Psychotherapy is primarily a collaborative talk-based therapy between the client and psychotherapist. The psychotherapist provides a non-judgemental and supportive environment where psychological and emotional issues that are keeping the client from feeling at his/her best are identified, processed and resolved together.

Upon completing an initial clinical interview, the client and the psychotherapist will establish goals for therapy together. Some examples of goals could be: learning how to become more assertive at work, becoming more confident, learning to manage anxiety, improving mood, feeling more connected to others, improving interpersonal relationships, etc. The client and the psychotherapist work together to identify problematic thought patterns resulting in distressing emotions, and maladaptive behaviors and coping strategies that cause the client to feel stuck and unable to meet his/her needs/goals in life. Working collaboratively, the client can find new ways of looking at issues which can give him/her a greater sense of control, get a better understanding of him/herself, and develop more adaptive strategies to shift and/or manage negative thoughts which will result in feeling better and engaging in behaviors that are in line with their life goals. If psychotherapy is to work, the client must commit to work hard during and in between sessions in order to establish a sense of continuity leading to lasting positive change.

The first session is a clinical interview designed to help the psychotherapist better understand your issues and problems by asking a number of questions. We often collect information about your childhood and upbringing as it may shed some light on certain maladaptive behavioural or thought patterns depending on the nature of the problem. The psychotherapist will also inquire about current life stressors and the way you have been coping with them. Working collaboratively, treatment goals are identified as well as the number of sessions needed to help reach your goals. This can vary from four to sixteen sessions, depending on the nature and severity of symptoms or problems.

Our psychologist and psychotherapist at the PWC use several evidence-based treatment approaches in psychotherapy and we tailor our treatment according to our client’s needs. This means that at times, we combine elements from different treatment approaches to optimize on developing a repertoire of strategies that work for a particular client. For example, we use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), that focuses on identifying and reframing negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, so that clients can get a greater sense of control over their mood and their lives. Other treatment approaches include learning to accept certain feelings/thoughts without struggling against them, setting value goals, learning to be more mindful and present, and strategies to improve on sleep. The psychotherapist supports the client in accomplishing these goals by teaching him/her practical and tangible strategies and tools specific to the nature of the presenting concern. These strategies are discussed and practised in session at length so that the client can use them independently while therapy is ongoing but also once it is complete.

In Ontario, the Regulated Health Professionals Act identifies six regulatory colleges that are authorized to provide the controlled act of psychotherapy provided in compliance with the regulations and the bylaws established by their regulatory colleges. These include practitioners who are registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario; College of Psychotherapists of Ontario; Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, College of Nurses of Ontario, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is able to prescribe medications, which they do in conjunction with providing psychotherapy, though medical and pharmacological interventions are often their focus. A registered psychologist has a university doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D) and has undergone rigorous research and clinical training as part of attaining their degree. The title of ‘psychologist’ can only be used by an individual who has completed the required education, training and provincial licensure requirements outlined by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. A registered psychotherapist has a master’s level training in Counselling and Psychotherapy and is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

At the Pain and Wellness Centre, both our psychologist and psychotherapist are highly experienced and trained in working with people with a variety of problems and issues. Our psychologist and psychotherapist work collaboratively at the clinic to ensure the highest quality of care for all our clients.

There is a body of research that clearly shows the importance of psychotherapy in helping people with chronic pain. Here at the pain and wellness centre, our psychotherapists understand the interplay of mind and body with our chronic pain patients. We understand that emotions, thoughts and vigilance play a role in “amplifying” the pain experience. Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling very stressed, angry or depressed that your pain seems worse? Or that your pain seems less intense when you are caught up in an activity that grabs your attention or makes you feel happy? Our psychotherapists focus on teaching patients more effective ways to cope and manage their pain by helping them change negative thoughts and feelings, reduce stress, improve sleep, and set goals to engage in more positive daily activities. Making positive changes to one’s life and feeling more self-control serves to lower the “amplification” of pain and helps clients better manage their physical pain. This is accomplished through various psychological strategies that are tailored to the needs of each client. Treatment goals are discussed at the very beginning so that the client and psychotherapist are on the same page in terms of the patient’s needs and expectations.

Most people start off using a little bit of alcohol and/or drugs to relax and take the edge off their day or their mood. However, over time the use of alcohol or drugs becomes more of the norm to de-stress and people lose their capacity to cope with daily stressors or difficult emotions because of their reliance on alcohol and drugs to help them cope. For others, they may use drugs or alcohol primarily in social situations; however, they tend to use these substances heavily and over time, it starts to take a toll on their health, their relationships and/or their capacity to manage day to day stressors. Psychotherapists work with clients to identify the triggers for using alcohol and/or drugs, to develop more adaptive and appropriate ways to cope with negative thoughts and emotions, to manage craving/urges to use, as well as to deal with possible underlying feelings of depression, and/or anxiety which may be fueling the alcohol and/or drug behaviour.