Dr. Swain offers counselling
and psychotherapy to adolescents, adults, couples, and families. He also
undertakes special assignments such as: Team Psychologist for the
University of B.C. Thunderbird Men's basketball team.
It is
estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience some sort of mental health
difficulty. This represents an awful lot of needless pain, suffering, and unmet
human potential. Counselling and psychotherapy can help!
Using a
psychoeducational model of change, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and
Interpersonal Therapy, I assist clients in gaining new understandings of
themselves and others, improved emotional and physiological responses, and new
skills and behaviours to deal more effectively with life
challenges. |
ENHANCING
WELL-BEING
When problems arise and cause distress, several personal
factors interact to either make the problem worse or help to find a
solution.
EMOTIONS - ie. Anger, anxiety,
sadness, depression, hopelessness - are powerful engines often without brakes.
Distressed people lose the ability to calm themselves, think clearly, and behave
or perform with skill.
AUTOMATIC THOUGHTS -
negative thinking often involves unfair self-criticism whereby experiences are
incorrectly perceived as being personal, pervasive, and permanent. These
negative thoughts are driven by often faulty assumptions about Self, Others, and
the World.
BEHAVIOURS - defensive behaviours
or coping styles are often obsolete, unhelpful, and can even make problems
worse.
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS - the quantity and
quality of the people with whom we spend time greatly influences our
experiences.
PHYSICAL REACTIONS - ie. Nervous
system changes, poor sleep, low energy, appetite changes all affect our
experiences.
These factors are self-reinforcing as they interact and
influence each other. Change in one can lead to change in others. Modulating
emotions and shifting perspective can lead to better skills in dealing with
problems and stressors.
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Fees
for psychological services are often eligible for employee benefits coverage and
are Income tax deductable expenses.
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