WHAT I TREAT
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Chronic Pain
Chronic pain affects billions of people around the world. Contemporary pain science has revolutionized how we understand chronic pain and the types of treatments we offer.
All pain is real, but all pain is also influenced by a range of factors that go well beyond structural changes or damage to the body. Stress and sleep disruption, for example, are well known contributors to pain.
Recent research has shown that most chronic pain is often the result of learned neural pathways in the brain. This type of pain continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away.
In addition to other pain management techniques, I now offer
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and
Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET). Both approaches are grounded in contemporary neuroscience and have been shown to help reverse chronic pain and other persistent physical symptoms.
Health Behaviour Change
Health behaviour change is difficult - if it were easy, billions of people struggling around the world would have already made the changes they want.
The good news is that proven behavioural techniques can increase the odds of success. Tactics such as personal action planning, habit stacking, and self monitoring have been shown to be helpful yet are widely underused.
I take a practical and personalized approach to help clients succeed with their health goals. No two plans are identical.
I continue the work with clients to celebrate their successes, troubleshoot sticking points, and refine their plans along the way. The key is persistence not perfection and a healthy dose of self compassionate along the way.
Adjustment to Illness or Injury
Chronic or life-limiting illnesses and serious injuries typically have a profound effect on day-to-day life. Physical health, mental well-being, and relationships with loved ones are frequently impacted.
Almost everyone with a chronic or life limiting illness experiences a wide range of emotions. Anxiety, fear, and distress are common. A lot of people have anger, too, or thoughts of "why me?". Sadness and grief are other common responses. Longer-term, living with uncertainty is a challenge that many face.
I draw from my decades of work with cancer patients and their families to offer practical suggestions and skills for navigating successfully through all that illness and injury entails. I help people adjust to their diagnosis, cope with uncertainty, deal successfully with family and friends, and create meaning in their everyday life. I also see family members and other loved ones of people who are ill or seriously injured. Much of my work in this area is derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Grief and Loss
Grief doesn’t just happen when a loved one dies. People can experience grief when they lose relationships, jobs, physical abilities, or any aspect of their identity that is important to them. This is normal.
And grief is more than sadness or longing: frequently, a range of emotions are experienced, coming and going in oscillating waves.
Contrary to popular belief, grief does not follow predictable stages. Instead, people who are grieving tend to move fluidly between several different states within the course of a day or week.
I support people through bereavement and other losses by helping them to acknowledge their emotions, honour what they have lost, create new connections and routines, and ultimately rebuild a rich and meaningful life.
Sleep Problems
Sleep issues are often tangled up with stress, pain, hormones, lifestyle, and mental health — and they rarely resolve with sleep hygiene alone.
Tall Tree's comprehensive
Sleep Program starts with a comprehensive assessment, followed by evidence-based treatment tailored to each person's unique situation.
As part of the Sleep Team, I offer comprehensive assessments, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i), and support for mental health issues that can affect sleep. I also help connect clients to other health professionals who can help with issues such as sleep apnea, restless legs, and perimenopausal sleep problems.
Professional Stress
Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Professional stress is far and away the major source of stress for adults, and it has escalated progressively over the past few decades. Stress and burnout are particularly common among health-care professionals and those working in the financial or tech industries or start-up companies.
Fortunately, a range of approaches can be used to help people manage stress better. My approach usually includes teaching breathing and other relaxation skills, helping clients adopt healthier lifestyles such as regular physical activity and adequate sleep opportunities, and finding ways they can effectively decompress and unwind after work.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health issue, yet most who suffer from anxiety never receive treatment. Anxiety disorders include phobias, panic disorder, health anxiety, and pervasive worry (generalized anxiety disorder).
Anxiety affects body, mind, and behavior - all at once. Physically, people might experience a rapid heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, or a dry mouth. At the same time, they perceive danger or threat, from either outside and/or inside themselves. And they usually change their behavior to avoid feared situations or contexts, which increasingly limits them over time.
Cognitive behavioural treatments have been proven to be highly effective for people with anxiety. This usually involves some combination of relaxation techniques, identifying and changing anxiety-related thought patterns, and eventually, confronting feared situations and contexts.
I sometimes combine cognitive behavioural treatments with other interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy skill development, and mindfulness .
MY TYPICAL CLIENTS
My clients tend to be people who want to take charge of their health and wellness, and who appreciate practical and scientifically-supported treatment approaches.
Please note that my practice is limited to adults only, and I specialize in helping those who are 30 years and older.
Professionals
I see a wide range of professionals in my practice, including those from technology, business, law, government, and academia.
Physicians and allied health
People with chronic illness or chronic pain
Many of my clients are contending with a chronic illness or chronic pain, or they are the loved one of someone facing this type of challenge.