We treat using both evidence based treatments of psycho-physiology and psycho-therapy. Psychological problems are sometimes your biology doing what it does. As such we usually require your latest medical check-ups.
We may refer you to a physician if it has been some time since your last check-up. It is important to take care of biological health. For example, hypothyroidism (when your endocrine system does not make enough thyroid hormone) can present exactly like depression. Treating you for depression will not have the desired effect whereas taking Syntheroid or Levothyroxine will.We offer many options to increase your well-being. They include the following:
STRESS TEST
Stress has both a physiological and psychological component. The complexities for both systems are as tremendous as is their overlap. We recommend taking a psycho-physiological approach first. For your stress test, you will be connected to the Biography ProComp Infiniti, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeled biofeedback device.(1)
This will help us to help you understand how your physiology works. Sometimes this is just enough information to get the healing process going. Then treatment can consist of biofeedback, hypnotherapy, NLP, and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Proven treatments based on stress test are for hyper-tension, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), breathing disorders, anxiety disorders, stress disorders (e.g. PTSD), pain, and iatrogenic stress (e.g. stress caused by treatment). There is a strong psycho-educational component to treating stress. This usually requires outside homework.PAIN ASSESSMENT
Pain assessment requires physician oversight. It is imperative to receive a correct diagnosis before treatment begins. We treat several types of pain: tension headaches, migraine headaches, phantom limb pain, and poorly medically manageable Raynauld’s Disease. These conditions are ameliorable with behavioural interventions; whereas, other medical conditions do not respond well to behavioural interventions.
We begin by reviewing your medical history, current and past diagnosis, current medical and other treatments, current health status (e.g. diet & exercise), pain sequela, personal and family stressors, trauma history (if applicable or meaningful), psychological interaction with pain, patterns of referred pain, and more. After basic assessment, individualized goals for therapy are established.
Physician continued involvement may be requisite for treatment. As pain changes, so might medical treatment. Biofeedback, hypnotherapy, NLP or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are treatment options. As with Stress Test, there is a strong psycho-educational component to treatment. This often involves outside homework.
BIOFEEDBACK
Biofeedback is one of the simplest and most effective ways to experience your mind-body connection. You can use your mind to train your brain to train your body! We use Thought Technology’s Biography ProComp Infinti(1) and software interface to teach you how to make gains in health.
Awareness is the key. Then once you get how it works, you have got it! Next, you must practice what you have learned until it becomes habit. This can vary from practicing progressive relaxation, to making changes in your environment, to practicing breathing correctly, and the like.
HYPNOTHERAPY
Hypnotherapy is used to help you heal from the inside out. Pulling from your inner resources and your conscious connections to them can be the bridge to healing and well-being. Deep healing is your birthright as a human being! Although some people practice hypnotism (unethically) for entertainment purpose, our purpose is to help you reconnect to your health. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is usually done in conjunction with hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy, with or without CBT, involves outside homework.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)
When using cognitive behavioural therapy we will take a psycho-physiological and/or psychometric baseline. If no psycho-physiological baseline is taken, psychometrics for depression, anxiety, and/or goal setting will give you concrete and objective baseline information. Our goal in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is to help you notice the differences that make a difference. Then you can implement them in your life.
NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP)
NLP can help you learn how both to use your conscious and unconscious life-choices to become a part of your neurology. Unlock the blueprints of choices found embedded in you!
We use NLP as a tool of Hypnotherapy and CBT. [link to hypnotherapy and CBT] NLP may help with weight management, anger management, phantom limb pain, pain management, simple phobias, anxiety, and much more.
EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychological trauma protocol. It uses bilateral eye-movements with internal representations of past traumatic, benign, and positive personal experiences. It helps integrate (e.g. heal) trauma while benign and positive experiences remain the same.
It is one of the fastest and most holistic therapeutic tools for trauma. Research indicates that healing past trauma gives significant gains in physical as well as psychological health. Healed trauma equals fewer visits to the hospital!(2)
Foot Notes
1. FDA Code of Regulations Title 21; Chapter I; Subchapter H – Medical devices; Part 882; Subpart F – Neurological Therapeutic Devices; Sec. 882.5050
2. Pennebaker, J.W., Kiecolt-Glaser, J., & Glaser, R. (1988). Disclosure of traumas and immune function: Health implications for psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 239-245.