Areas of Focus

Katherine does not focus on problem areas so much as she focuses on the individual person. Each person is whole, unbroken and unique. That said, from time to time, most people become symptomatic for a while when struggling with some situation or inner conflict that is demanding they grow.

Katherine has worked with a huge range of mental health issues as they happen to present in the individual at the time. Some of these include:

depression, anxiety, relationship issues, marriage, sexuality, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, somatic issues, life transitions, grief and loss, serious illness, anger management, addiction, abuse, trauma, sexual assault, meaning in life and many more.

Depression

Depression is a symptom. It is a reaction to, and an attempt to mitigate some form of pain and often associated with the past. Usually without knowing it, or intending to, people create depression for themselves when they use the mind to cut themselves off either from frightening or unpleasant feelings, or from compelling calls for action they find too scary, overwhelming or perhaps unfamiliar to handle. The results are extremely painful and unfortunately, a very common problem. Sometimes there is an overactive inner critic, sometimes the depression is related to repressed feelings especially anger and often there is an existential component to the depression. When we are not living a life that is meaningful to us, we can become depressed.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a state, not a feeling. It is an agitated state that one enters when one feels threatened. Usually the threat is either an external threat, or stemming from an internal conflict.

Once you can feel fear instead of anxiety, allowing yourself the full felt experience of fear, without giving in to letting it rule your actions, you will be through the anxious state. At times the anxiety is a sign that you actually need to activate more, do more and allow the nervous energy to be directed into a meaningful or productive activity. When there is something we need to be doing, and we are not doing it, we can become very anxious about it. Perhaps some encouragement and tools to booster confidence would be enough to overcome it.

Relationship Counselling

Couples counselling is the process of developing the relationship between romantic partners by way of deepening communication.

Couples counselling is a process of learning to connect while maintaining autonomy. Learning to empathize with your partner’s feelings, speak powerfully and succinctly, listen actively and respect one another’s needs and freedoms.

Human beings are emotionally and physically built to bond. In fact we bond so easily and so much with others, particularly when we are sexually involved, that a great deal of effective relationship becomes about struggling to hold on to one’s autonomy and independence while still staying close and connected to our loved one. It is as if there are two distinct and opposite forces that of connection/love and that of freedom/individuation.

This is the dance of relationship, staying close while remaining distinctly ourselves. The problem is many people, and all of us at times, use unhealthy ways of establishing closeness and also of establishing individuality.

Relationships trigger our hurt and stuck spots. Relationship triggers our oldest wounds and when those are repeatedly exposed it can be a very painful experience.

However, relationships can be our greatest teachers. Relationship counselling offers an invaluable opportunity to investigate unhealed wounds and undeveloped parts.