FAQ

Most psychologists will have similar training in terms of how they diagnose and treat various mental illnesses. Research has consistently shown that the relationship between the therapist and client is one of the best predictors of improvement from therapy. It is important that you feel safe with your therapist – that you are comfortable enough to open up to them about what is difficult for you, and that you trust that they are able to help you get better. To help you decide if therapy with Sarah may be helpful for you, Sarah provides a free 15-minute phone consultation, so you can assess whether you want to begin working together. If you do not feel you and Sarah are good fit, she may recommend other services or therapists who may be a better fit.

The first session, or “initial assessment,” with Sarah is longer to accommodate a comprehensive assessment. Sarah will go through consent procedures and make sure you understand confidentiality and its limits, as well as the potential risks and benefits of individual psychotherapy. She will then get to know how you are doing in a variety of areas of your life, including your health, relationships, and work. This thorough assessment is crucial as it provides the foundation for effective treatment planning.

Individual psychotherapy with Sarah typically feels a bit like a conversation with a good friend, who you can trust is asking questions to help you better understand what is going on for you, and is well trained to provide insight regarding change that will improve your well-being. Sarah helps guide the conversation to areas of your life where you experience dysfunction or discomfort in a way that is not overwhelming. As we approach important areas of your life where you are experiencing difficulty, you may experience anxiety, shame, and guilt. Anxiety-regulation is built through awareness of early signals of anxiety, development of new skills to help regulate anxiety in the moment, as well as working through the underlying causes of the anxiety, shame, and guilt.

In looking for a therapist, you have probably read through a few bios and, at times, wondered what are all of these abbreviations and what do they mean? Different models of therapy (e.g., CBT, ACT, APT) are grounded in different theoretical understandings of how illness develops, is maintained, and should be treated. When working from a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) model, a psychologist more heavily focuses on how cognitions, or the different thoughts that you have, may be distorted and how those distortions relate to problems you may be having. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes mindfulness (i.e., non-judgmental present awareness) and connection with one’s core values. Short-term dynamic psychotherapy can encompass a few different models of therapy – Affect Phobia Therapy (APT) understands illness as a function of difficulty in experiencing and adaptively expressing our core emotions – like anger, or grief, or love – which often become inhibited by anxiety, guilt, and shame. These inhibiting affects typically then result in a range of behaviours that create problems in one’s life. Some psychologists strictly adhere to one model of psychotherapy, whereas others will integrate what they have learned across multiple models, allowing them the capacity to tailor the intervention to you based on what you may need.

It is important you feel comfortable speaking openly with your therapist, and what is discussed in therapy remains confidential between you and your therapist. There are important limits to confidentiality to be aware of, including instances where there is imminent and serious risk to an individual, whenever a child is at risk, or when required to do so by law.

Therapy can be an important investment in your wellbeing, but can also be financially inaccessible for many.

Various organizations in Calgary provide free or low-cost therapy services, including:

Calgary Counselling Centre: https://calgarycounselling.com/

University of Calgary Psychology Clinic: https://arts.ucalgary.ca/psychology-clinic

Affordable Therapy Network: https://affordabletherapynetwork.com/affordable-counselling-calgary/

Sarah has limited spots on her sliding-scale caseload, which provides a reduced rate for individual therapy based on your financial means. To inquire about sliding scale services, please contact Sarah at drsarahhines@gmail.com.