Heather Baker MSW, RSW

Therapist

The decision to begin therapy takes courage – courage to look at and accept what is not working, courage to explore options and make healthy changes, and courage to trust a therapist to help you grow and heal. I will work with you to create the safe environment necessary for you to explore and resolve core issues, and release the thinking and behaviours that no longer serve you. As your therapist, I will help to empower you to create a more meaningful life by transforming your present concerns into solutions for healing and wholeness.

I have been trained in a number of treatment modalities and am able to work with you in whatever ways are most helpful to you. Neuroscience has recently provided proof of the brain’s ability to heal itself, as well as techniques for making real, permanent changes. Many of these techniques are the basis of my practice. Beginning with the proven understanding that the therapeutic relationship can be a foundation for healing, I am committed to a collaborative journey with you.

I am passionate about helping people heal and grow. I have a Master’s Degree in Social Work and am a Certified Trauma Clinician, Certified Concurrent Disorders Specialist, and Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist. I am dedicated to continuing to upgrade my skills and have training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Somatic Processing, Play and Art therapy, as well as in the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping). My current endeavours are further training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and in Perinatal Mood Disorders. I have spent many years working in mental health and addictions, as well as in Correctional facilities. I therefore have experience working with a variety of complex issues. My areas of specialization are grief and loss, trauma, anxiety and depression.

My love for counselling began early in my career when I was fortunate enough to be employed at Kingston Penitentiary in the Regional Treatment Centre. It became evident to me that a person’s behaviour (no matter how extreme it might seem), always made sense given their early childhood experiences and the way they learn to perceive and move through their world. Over the 30 years since that experience, I have worked with many clients with a myriad of issues and have continued to note that we all have a basic need to belong and to feel that we are important to someone. My own experiences with connection, trauma and loss have also been a factor in my professional development. Neuroscience has now proven that our brains are actually wired for intimate connection. Any disruption to our attachment bonds actually alters the make-up of our brains, which in turn, impacts how we are able to respond to our environment. Clients whom have previously been unsuccessful at making changes in their behaviours can experience success when they learn how to understand and manage their automatic stress response, feel into their emotions, and access their “thinking” brains. Showing clients that they can re-gain control of their lives by changing their neuropathways is exciting for me. I look forward to working with you.

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