“In my years of experience as a psychotherapist and counsellor, I’ve found that people make an appointment for therapy usually for one of two or three reasons.  First, and this would be true in the large majority of cases, they are confronting some personal life issue or crisis, which they feel emotionally overwhelmed by and need some place to turn for support, insight and practical strategies to get back on track. 

The kind of personal issue or crisis can vary; it can relate to how they are feeling about themselves at a given point in their lives (a lack of self confidence, wavering self-esteem or growing anxiety levels); difficulties in a marriage or other close intimate relationships; re-emerging emotional issues from the past; or even a general sense that their life is not going as they’d hoped or intended. 

Secondly, people may come to psychotherapy because even though their lives are in most respects, satisfying and on track, they want to enhance and optimize their level of emotional health and wellbeing.  This second group, though smaller than the first, in my experience, continues to grow. 

Perhaps you could say there is a third group as well made up of people who, once having entered therapy to deal with a specific life issue or crisis, come to see that the awareness and emotional skills gained from the psychotherapy relation can be further deepened and applied to their own personal growth and development on an ongoing basis.  So, they continue in psychotherapy to further enrich their level of personal and relational wellbeing. 

In each of these cases, the goal of the psychotherapy experience is the same.  It is to provide a healing context within which people can discover (through experienced professional support and guidance) their own emotional truths and inner strengths and resources.  In this way, psychotherapy allows them, with time and effort, to become more the person they want to be, living the life they want to lead.”

For more information, appointments and rates, please call 613 729-4478 or email drssiegel@rogers.com.