Services - wendiwoo-psychologicalservices

Individual Therapy
Psychotherapy is sometimes referred to as “talk therapy”.  With a trained therapist, the person talks about their problems including distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours.  Together we identify patterns that may be unhealthy or leading you to feel overwhelmed, and we work to make changes in your thought and behaviour patterns to improve your mood and your ability to deal with life stressors in a healthier way.  Therapy is not limited to the therapy session.  

As a cognitive-behavioural therapist, I regularly assign “homework” for you to do in between sessions that may include things like practicing a new relaxation or thought stopping skill, keeping a mood or activity log, and other exercises to help you challenge your fears, anxieties, or unhealthy self-talk.  We also take time to identify your strengths and tap into the things that are working for you, so that you can use these as resources to help you get through situations that are more challenging.  

Some common problems that people seek individual psychotherapy for might include:

• Negative after effects of trauma, operational stressors, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Addictions
• Anxiety or anxiety disorders (panic disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, phobias)
• Chronic stress
• Depression or persistent low mood
• Bipolar disorders
• Bereavement or grief
• Anger
• Self-esteem
• Insomnia
• Coping with life transitions

Psycho-diagnostic Assessments
Psycho-diagnostic assessments are done to determine if someone has a mental health diagnosis.  Establishing a diagnosis can help establish what the problem is and better guide you and your health care team in determining a course of treatment.  Psycho-diagnostic assessments generally involve a detailed interview, filling out paper and pencil questionnaires, and in some cases, getting information about your moods and behaviour patterns from close associates such as your partner or parents.  These kinds of assessments are usually done at the request of a psychiatrist or physician or at the request of an insurance provider.

Examples of mental health diagnoses include:

• Anxiety Disorders, e.g. Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Mood Disorders, e.g. Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymia, Bipolar Disorder
• Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Substance Use Disorders