Psychotherapy

Registered Social Worker ( MSW,RSW)

Cynthia Harrison

Currently accepting new clients.

My passion for health and wellness developed from my own personal experience as a caregiver, cancer survivor and many diverse past professional experiences in the healthcare field. All of these profound experiences organically led me to retrain in the field of Social Work and taught me the value of weaving the sacred into every day while passionately designing a meaningful life.

I value a respectful, compassionate therapeutic relationship that is trauma-informed, collaborative and supportive of each client’s unique needs, and goals in the discovery of personal strengths, areas for growth, enhanced coping, clarity, and life enrichment. The overall goal for the therapeutic process is to nurture emotional well-being through the acknowledgment and care of issues related to feelings, behaviors, and life experiences that are currently affecting day to day functioning.

I specialize in supporting clients experiencing chronic illness, mental health challenges, caregiver burnout, grief and loss, life transitions and new beginnings with a personalized approach that recognizes and supports each client’s vision and values with compassion, validation and celebration. utilizes therapeutic exploration, creative reflection and tangible coping strategies and tools to create mind-body balance using both cognitive and somatic strategies to nurture safety within the central nervous system, clarity and enhanced confidence to build personal capacity, authentic self-empowerment, emotional regulation and joy.

My services are covered by most insurance plans. Unsure if I can help? I offer free 15 minute phone consultations where we can discuss the concerns and goals you wish to work on, determine if my approach is a the right support for your needs, and I can answer any questions you might have.

I am a registered social worker who has been working in primary care for the past 6 years and community care. Areas of support:

• Bereavement support including pet loss, legacy work, meaning making and re-identification
• Grief and loss ie. life transitions ( death losses, retirement, divorce, loss of job, home, relationship breakdowns etc)
• Caregiver burnout
• Chronic illness/new diagnosis
• New beginnings/Self discovery
• Anxiety/Depression
• Communication skills
• Building self-esteem/overall mental wellness including prevention/resilience - building capacity and personal agency

My therapeutic counselling is trauma-sensitive, solution focused and strengths based and informed by:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Cognitive focus talk therapy with coping strategies and homework to adjust thinking patterns, perspectives and improve capacity to navigate challenging situations/relationships
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT) - Similar cognitive focus talk therapy but adding in mindfulness techniques, coping for distress tolerance, interpersonal skills and emotional regulation (helps regulate intense emotional responses)
• Narrative therapy - combo of talk therapy, gentle curiosity, reflection and creative drawing or writing to help with expression of emotions, thoughts, externalization of problems and creating a new narrative to move away from problem storyline
• Expressive arts using sensory stimulation or regulatory experiences (sight, auditory, touch, smell) incorporating exploration with sound instruments, movements, art, nature-based activities, journalling, color/texture, bilateral stimulation to promote left brain/right brain integration and emotional regulation
• Mindfulness - Meditation, trauma-informed restorative yoga stretches and breathing techniques, mindful movement ie. progressive relaxation, chair stretches, body scan, gentle Qi Gong movement to music, voice sounds etc
• Self-compassion: Learning self-kindness, boundaries, assertive communication, practices that promote feelings of nurturing, mind-body connection and polyvagal theory plus somatic embodiment for healing, reducing inflammation, promotion of healing hormones through behavioral activation and experiential activities (D.O.S.E - Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins) for harmony and balance.
• Connection to online and community resources, learning tangible coping strategies and lifestyle options that promote optimum emotional and somatic health
• Upcoming ContemPlaytive workshops, mindfulness/meditation and mental health groups/programs
• Fun - learning to find your joy again through humor, gratitude practices. feeling productive and meaningful and adding laughter and creative play back into your life
• Wholistic focus - mind-body-spirit

Learn the benefits of sound therapy for anxiety/depression and other mental health challenges. As well as Nutrition for mental health, mindfulness and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

Book With Cynthia Harrison