At The Willow Centre Individual Adult Psychotherapy is offered by a diverse team of skilled professionals with extensive training and experience in using diverse psychotherapeutic approaches, tailored to the patients’ needs.
We invite you to visit Our Team page to learn more about our clinicians’ expertise.
Below is a list of clinicians offering adult psychotherapy at our Centre:
Dr. Marcus Feak
Ms. Mane Kara-Yakoubian (Clinical Psychology – PhD student)
Individual Psychotherapy aims at assisting the patient in managing a range of psychological concerns, fostering personal growth and emotional resilience. Through the therapeutic relationship, patients work at improving their well-being, alleviating distress and promoting self-awareness while developing more adaptive coping strategies. All forms of psychotherapy share a fundamental goal of addressing emotional distress, improving relationships and fostering increased self–understanding. Various therapeutic approaches exist, each tailored to specific issues, personalities and goals; among these are Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Humanistic Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).
Common issues addressed in Adult Psychotherapy
– Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
– Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder
– Relationship and interpersonal conflicts
– Self-esteem and identity struggles
– Grief, loss and major life transitions
– Stress, burnout, and workplace difficulties
Benefits of Psychotherapy for Adults
– Enhanced emotional regulation
– Increased awareness and personal insight
– Improved communication and interpersonal skills
– Healthier coping mechanisms for stress and adversity
– Reduction in symptoms of mental health disorder
– Deeper understanding of past experiences and their impact on self and day-to-day functioning.
At The Willow Centre, we use a variety of therapeutic approaches coupled with psychodynamic modality, as our main modality of treating psychological distress. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is one of the most in-depth and insight-driven approaches – collectively, our clinicians have extensive experience in using this approach to treat patients, supervise clinicians in training and teach at psychotherapy training programs.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy originates from the ideas of Sigmund Freud and has evolved considerably since. The main belief that the unconscious thoughts, emotions, and past experiences shape current behaviour and emotional struggles was preserved. Since then, the human mind and its development has been studied extensively and now more is understood about the environment – gene interaction in shaping our minds, starting from very early in life.
CORE PRINCIPALS OF PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY
Unconscious processes
When lasting changes in our ways of thinking about ourselves and about the world around us is what we aim for, the re-wiring of the brain needs to take place. This is not a short-term work. Regular, continuous explorations within the guidance of a clinician aims at changing maladaptive patterns or thinking and relating. Unlike short term solution-focused therapies, when a patient engages in psychodynamic work, the personal and family history is explored and thought of, together with the clinician, for a complex understanding of the origins of the internal conflicts the patient experiences.
Past and Present Connections
Research has shown that many times our thoughts, feelings and behaviours stem from unconscious conflicts, often rooted in childhood experiences. Early relationships, particularly with the primary caregivers, shape how we relate to others and how we handle emotional experiences. At times, maladaptive patters are transmitted unwillingly and unconsciously from generation to generation.
Transference
As we grow up, we develop stories about who we are, how people perceive us. As the therapeutic relationship develops, patients may project feelings from past relationships onto their relationship with the therapist. This becomes a tool for exploring unresolved issues from the past, which brings important insights which augment to healing process.
Defense Mechanisms
Unconscious psychological strategies, as repression and denial for example, protect individuals from distress and can be useful in certain situations, but later on become maladaptive and contribute to emotional dysregulation and relationship conflicts. In psychodynamic psychotherapy the understanding of these individual defense mechanisms strengthens the patient’s capacity to adapt and helps them develop a stronger sense of self.
The Therapeutic Frame
Typically, the therapy consists of weekly sessions (unless the patient’s situation requires a different frequency) at the same time and on the same day of the week. This, along with the consistency of location and other particularities of psychotherapy, constitutes the therapeutic frame which has an important part in the therapeutic process.
HOW PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY WORKS
Exploration of Early Life Experiences
The clinician guides the patient in examining how past relationships and experiences affect present ways of relating to self and others. This is completed at a pace that is individualized based on each patient’s needs, their capacity to reflect and openness to explore their particular experiences.
Free Association
Patients are encouraged to express thoughts and feelings without censorship, allowing hidden conflicts to surface. Depending on the clinician’s training and expertise, this will be use more or less.
Dream Analysis and Symbolism
Unconscious emotions can be brought closer to awareness by clinicians who are trained to explore dreams. Patients are encouraged to share dreams and reflect on their significance.
Emotional Insight and Change
Discovering deep-seated patterns helps clients gain the ability to break free form unhealthy habits and behaviour.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
– Individuals struggling with long-term emotional distress, which affects their functioning or the way they feel about themselves and their lives.
– Those interested in deep self-exploration and personal growth
– People dealing with relationship difficulties and attachment issues
– Patients with unresolved traumatic experiences and those with attachment trauma.
While psychodynamic therapy is often a long-term process, its depth and insight driven approach provide lasting emotional and psychological transformations. For adults seeking change and self-discovery, this method remains one of the most effective therapeutic approaches.