separation, Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual, Death and Dying, Stress Management

Breaking the vow of "till death do us part" and getting divorced has been listed on the list of top things that people fear. The end of a marriage can indeed cause incredible confusion, sadness, grief, anger, guilt, fear, anxiety and shame. Not only does the end of a marriage affect a couple, but also the children.

Issues that can cause a marriage to fail include criticism, lack of respect, defensiveness, and aloofness, to name a few. Dealing with these issues might save a marriage. Mediation therapy can help couples even before a divorce, when the signs of marital disintegration starts to show. Couples therapy is an excellent tool at that point in a marriage to see whether saving the marriage is a viable option, and if it's not, it can help them find ways to reach settlements, move forward, and co-parent in a healthy and constructive way.

For children going through the divorce of their parents, therapy is critical. While parents are facing the realities of divorce and the emotional trauma, they often don't have the time or inclination to help their children deal with their sense of abandonment, pain, loss or guilt. Children may even feel that they are to blame for their parents' problems. Therapy can help children to come to terms with these issues and find strategies to move forward in a positive way.

In the case where couples counselling is not an option, a therapist can help the person who was left behind deal with the grief from the divorce. Therapy is aimed at empowering the individual to overcome grief and negative emotions and to move forward as a single person.

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

The area of abuse counselling includes both physical, emotional and sexual abuse therapy effectively conducted in a safe and caring environment. While not visible on the outside, emotional abuse is also a form of assault which, if left untreated, can leave lifelong emotional scars. Abusers often use intimidation to create guilt and fear to make the victim feel ashamed and isolated from other people.
 
● The symptoms of physical abuse are usually the easiest to see, with victims making excuses for scars and bruises.
● Children who are sexually abused will often have an age-inappropriate knowledge of sexuality and may even suffer from sexualy transmitted diseases, or pregnancy.
● Emotional abuse often goes hand-in-hand with either sexual, and or physical abuse. The victim will usually display a poor self-esteem, anxiety, withdrawal from social interactions, lack of trust, pessimism, and suicide attempts, to name but a few.
 
Abuse is often carried through generations, causing victims to become abusers, too. However, abuse can be stopped.
 
Therapists in this directory use a range of approaches to address abuse victims to deal with their fears, anxiety and feelings of shame. They can also help perpetrators to put an end to the abuse.  Psychologists and counsellors utilize a variety of approaches to help victims  heal from sexual, emotional or physical abuse. Couples,  group and family therapy can often be helpful.
 
If you need a counsellor or psychologist to help you address the effects of abuse, you can search through the list of names below to find a professional with the approach best suited to your situation.

Death and dying are common issues faced by people who seek counselling. When a loved one passes away,  dormant feelings of rejection, separation and abandonment in a person's life history tend to resurface. Every client has a different reaction to death and dying, a topic that has been a taboo in many cultures.

Many people are ill-equipped to deal with death and dying, and the process of adjustment that naturally has to follow such an event. During the grieving process, a person tends to react emotionally, but their character usually doesn't change. They are bound to review their relationship with the deceased individual, and express the unfairness of the death. The grieving person might seek out other people to replace the deceased, while at the same time revising their current relationships and personal identity.

The mourning process consists of a number of stages, that most people experience. The stages usually occur consecutively, but it's natural to experience them in a different order, to experience more than one at a time, or to skip a stage altogether. Some people have reported regressing to a previous stage, and moving back and forth between stages.

Unresolved grief can lead to psychopathology. It takes a strong person to seek help and therapy can help you realize that mourning is a natural process that allows you to explore life after the loss of a loved one. It will help you to find new coping mechanisms and help you to move forward with a life that does not include him or her.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with clients who are grieving the loss of someone, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

While stress is a normal part of our modern, everyday lives, it can also have dramatic side effects. Chronic stress can lead to behavioral issues, such as drug abuse that can harm relationships. However, most commonly, chronic stress can affect a person's physical health in a number of ways. Many people avoid asking for help in coping with stress management, accepting it as a common hazard of today's fast-paced life.

Yes, at some point everyone suffers from challenges with stress management, but if at any point in time you feel like you have trouble handling it, it is time to get help. Signs that you are not coping with stress management includes a change in your sleeping or eating habits, feeling physically unwell (headaches, ulcers, frequent colds and flu), reduced productivity and decreased pleasure in activities you enjoyed before.

Stress is common when dealing with life changes or situations such as job losses, getting married, breakups or divorces, discrimination, parenting, moving house, death of a pet or loved one, being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.  

Therapy can help you to better deal with stress management issues. Negative moods reduce the quality of several aspects of our lives, including productivity and interpersonal relationships. Through cognitive restructuring, negative thoughts can be challenged and rescripted to help you create a more positive mindset.

Stress can often cloud the validity of our interpretations of certain events and circumstances, and cognitive restructuring challenges those assumptions. In the case of invalid interpretations, the way we think about situations naturally changes, which has a positive effect on our moods and ability to handle stress better.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who will help you manage stress more effectively you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Somatic Approaches

Somatic approaches to therapy recognize the mind-body connection and focus on addressing psychological issues through bodily experiences. By incorporating techniques such as body awareness, breathwork, and sometines movement, these approaches help individuals access and process stored emotions and trauma. This value lies in their ability to foster self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing.  Some therapies like "somatic experiencing" require specialized training and certification.  Please ask your therapist whether he/she has sprecialize training and in which approaches.

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

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

Zakia Ovington

M.Couns., RCC
    • Online booking
As a dedicated therapist at Future Focus Therapist, my practice is centered on fostering emotional well-being, nurturing authentic self-leadership, and facilitating trauma recovery. I understand that each client's... Read more

Priscilla Amaral

MCP:AT, RCC
    • Blog on profile
    • Online booking
Are you experiencing challenging life events that have left you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and in need of balance? Do you find yourself struggling with anxiety, relationships, transitions, depression, grief,... Read more

JY Zhang

M.A., RMFT
    • Online booking
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” -- Laurell K. Hamilton  JY holds a warm, safe, and accepting space for who you are and... Read more

Emmalee Brunt

M.Couns., RCC
    • Online booking
Emmalee offers in person counselling in Victoria, BC, as well as phone and online video counselling sessions for clients across British Columbia. She works with individual clients and welcomes clients from all gender... Read more