Psychotherapy & Counselling Services
Heather Church, RP
Welcome. Over twenty-five years, I have developed expertise serving people who have developmental and mental health challenges, as well as their loved ones, as a registered psychotherapist, registered behaviour analyst (Ontario) and advance care planning & end-of-life doula. My range of expertise has grown to reflect the needs of my clients and their loved ones as they have grown through the lifespan.
My work is evidence based, hopeful and focused on helping you to achieve your goals and live according to your values, no matter your stage in life.
In our work together, my goal is to help you to develop insight into your situation. I will help you to develop the tools to grasp life's patterns and untangle the daily struggles, so that you can implement your plan to live and move forward in a way which is meaningful to you.
Individual Psychotherapy (Regulated)
I offer psychotherapy and counselling online, as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in accordance with the standards of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). I use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
Psychotherapy may be helpful for individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, or other challenges that significantly impact emotional or psychological functioning.
In general, I find that rapport is beneficial to developing a strong therapeutic alliance (i.e., the relationship of trust between a client and therapist, whereby they work together as allies to achieve the client's goals). To determine if I am the right fit for you, please book a complementary initial consultation. If you prefer in-person appointments, these can be arranged. Please contact me prior to booking in order to do so.
Couples Counselling
I use EFT, CBT and ACT in couples counselling, to assist couples as they navigate challenges in and seek to strengthen their relationship. As such, this service is subsumed within the psychotherapy services that I offer. This is because we address dysfunctional relationship patterns, emotional dysregulation, attachment injuries and clinically significant distress.
Psychoeducational Counselling
Depending on what you are looking for, these services may or may not be subsumed under psychotherapy.
If you are:
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Seeking assistance adapting to an identified or diagnosed cognitive, learning or emotional difficulty of yourself or a loved one,
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Psychoeducational assessments (NB: this will NOT formulate a diagnosis) in order to identify the learner's strengths and struggles,
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Addressing distress arising from those difficulties and/or
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Working on functional impairment, this would qualify as psychotherapy.
Where it ceases to be psychotherapeutic but still valuable is when the services have a more administrative focus. For instance, I can write a report, explaining in plain language the challenges experienced by the learner and strategies to accommodate them. We can then use that information to develop learning strategies which capitalise on their strengths. A report will also be prepared and provided to the client, to share it as they choose to schools, coaches, and others involved in the learner's learning journey. I can also help you to prepare for, and if you choose, attend case conferences with you, to help inform the goals, problem resolution and priorities.
A complementary initial consultation is mandatory for this service. Additional psychoeducational services include: explaining the individual service plan (ISP), Identification, Program, Review Committee (IPRC) and navigating services and supports processes for those who have been identified within the school system as eligible for these supports.
I also offer advanced care planning (ACP) & end-of-life doula support, which focuses on non-clinical care for individuals and loved ones navigating serious illness, dying and death. These services are oriented toward the logistics of end-of-life, rather than therapeutic. This may include:
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Helping You (& Loved Ones, where relevant) develop a plan for when you/they are no longer able to advocate for themselves to articulate preferences for care, living conditions and transitions are consistent with one's values & expectations.
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NB: In the case of family members caring for adult loved ones who have a disability or developmental disorder which renders them unable to care or advocate for themselves, I can help you to develop a care plan or succession plan for the care of your loved one, in preparation for when you are no longer able to do so.
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Emotional support & presence
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Companionship at the bedside
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Guidance through the dying process
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Legacy & life review work
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Support for loved ones before & after death
ACP & End-of-Life Doula services are not psychotherapy or mental health treatment. If you are seeking psychotherapy to help cope with the mental health and emotional part of terminal diagnosis of yourself or a loved one, or for grief, this can be achieved within the psychotherapy services.
Advanced Care Planning & End-of-Life Doula (Non-Regulated)
Services
Please note that while I am trained as a Registered Psychotherapist and an ACP & End-of-Life Doula, these are distinct services. Similarly, counselling services may fall within psychotherapy services but they may not, depending upon the nature of the work we do together. If you are claiming your services with an extended health insurance provider, please verify what services they do and do not cover, prior to entering our work together so that you can avoid any unpleasant surprises.
At any given time, I will clarify whether I am providing psychotherapy (a regulated health service) or doula support (a non-regulated service), so you can make informed decisions about your care.
Contact
Have a question or want to learn more? Reach out to us through the form below.