Katie Dunnigan Psychotherapy (M.A, R.P)
Holistic Therapy for Eating Disorders, Depression and Anxiety, Burlington, Ontario
FAQ
How Often and Where Do You Meet for Therapy?
I typically work with people once per week, particularly while they are getting used to the process we are using and the practices they need to cultivate between sessions. Some of my clients meet bi-weekly due to practical constraints. As people progress, we space our sessions out further until they feel ready to support themselves on their own. I am a therapist in Burlington, Ontario who is currently offering virtual therapy.
What to Expect in a First Therapy Session?
When we meet for the first time, we will go over your history, explore the issues arising in your life at this time, and get.a sense of how you are using your mind and what you are doing with emotions. It is a time for us to get to know each other, build trust, and discuss what you can expect as we move along in this work. Some people like to examine their personal history in depth, while others prefer to skip the details (for now) and move right into the work. I am flexible in my approach during a first session and can follow your lead or prompt you with questions. I use my intuition and feedback from you to guide the session. We will also begin to explore the practice of Quiet Time (inner silence) that will be an important complement to our work together.
What to Expect in Ongoing Therapy Sessions?
I meet with people either weekly or bi-weekly, depending on availability and preferences. During our sessions, we will spend time discussing how your practices are going, processing any new awareness or issues arising, and explore any ongoing concerns from this new lens you are learning. We will also take time each session to do a page (or a few) from the workbook I use in this process. This workbook was developed by my teacher, Viola Fodor, to guide people to open a deeper awareness, learn about the Self, and explore topics related to inner transformation (e.g. conditioning, emotional processing, introspection, intuition, mental patterns, etc.). The teachings and exercises are set up in a specific way to move you towards healing. On certain days, people need more space to talk and process their experiences, which means that we stay flexible and take pauses from the workbook when necessary. You are always in charge of your sessions and we will work together to ensure you are getting what you feel you need.
How Long Do We Work Together?
Transformative change takes time and cannot be rushed or forced. I work with people long-term, depending on their needs and goals. I do not offer short-term therapy, which requires the use of surface-level coping strategies and willpower. While some people make changes quite quickly in this process, most people take a while to open awareness, slow down internally, and get used to using their mind in a new way. Many resistances show up in the work that we will need to address together. Staying patient and consistent with your inner work is important. Once you begin to see the changes you desire and feel capable of supporting yourself in this new way, we will begin to spread out the frequency of our sessions (e.g. meeting monthly) until you feel ready to end our time together.
How Is This Different From Other Therapies?
This is awareness work, which is a deeper realm than psychological strategies. Some therapies, such as CBT, spot-treat symptoms by selecting a few dysfunctional thoughts and reframing them. This is surface level and often does not create a true shift in perception. It serves a purpose and is useful in some ways for certain people, but is not the same as awareness work. Awareness work looks at how we use our mind in each moment. It addresses the full picture of your life and your way of being. It focuses on slowing down your thinking and stepping out of the analytical mind (as most people have discovered, you can't think your way out of internal problems). It doesn't focus on using willpower to change thoughts, but instead noticing the thoughts in the moment and then letting them go. Some other therapies, such as DBT, focus on coping strategies or techniques to create change. They even use mindfulness therapy as a technique, which isn't connected to its true meaning. Again, this is useful for some people but is different than awareness work. Many of my clients report trying these approaches in the past unsuccessfully. They explain to me that they "know what to do" intellectually but cannot seem to do it. Without a shift in consciousness, following through on coping strategies becomes nearly impossible for people because you have to rely on willpower. Awareness work is a process that can seem abstract at first because we are so used to using our minds intellectually and are so disconnected from this deeper, more natural part of our humanity. We will work together step-by-step to connect to this new way of being where many of my clients find healing. To learn more about awareness work, explore this blog post.
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Ready to quiet your mind and reconnect with your true self?
Contact me for a free virtual or phone consult