Registered Psychotherapist
RP, MA, CCC
Have you experienced personal trauma? Experienced abuse? Do you have a personality disorder? Do you have panic attacks, flashbacks, body memories and just feel uncomfortable in your own skin? Do you identify as LGBTQAI2S? Do you want to bring all parts of yourself to your healing journey, craving holistic care? Ex. Spirituality, culture.
My passion is working with clients that have experienced trauma, specifically from sexual, physical and/or emotional/psychological abuse. Most of my career this has been my speciality, over 20 years. I have also worked with people that have had a diagnosis of C-PTSD or a personality disorder Ex: Borderline Personaity Disorder (BPD). I assess using Attachment Theory which means the relationship script or core beliefs you developed in your young life that are no longer serving you. I use emotion-focused and solution-focused techniques to process and heal trauma. We will sit with hard emotions to build self-insight and explore patterns and tendencies. We will identify triggers and unpack complex ones including related situations you find yourself in. We will talk about how to regulate and heal your central nervous system. I may use visualizations, bodywork, short meditations to heal, process and even create a safe space to use in your life and in sessions. Ask me about Sandtray therapy too. We may bring into session a person you have an important relationship with, if that feels helpful, safe and ok.
I would love to journey with you to address uncomfortable emotional and physical symptoms, heal past wounds, and transform your life. This transformation may include meaning-making, practicing self-care, and learning to thrive through healing and self-knowledge. I often bring strength and inspiration into the therapeutic relationship. We will work together to help you sit with, identify, and regulate your emotions so they inform your life and relationships.
Get more info about me at www.lisashouldice.com/toronto-therapists
I use emotion-focused techniques in therapy sessions. This is an evidence-based, effective treatment for feelings of depression and anxiety. These techniques help clients who struggle with affective and personality disorders as well as trauma. Emotion-focused sessions with me include discussing feelings in a complete way or emotion-coaching. We live in a society that teaches us to think and behave in certain ways, but feeling deeply is neglected. So as we navigate our lives, we sometimes lack the skills to sit with intense feelings. This can result in numbing, drinking, overeating our feelings to stuff them down. Over time this tends to create a life that we experience as empty and devoid of joy, and can lead to anxiety and depression. My sessions will take you through the process of sitting with feelings, letting them inform you so you can be at peace, and using them to guide you toward satisfaction and new experiences of meaning-making.
I use, among other techniques, bodywork, visualizations, open-ended questions, and the observation of patterns and tendencies. I also use solution-focused techniques, which involve us exploring your strengths and applying co-created solutions to your life and relationships. We discuss healthy communication, family dynamics and related skills in a unique way, tailored to you and the people you interact with. I work in a manner aligned with your goals. This results in an interactive therapy process in which you can trust me to offer expertise and teach you new skills.
I also use emotional exploration, visualizations, Gestalt, Sandplay and other creative/therapeutic techniques in session when deemed appropriate. I occasionally use thought records and other exercises from the Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy approach. Sandplay is a wonderful technique that taps into your unconscious to access deep emotions and experiences that can then be healed in a gentle way (but must be completed in person).
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I am a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) and member of the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), offering online services. I have almost 21 years of experience with diverse populations and issues. I work with people who have experienced trauma and mental health concerns in their lives, including those who have been diagnosed with a personality disorder.
I became a therapist as I feel it is my calling and felt this from a young age. I love my job and enjoy a deep therapeutic relationship.
I am a spiritual person and have always enjoyed working with people from diverse cultures. I have facilitated healing and counselling for many gay, lesbian, transgender, and two-spirit people throughout my career. I am married to an amazing woman as well. Sometimes it is important to have a psychotherapist that is not only open-minded and non-judgmental, but also knows the dynamics and possible daily struggles of being LGBTQAI2S. I feel confident this is an area in which I can be a strong support for you. Everyone has a story and I would love to hear yours. I have a passion for personal relationships and I will be there every step of the way.
I have two Masters degrees, one in individual and another specifically in couple counselling. The university I attended in Ottawa, Ontario included training in spirituality, enabling me bring a spiritual element into our relationship, if you wish to do so. Spirituality has been an important factor in my own personal healing. I moved to Toronto in 2014 from Ottawa, where my last full-time job of 7 years was as a Clinical Therapist at an Aboriginal Health Centre. As a result, I am extensively trained to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples offering culturally relevant and informed care.
It is important to me that you get high-quality service and feel in control of your healing and therapeutic sessions. I am open to anything you need to say, and we will chat along the way to make sure your goals are being met.
Get Inspired to Change Your Life.
I have a passion for Sandtray/play therapy and have long used this approach. it is a favourite of mine.
My work as a therapist has included working with clients that present with abuse histories, and often complex trauma. I find this can take years to heal and is hard emotionally and spiritually on a client. So I trained with Lalita Salins MA, LMFT in order to use Sandtray/World Play in my work.
What is Sandtray Therapy?
Sandplay is a wonderful technique that taps into your unconscious to access deep emotions and experiences that can then be healed in a gentle way. What I love about this technique is that your natural healing centre chooses unconsciously what and how deeply you need to heal something, sometimes surprising you. It can be used in a single session or every session until you have reached your goals. It is great if the past has stayed with you or if you feel “stuck”. It is also a way to connect with the elements and heal without talk as the central modality.
What is your part?
Using figures of your choosing and the arrangement of the sand in the tray, you then become the “world builder,” and watch whatever reveals itself. It can be transformational in processing grief, past hurts, or help you to identify and process what is causing or maintaining your depressive and other mental health symptoms, enabling management and recovery. It provides the possibility to set up a world corresponding to your inner state. Through free, creative play, unconscious processes are made visible in a three-dimensional form.
Why Sandtray Therapy?
It is a great way to get out of your head, stop racing thoughts and start processing issues, life events (past and present) and intense feelings in a non-threatening way. Some people find talking about their feelings hard or find it only gets them so far. Sandtray also tends to result in less of the “hangover” we sometimes get after a talk therapy session. Sandtray sessions tend to be really wonderful with the people that simply don’t get it and think that the whole idea is “weird”. If you think you will feel foolish, give it a try because you will likely find it works. It is generally fast, effective, and speeds up your healing process.