Services
Enjoy life & Carry On
Your Well Being is What Matters
We offer a wide range of psychology services to help you through trauma, anxiety, and stress.
Our goal at Psychology Experts is to assist you in your well-being. We don’t want to be holding your hand forever, we want you to get your power back. Our motto “Enjoy Life & Carry On” means just that.
Languages
All our services are available in English and French.
Psychology services for your needs
We help people through a number of different situations, for more information select the links below:
Our therapy and counseling sessions are offered via video conference. Online therapy is safe and effective, available from anywhere for everyone.
Counseling & Psychotherapy
We provide a safe environment, where you can explore things that are troubling you, without fear of being judged or criticized.
Counseling is a type of psychological consulting focused on normal and developmental issues as it applies to all human experiences.
Sometimes the hyper-complex, hyper-connected world is confusing and overwhelming. Sometimes personal issues may seem too difficult to handle alone and you just need to talk things out with someone who understands to find solutions. Personal counseling focuses on the individual’s immediate or near future concerns before issues become problems. Concerns can include career and planning, dealing with problems at work, cultural challenges, relationships, dealing with difficult people, unexpected pregnancy, and much more.
Come meet with us – you’ll be amazed how much just talking about something can help!
Our main motivation in life is pleasure. When our everyday life can’t fulfill our needs we can seek compensation in the excess of a behavior that naturally brings us some pleasure. It can lead to an excess of food, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, virtual life, and/or codependency. It can be a temporary response to singular stress or become a long-term issue.
The challenge to altering addictions is the belief that you can’t change, which can push one into denial and cause him/her to minimize the consequences of his/her excessive behaviors. Whatever you discover about yourself and however painful your discovery is, dramatic breakthroughs are always possible. Addiction is a treatable condition. The first step in changing an unhealthy habit is to understand it. Patients use their addiction to manipulate their feelings away from fear, anger, jealousy, or sadness.
Because co-dependency is usually rooted in a person’s childhood, treatment often involves exploration into early childhood relationships and the reconstruction of family dynamics.
Treatment focuses on helping patients rediscover themselves and identify self-defeating behavior patterns. With the support of the therapeutic alliance, they can get in touch with feelings that have been buried during childhood. The goal is to allow them to experience their full range of feelings again. Desire is part of being human, but sometimes we cling to our suffering as the archaic link for something that lies out of our grasp, that ought to be or should have been, or that has already passed away.
In addition, we use meditation to help lower stress and regulate mood. Mindfulness can retrain our mind and create new neural networks that can positively alter our personality traits, open an affective space where we can observe our feelings, take some distance and gain free will.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. In some cases, however, it becomes excessive and can cause people to dread everyday situations. It could be persistent intrusive thoughts or obsessive compulsions to carry out specific behaviors.
There are two types of anxiety: diffuse or persistent anxiety associated with no particular cause or mental concern, and focused anxiety caused by a specific situation (e.g. panic attacks), or object (e.g. phobia). Therapy’s goal is to find the sources of anxiety and ways to cope with it in everyday life.
Changes are both exciting and challenging at the same time. Changes happen in predictable and unpredictable ways, both are sources of stress. Going through a transition requires us to make adjustments in our life that can be complex especially when things are not under our control. Coming to end with what was familiar to us, what was our life, and creating the necessary adjustments within ourselves to find our comfort zone and relax in the new situation can outstretch our mental balance.
It could be a new job, move, homesickness, or a change in our family. We feel vulnerable and our emotions overwhelm us, a psychologist can help process these emotions.
A midlife crisis can occur anytime between one’s thirties and sixties and affect anyone. It can often be triggered by the realization of one’s own mortality. For some people, this realization sparks a crisis where they question their decisions, the meaning, and the direction of their life. As a result, it is common to be feeling hopeless, frustrated, or anxious which may strain relationships with a partner, friends, and family.
Working with a psychotherapist during a midlife transition provides the opportunity to enter the next phase of life with greater self-awareness and self-acceptance. It is an opportunity to work through any issues we may have suppressed and verbalize any goals that may not yet have been realized in life. A therapist can help a person explore desires and fears without behaving recklessly or in a way that might negatively affect that person’s life and entourage.
Depression negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act, however it is treatable. It is not the same as feeling depressed which can be a normal reaction to loss, life’s struggles, or an injured self-esteem. Depression is a common affliction; one in six people (16.6%) will experience it at some time in their life.
Consider meeting with a psychologist if you recognize yourself in the following issues:
- Feeling sad or having a depressed mood for some time
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Treatment for depression involves questionnaires to rule out other serious illnesses and assess how severe it is. Treatment includes mindfulness for paying full attention to the present moment, and cognitive therapy for becoming aware of negative thoughts, acknowledging them without judgment, and realizing they’re not accurate reflections of reality. Meditation reduces stress and increases positive feelings which simultaneously reduces negative feelings.
Stress, pain, and anger management refer to the process by which a person learns how to identify stressors, take necessary steps to remain calm, and handle tense situations in a constructive and positive manner.
The aim is to decrease the heightened emotional and physiological arousal often associated with stress, pain, or anger. It is generally impossible to avoid all the people, things, and settings that incite these negative feelings, but a person may learn how to control his/her reactions and respond in a socially appropriate manner.
A psychologist may be helpful in this process of exploring the roots of the personal issue. With professional support, the patient can develop techniques to help manage his reaction to stressors such as impulse control, self-awareness, meditation, and breathing techniques.
Grief is a process to adapt to any form of loss, accompanied by a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger. Grief is a normal and natural reaction that can generate from the death of a person or pet, loss of a job, failing health, divorce, aging parents, or the end of a relationship.
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. One of the many challenges associated with the grieving is adjusting to the new reality. It requires developing a new routine, envisioning a different future, and adopting a new sense of identity.
A psychotherapist can support you during bereavement and help you find ways to cope with stress and adaptation. In addition, meditation and mindfulness are great tools to find a comfort zone through turbulence.
Gifted youths and adults think differently, and have oversensitivity and heightened emotional reactivity. Because they have a deeper vision of the world, it can make life more challenging for them and their entourage.
Thanks to their high sensitivity, gifted individuals are specifically challenged by affective distress over several factors: overthinking, perfectionism, procrastination, isolation, boredom, and underachievement (dumb themselves down to fit in), impostor complex (doubt the validity of their accomplishment), asynchronous development (social/affective/intellectual), over sensibility and over-reactivity, existential depression (search for meaning and purpose).
Many gifted people have managed to adjust with success, but others suffer and can benefit from the guidance of a psychotherapist who can offer support and help them develop perspective and coping skills.
Couple’s therapy
When communication becomes difficult inside a couple, a therapist can help you listen to each other and find ways to be happy again. Below are our psychology services for couples.
Counseling can help couples of all types recognize and resolve conflicts. It allows partners to communicate calmly and make thoughtful decisions about rebuilding their relationship or going their separate ways. Couples counseling is often short-term and typically includes both partners, but sometimes one partner can choose to work with the therapist alone. The specific treatment plan depends on the situation.
Together, we create a safe space for discussion, where old resentments and tensions can be put aside. Each partner can express himself freely and respectfully. The aim is to increase understanding of each other and how to envision the future.
Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong and healthy relationship; giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help identify weaknesses that could become problems later on and can be especially valuable for partners coming from different cultural backgrounds and/or religions. With the help of a therapist, shared values, common goals, and child upbringing can be explored in a safe and positive environment.
The end of a marriage can be a relief to some people, but it can also be extremely stressful. Even the spouse who chooses to leave may experience a wide range of emotions and intense feelings that may be painful or difficult, such as grief, guilt, anger, confusion, fear, shame, and anxiety. If children are involved, the stress level within a divorcing family is likely to be even higher.
Therapy can be important for children whose parents are divorcing. Because parents may often be consumed with their own feelings during a divorce, they might overlook the emotional state of their children who may be confused by the divorce or feel guilt, loss, pain, or abandonment. Children may not be sure which parent they should “choose,” or be loyal to, and they might also worry that they are the cause of the divorce. When parents are aggressive with each other, a child may feel even more fearful, and a child who often hears his/her parents argue about custody arrangements might feel as if he/she is unwanted by either parent or as if he/she is to blame for the separation.
People may seek help in counseling to make the transition as individuals, a couple, or a family. If all members of the family are able to discuss their feelings about any issues that arise as a result of divorce, they may be able to process their emotions more easily and better adjust to the changes.
In general, a successful relationship requires feelings of stability and security, physical and emotional intimacy, and companionship. Unfaithfulness in a marriage or partnership can severely strain a relationship and the individuals involved. One partner’s affair can leave the other person feeling devastated, alone, betrayed, jealous, confused, and aggrieved. Affairs happen for a myriad of reasons, but the main reason appears to be relationship dissatisfaction or the personal gratification of obtaining an ego boost or a new sexual experience.
Couples counseling can help partners process their feelings surrounding the affair in a safe and open environment, and determine whether or not to continue the relationship after the incident.
Sometimes an affair ends a relationship, and other times couples are able to repair the relationship often making the relationship stronger as a result.
Changes are both exciting and challenging at the same time. Changes happen in predictable and unpredictable ways, both are sources of stress. Going through a transition requires us to make adjustments in our life that can be complex especially when things are not under our control. Coming to end with what was familiar to us, what was our life, and creating the necessary adjustments within ourselves to find our comfort zone and relax in the new situation can outstretch our mental balance.
It could be a new job, move, homesickness, or a change in our family. We feel vulnerable and our emotions overwhelm us, a psychologist can help process these emotions.
A midlife crisis can occur anytime between one’s thirties and sixties and affect anyone. It can often be triggered by the realization of one’s own mortality. For some people, this realization sparks a crisis where they question their decisions, the meaning, and the direction of their life. As a result, it is common to be feeling hopeless, frustrated, or anxious which may strain relationships with a partner, friends, and family.
Working with a psychotherapist during a midlife transition provides the opportunity to enter the next phase of life with greater self-awareness and self-acceptance. It is an opportunity to work through any issues we may have suppressed and verbalize any goals that may not yet have been realized in life. A therapist can help a person explore desires and fears without behaving recklessly or in a way that might negatively affect that person’s life and entourage.
Children & Learning
Attentive to the child’s needs and working with their parents, teachers, and other caregivers we assess strengths and weaknesses to help the child blossom.
There are many changes and milestones throughout the development of a child. Most of them aren’t even noticed, but sometimes they can lead to questioning, confusion, and conflicts with the child’s entourage. The path to adulthood and maturity can be further complicated by today’s constant bombardment by the media, social networks, and the distorted images of “who you should be”. For the child/teenager, it can be difficult to share these feelings and frustrations with parents. This can lead to a lack of communication and be expressed through poor results at school, aggressive behavior, or depression.
A psychologist can help your child understand the changes he/she is going through and express themself. Part of the process is to consolidate the youth’s self-esteem and confidence. In turn, he/she will have the tools to communicate better with his/her entourage and develop a positive approach to life.
Gifted children and youths think differently, and have oversensitivity and heightened emotional reactivity. Because they have a deeper vision of the world, it can make life more challenging for them and their entourage.
Thanks to their high sensitivity, gifted individuals are specifically challenged by affective distress over several factors: overthinking, perfectionism, procrastination, isolation, boredom, underachievement (dumb themselves down to fit in), impostor complex (doubt the validity of their accomplishment), asynchronous development (social/affective/intellectual), over sensibility and over-reactivity, existential depression (search for meaning and purpose).
Many gifted people have managed to adjust with success, but others suffer and can benefit from the guidance of a psychotherapist who can offer support and help them develop perspective and coping skills.
Many parents struggle with anxiety and frustration when trying to help their gifted child, whether attempting to challenge underachievement and procrastination or helping them to cope with high sensitivity. Parents can benefit from the help of a psychotherapist or family therapist to manage their child’s affective or behavioral issues along with their own personal reactions.
Learning difficulties can be the source of a lot of frustration and tension for children and their parents.
Even with a learning difficulty, children can have good intellectual functioning with an average or higher IQ score, as they developed strategies on their own to cope with a learning difficulty. They may benefit from alternative learning methods as they don’t learn in the same way or as quickly as their peers.
Learning difficulties are evaluated from mild to severe. An individual assessed with a learning difficulty may find the diagnosis difficult to cope with, as might that person’s family. When learning issues have been present for some time, the person assessed may find the diagnosis to be a relief, especially when the diagnosis occurs later in life.
It can be difficult to differentiate between a child struggling with the normal learning process and a child struggling to the point of having a learning difficulty.
When these issues become prominent or continuous, it can be an indication of a learning difficulty:
- Not being able to concentrate for long periods of time.
- Trouble remembering things, short and long term.
- Sequencing problems – remembering the correct order of a story.
- Difficulties reading and/or writing.
- Difficulties with social interaction, levels of appropriateness, sensitivity.
- Tripping over things, excessive clumsiness.
- For some specific learning difficulties, we will also refer you to a speech therapist.
Dyslexia – primarily affects reading fluency and comprehension, spelling, and writing, but may also affect memory, sequencing, spoken language, motor skills, and organization.
Dysgraphia- primarily affects writing legibly, space words consistently, spelling, composing, thinking and writing at the same time, or planning spatially (on paper), but may also affect handwriting and other fine motor skills.
Dyscalculia – primarily affects the ability to develop math skills, understanding numbers, and learning math-based facts. It can include, grasping basic mathematical processes, as well as comprehension of math symbols, organizing or memorizing numbers, telling time, and counting.
ADHD – attention deficit hyperactive disorder is not considered a learning difficulty, but around 40% of the children have both ADHD and specific learning difficulties. ADHD affects the ability to concentrate, sit still, and focus on one thing and results in hyperactivity and fidgeting.
ADHD can be greatly improved by meditation and other behavioral methods. Solution-focused counseling may be appropriate for older children and teens who are aware of their difficulties and help them determine what might be working for them and could be improved. Counseling can also be helpful when those with learning difficulties feel shy, anxious, or otherwise find it challenging to express themselves to others. Because emotional distress can occur as a result, talking through these anxieties in therapy may prove beneficial.
While some learning difficulties are mild, others may have a severe impact on an individual’s academic performance., Behavioral teachings tailored specifically to the type of difficulty can help an individual develop strategies to address and work with a particular challenge and intervention can be of significant benefit. Simply having a learning difficulty does not mean an individual will be unable to succeed academically or hold an intellectually demanding position.
Being of one culture and growing up in another or various other cultural environments, can be challenging for children who are otherwise fully monopolized by the requirements of their growth. It can make some Third-Culture Kids question their identities too early in their development, they may feel different from their peers and don’t belong anywhere.
With the support of a therapist, Third Culture Kids can apprehend their situation with a new perspective to realize their specific benefits such as cultural intelligence or cross-cultural competence. In turn, they will be able to develop their self-identity and self-esteem and find balance and confidence in their social skills.
The end of a marriage can be a relief to some people, but it can also be extremely stressful. Even the spouse who chooses to leave may experience a wide range of emotions and intense feelings that may be painful or difficult, such as grief, guilt, anger, confusion, fear, shame, and anxiety. If children are involved, the stress level within a divorcing family is likely to be even higher.
Therapy can be important for children whose parents are divorcing. Because parents may often be consumed with their own feelings during a divorce, they might overlook the emotional state of their children who may be confused by the divorce or feel guilt, loss, pain, or abandonment. Children may not be sure which parent they should “choose,” or be loyal to, and they might also worry that they are the cause of the divorce. When parents are aggressive with each other, a child may feel even more fearful, and a child who often hears his/her parents argue about custody arrangements might feel as if he/she is unwanted by either parent or as if he/she is to blame for the separation.
People may seek help in counseling to make the transition as individuals, a couple, or a family. If all members of the family are able to discuss their feelings about any issues that arise as a result of divorce, they may be able to process their emotions more easily and better adjust to the changes.
Grief is a process to adapt to any form of loss, accompanied by a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger. Grief is a normal and natural reaction that can generate from the death of a person or pet, loss of a job, failing health, divorce, aging parents, or the end of a relationship.
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. One of the many challenges associated with the grieving is adjusting to the new reality. It requires developing a new routine, envisioning a different future, and adopting a new sense of identity.
A psychotherapist can support you during bereavement and help you find ways to cope with stress and adaptation. In addition, meditation and mindfulness are great tools to find a comfort zone through turbulence.
Changes are both exciting and challenging at the same time. Changes happen in predictable and unpredictable ways, both are sources of stress. Going through a transition requires us to make adjustments in our life that can be complex especially when things are not under our control. Coming to end with what was familiar to us, what was our life, and creating the necessary adjustments within ourselves to find our comfort zone and relax in the new situation can outstretch our mental balance.
It could be a new job, move, homesickness, or a change in our family. We feel vulnerable and our emotions overwhelm us, a psychologist can help process these emotions.
Counseling is available for heterosexual, and LGBT individuals, and couples with the aim of empowering patients to lead a fulfilling life.
In today’s society, there are contradictory trends around sexual identity acceptance. It can be difficult to find balance when you can’t accept who you are in the face of stressors such as social stigmatization or discrimination. As our sexual and gender identities emerge, it is not uncommon for some of us to struggle with and experience complex feelings and emotions such as fear, uncertainty, or confusion. Individuals who are uncomfortable with their gender may face high levels of shame and guilt, and fears of rejection and abandonment due to social stigma.
No matter who or how old you are, it is important to form a positive sense of sexual and gender identity for your mental well-being. A therapist can provide a nurturing and non-judgmental environment for you to explore your feelings and thoughts and ascertain confidence in who you are.
Parenting & family
Dynamics within a family is constantly moving leading to new challenges. With professional support we can improve communication and resolve conflicts.
Family therapy or counseling addresses the specific issues that affect the psychological well-being of the family as a whole or of a particular member and its impact on loved ones.
Families can benefit from therapy when they experience any stressful event that may strain family relationships, such as financial hardship, divorce, or the death of a loved one. In addition, it can be effective in treating mental health concerns that impact the family as a whole, such as depression, substance abuse, chronic illness, and food issues, or everyday concerns, such as communication issues, interpersonal conflict, or behavioral problems in children and adolescents.
Family counseling aims to promote understanding and collaboration among family members in order to solve the problems of one or more individuals. For example, if a child is having social and academic problems, therapy will focus on the family patterns that may contribute to the child’s acting out, rather than evaluating the child’s behavior alone. As the family uncovers the source of the problem, they can learn to support the child and work proactively on minimizing or altering the conditions that contribute to the child’s unwanted behavior.
Family therapy borrows from different approaches (systemic, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic) with the goal to understand the family’s dynamic and improve communication, problem-solving and coping skills.
Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong and healthy relationship; giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help identify weaknesses that could become problems later on and can be especially valuable for partners coming from different cultural backgrounds and/or religions. With the help of a therapist, shared values, common goals, and child upbringing can be explored in a safe and positive environment.
Despite miscarriage being a common occurrence, 10 to 25% of confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage, it still is a taboo in our society. The loss of an unborn child can be a significant trauma with lasting effects for the person who lost the baby and her family. In the process of grieving, one can experience deep sadness and hormone fluctuations can further intensify emotions and mood swings.
The trauma of the loss can manifest itself both physically and psychologically. Physical cramping, pressure, and pain, even months and years after the loss are not uncommon. Depression may set in and the woman and family members may notice a decrease in mood and ability to participate in once-pleasurable activities. Relationships may suffer, as both partners and their family members may feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness, not knowing what to do to improve or fix the situation.
A psychotherapist can help with the healing process through counseling and validating the mourner’s feelings, and offering individual or family support.
Providing care to a loved one or elderly parent suffering from illness or dementia can be a distressing experience. The caregiver has to manage high levels of stress and negative emotions. Counseling is a great way to let out all the frustration and develop coping mechanisms. With the support of the psychologist, meditation and the practice of mindfulness become valuable tools that enable the caregiver to find balance and open him/herself to a new perspective.
The end of a marriage can be a relief to some people, but it can also be extremely stressful. Even the spouse who chooses to leave may experience a wide range of emotions and intense feelings that may be painful or difficult, such as grief, guilt, anger, confusion, fear, shame, and anxiety. If children are involved, the stress level within a divorcing family is likely to be even higher.
Therapy can be important for children whose parents are divorcing. Because parents may often be consumed with their own feelings during a divorce, they might overlook the emotional state of their children who may be confused by the divorce or feel guilt, loss, pain, or abandonment. Children may not be sure which parent they should “choose,” or be loyal to, and they might also worry that they are the cause of the divorce. When parents are aggressive with each other, a child may feel even more fearful, and a child who often hears his/her parents argue about custody arrangements might feel as if he/she is unwanted by either parent or as if he/she is to blame for the separation.
People may seek help in counseling to make the transition as individuals, a couple, or a family. If all members of the family are able to discuss their feelings about any issues that arise as a result of divorce, they may be able to process their emotions more easily and better adjust to the changes.
Postpartum depression, mild to major, affects around 20% of women in the first few months after childbirth. As women experience dramatic shifts in hormones during pregnancy and postpartum, signs of depression often go unrecognized.
The baby blues describes a temporary change in mood that affects up to 70% of women in the first postpartum weeks. It consists of the new mothers feeling hypersensitive, anxious, emotional, irritable, and possibly having difficulty sleeping or experiencing happiness. These feelings tend to dissipate within several days and generally don’t significantly interfere with functioning. If they persist or worsen, postpartum depression may be indicated.
Women who experience postpartum depression may be reluctant to seek help due to the social stigma associated with having a mental health condition, feelings of failure, or fear that the baby will be taken from them. They may also feel subject to the cultural belief that the experience of motherhood should bring only joy and fulfillment. Admitting that being a new mom is an emotional and challenging transition may make women feel they have failed in this endeavor.
Talking about one’s symptoms with a psychotherapist is a valuable step toward finding relief. Together, the mother and her therapist can find coping mechanisms for the demands of motherhood, ways to re-frame negative thought processes, and set healthy lifestyle habits.
The mother-infant relationship is a key psychological element in the healthy development of a newborn and the foundation of unconditional love.
Many women do not develop an immediate bond with their newborn infant. Rather, they experience a gradual increase in maternal love for their baby over the first few weeks.
It is quite common to feel a disappointing lack of emotion, sometimes accompanied by a feeling of estrangement. It usually isn’t something to be concerned about as it is temporary. However, some mothers develop a persistent aversion to their children.
A mother’s relationship with her own caregiver is reflected in this new relationship with her baby. As the mother and her baby build their bond, both the past experience of the mother and the baby’s present experience influence their interactions.
A psychotherapist can help a mother understand where her beliefs, stories, and thinking patterns affect her relationship with her child.
When these are negative, they can create a negative environment where sleeping, feeding, playing or stimulation become difficult experiences for both of them.
GENDER ISSUE THERAPY & SEX COUNSELLING
Counseling is available for heterosexual, LGBT individuals, and couples of all orientations with the aim of empowering patients to lead a fulfilling life.
In today’s society, there are contradictory trends around sexual identity acceptance. It can be difficult to find balance when you can’t accept who you are in the face of stressors such as social stigmatization or discrimination. As our sexual and gender identities emerge, it is not uncommon for some of us to struggle with and experience complex feelings and emotions such as fear, uncertainty, or confusion. Individuals who are uncomfortable with their gender may face high levels of shame and guilt, and fears of rejection and abandonment due to social stigma.
No matter who or how old you are, it is important to form a positive sense of sexual and gender identity for your mental well-being. A therapist can provide a nurturing and non-judgmental environment for you to explore your feelings and thoughts and ascertain confidence in who you are.