Pervasive dissatisfaction or unease may fill the silence of your days. A sense of emptiness and disconnect—from self and others—might permeate your daily functioning. You are coping with life, but not really living. Something needs to change yet change evades you, leaving you confounded and stuck.

Therapy can help. A comprehensive process of self-exploration, facilitated by a trained professional, can help to free us from the prison of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. A rich, personal sense of authenticity, a more robust self-esteem, a greater capacity for pleasure in living, and improved relationships are among the outcomes of a successful therapy.

Why Psychotherapy?

We might think we know ourselves well enough, but what we “know” are the incomplete stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others. These stories, created out of our instinct to survive and conquer our life’s disappointments and traumas, have immense underground powers—they influence how we think, feel, and behave. Once protective, they can now interfere with living a full life in the present.

The stories we tell ourselves can go unquestioned until we work with someone who can help flesh them out, make sense of their origin and function. This usefully challenges us to live, work, and relate in ways that are new and more accurately aligned with the truth of who we are and what we want in life.

How I Work

We typically meet at least once a week for 50-minute sessions. In a safe and confidential setting, we start with what is happening for you right now and where your struggles are in the present. Together, we think out loud and go at a pace you determine.

During our reflective conversation, I listen deeply, with curiosity, and with a trained ear—I pay attention to your words as well as what is in the space between them. As the therapy unfolds, we begin to identify and challenge patterns, beliefs, and habits of your being and relating in the world that no longer serve you.

The collaborative aspect of therapeutic work makes it powerful in helping you uncover parts of yourself you have disowned, forgotten, and hidden. These parts can then be reclaimed and integrated into your personality, and used to live a more authentic, purposeful, and vibrant life.

About Me

I followed an indirect path to psychotherapy. After earning an Honours degree in science, I worked in the hospitality industry before embarking on a career in international education, where I held teaching and academic management positions.

Being in the classroom, and later, training and mentoring educators proved to be dynamic and rewarding roles. They allowed me to help individuals realize their potential at school or work. Yet, I was left wanting to be of influence in more profound and personal ways, a desire that led me to complete the academically rigorous and experientially demanding training program at the Centre for Training in Psychotherapy (CTP).

My career path has allowed me to experience and view life from a variety of contexts and perspectives. But I also draw on my personal experience of having deeply benefitted from therapeutic work. The experience of sitting in the client’s chair enables me to remain deeply present to my client’s struggle while also holding in mind the transformative powers true self-knowledge can offer.

If you would like to learn more, or book an initial no-fee consultation, please email me at d.b.grigorova@gmail.com.