Dana Cressman
Mental Health Therapy
What to Expect
Life can be hard and we all need companions on our journey. We are not meant to experience the tough parts of life alone. At various stages of our journey, we might need professional help and I would love to connect with you when you are looking for support.
During our first few visits, we will take time to get to know each other. We will explore your concerns and the adjustments you want to make. We will discuss your strengths, what you enjoy, and what is important to you.
I work from an eclectic approach, which means that once we have a good sense of what you are looking for, we will discuss therapy approaches before moving forward. Along with talk-therapy, we might include the use of art.
Throughout this process, it is important that you share according to what you are ready for. Each individuals’ stories are sacred and are kept in confidence. It is important that this process is collaborative and supportive for you. When you are ready, I am looking forward to connecting with you.
Psychotherapy with Dana
Emotional Attunement
Our emotions provide us with important information about our needs, what is important to us, and what we value. Emotions also provide us with the motivation to connect with who and what is important to us and distance ourselves from who and what makes us feel unsafe. Our relationship to our emotions can become complicated as we might find ourselves on a spectrum from feeling too much or not feeling at all. The process of therapy supports us with understanding our emotions, and their connection to our thoughts, actions, and physical sensations.
The Body as a Resource
Emotions are based in our biology. Do you know that "butterflies" feeling you get in your stomach when you have to do something out of your comfort zone? Or the "walking on a cloud" feeling you get when you are excited about something? Our bodies use those physical sensations to communicate to us. Another process of therapy involves noticing those physical sensations, learning how to stay connected with them, and honouring the information our body is telling us.
Making Connections
Once we understand our emotional responses, including the thought processes, actions, and physical sensations associated with them, we are then enabled to connect with ourselves and others in more intentional ways. Therapy provides support for connecting with ourselves, others, and our environment. This empowers us to live our lives with intention through connection with our needs, what is important to us, and what we value.