About West Wellness
How We Work
Our goal is to support you in moving towards better mental health and well-being.
Through strengths-based and trauma-informed therapeutic approaches – such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, and more – your counsellor will work with you to explore challenging issues, move towards an understanding of your mental health, and empower you to take steps in the direction you want to go in your life.
Our therapists are located in the Brantford and Greater Hamilton Areas and welcome clients across Ontario through video or phone sessions. We also offer in person sessions for individuals in our office in Brantford, Ontario.
We offer a free 15-minute phone or video consultation to get you connected to one of our therapists to discuss how they can support you in moving toward mental health and well-being.
Who We Help
Our team provides a safe space for anyone seeking counselling services.
We currently provide virtual individual therapy for both youth and adults from anywhere in Ontario, as well as in person therapy sessions in our office in Brantford.
If you are struggling with the effects of anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or any other challenging life experiences, please reach out and let us know how we can help!
First Responders
You got into this work for a reason, to protect and help others. Maybe you felt it was your purpose in life or your way to give back. You’re held to a higher standard and expected to do better.
Victoria is passionate about working with first responders and although she is not a first responder she has loved ones who are, and she knows how satisfying and challenging the work can be. Whether you are a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, military, or one of the many others who work each day to help our communities, Victoria is inspired by the work you do and holds tremendous respect for you. She would be honoured to walk alongside you and support you through the challenges you face each day.
Therapeutic Approaches.
CBT also uses behavioural strategies to support clients in building skills, improving mood, and developing emotion regulation.
The four parts of DBT include: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
EFT works to restore a secure attachment bond and change negative interaction patterns with more genuine expressions emotional needs, support, and comfort.
A therapy model that has been proven to be highly effective for those who have experienced trauma.
During trauma, the process our brain goes through to store memories can get ‘stuck’. This ‘stuck-ness’ can lead to past memories feeling very present. Related or unrelated stimuli can lead individuals to feel and react as they did at the time of the trauma – the brain feels as if the past is happening in the present.
EMDR therapy helps the painful and disturbing memory get ‘unstuck’ so the brain can process and store the memory properly.
EMDR employs a body-based technique called bilateral simulation during which a therapist will guide a client through eye movements, tones, or taps in order to activate the ‘stuck’ memory and allow the brain to process and store it properly.
Narrative therapy is considered a postmodern therapeutic approach and looks at the stories we tell about ourselves, others, and our problems. This therapeutic approach then looks at unique outcomes and externalizing to help clients look at things from a different and more holistic perspective. This therapeutic approach emphasizes the power the client has in knowing their own stories.
Everyone is unique and has different needs in terms of trauma and there is no one perfect approach. However, there are core principles from which I work and utilize in my work with clients.
We will begin by creating safety and stabilization through the development of self-regulation, grounding, and healthy coping strategies. We will then move into remembrance and mourning. And lastly, integration into things such as independence, new skills, and positive physical and mental health.
This approach supports clients in giving themselves the same kindness and care they would a friend or loved one.
Self-compassion is different from self-esteem. Self-esteem is based upon self-evaluations whereas self-compassion supports us in feeling compassion for ourselves because we are human beings and we are all deserving of compassion and understanding.
This therapeutic approach is designed to be brief and focuses on client goals and strengths in order to support the client in a shorter period of time.
Our team is committed to investing in you and your wellbeing! Together, we’ll work on building the tools and habits to help you reach your goals and improve your mental health and well-being!
Session rate: $130
