Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to get over a phobia of needles/injections?

During my years of working as an Integrative Therapist, I’ve found Emotional Freedom Techniques and Picture Tapping Techniques to be so painlessly effective for phobias including needles, that I provide a warranty.

Phobias are driven by subconscious programming from earlier in life; usually, although not always things experienced or overheard from infancy to age six. These techniques allow the conscious and subconscious mind to collaborate to figure out the “whole story”. Determining if the overwhelming fear or aversion is really needed any more to be safe in this moment.

Instead of papering over the old programming, which is painful and slow, we’re re writing it. This can be done in person or via video/cam using the free and quite secure program zoom.

For further information call 613-747-5458 or 800-361-1370.

Why is EFT Slower On My Own?

Re Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Picture Tapping Techniques (PTT):  When I’m in sessions with you, why do I progress so much more quickly and easily than when I do the same work on my own?

There are a number of reasons.

1) My many years in practice with a great deal of ongoing study in these fields. I’ve had time to hone the knowledge, abilities and instincts to effectively help you gently process and resolve each safe piece of trauma or subconscious belief that doesn’t work well for you.  

2) Powerful intuition backed up by deep understanding and compassion allows me to pin point the questions that lead you to further insights as to what’s been going on behind the scenes in your subconscious mind.

3) Time on my PEMF and brain entrainment equipment before sessions, leaves your body and mind in a more relaxed state. This allows the subconscious to feel safer letting you become aware of life experiences and beliefs which need to be fully processed.  Supporting your conscious and subconscious minds’ ability to collaborate in discovering “the rest of the story” about each issue or part of issue. Remember, the subconscious mind is always trying to protect you the best way it thinks it knows how.

4) Being the client and the therapist at the same time isn’t quite as easy; although still very effective. It’s the same when using these techniques for myself; I’m just as human as everyone else.

Being a skilled and intuitive therapist, I’m seeing and hearing you with fresh eyes. This helps me ask the questions which support you in become aware of what you’re not seeing. Then we can once again use Emotional Freedom Techniques and related methods to resolve the uncovered issues, hurts and traumas. 

Remember. Each negative memory or feeling which appears, is a gift. You haven’t created it. It’s always been there. But once you can feel it, you can heal it. There lies the path to personal peace and emotional freedom.

As a therapist, what do you wish your clients knew?

That their current state is not their identity. It’s not who they are. It’s how they’re feeling. No matter how long it’s been or how many things they’ve tried, there is a key for every lock. Sometimes it takes more than a few different tries to find it.

This is why I felt compelled to offer a warranty in my practice. So many in my long career have felt hopeless or been financially devastated by the search for answers that I felt morally bound to offer that sense of security. To support the courage to try one more time.

I wish not just my clients, but everybody knew that every part of us in intimately connected to every other part. Our minds, bodies, diet, physical activity, sleep habits, memories, family history and the stories we tell ourselves are all inextricably intertwined; even how our genes behave, known as gene expression. Aside from the highly effective Emotional Freedom tools I use to allow the conscious and subconscious minds to collaborate in figuring out the “rest of the story” one safe piece at a time, improving any other aspects of life will support and accelerate recovery and wholeness.

Simply going for a 30-minute stroll outdoors each day provides a surprising number of physical, mental and emotional advantages. There’s no need to be speed walking or going with the intent to “exercise”. Just the act of moving in the outdoors is free, safe and highly beneficial.

Research shows that taking a walk; seeing other people and being seen is beneficial to the deeply depressed; even if no word is spoken. Another study found that just the act of seeking something to be grateful for each day helped those with major depression. Even if they couldn’t identify a single thing to be grateful for, the act of searching helped their mood. Likely by redirecting their focus.

Changing everything at once isn’t practical for most people, but small incremental changes along with healing the traumas, fears and limiting subconscious beliefs can have profound effects.

I wish you all good physical, mental and emotional health.

As a therapist, how you prepare for clients?

As an Integrative Therapist using many aspects of Meridian Energy technologies such as Emotional Freedom Techniques and Picture Tapping Techniques, I take a moment to check in with myself before each new client arrives. Even though I love my work and my success rate is extraordinarily high, I’m human like everybody else.

I might occasionally find some part of me having thoughts such as “I don’t yet know exactly how I’m going to help my client help him/herself this time.” Rather silly, since of course I don’t yet know exactly how to support them before any session since every client and session is different. If I experience this, I use the same techniques I teach my clients. Addressing the subconscious programming causing the feeling.

Then I’m relaxed and ready to be completely there. Fully present for every client and prepared to use whatever tools from my amazing toolbox are best in the moment; without being stuck in my own head. I’m far more effective that way and besides, that’s not what they’re paying me for. 🙂

Helping heads become happier places to live. One person at a time.

My phobia is so bad even naming it makes me feel panicky. What can I do?

In my work as an Integrative Therapist, keeping clients feeling safe is critical.  In a case like this we’d never start by naming the phobia.  That would only come later when it felt completely safe to do so. We’d begin instead with the physical and emotional feelings experienced in that moment in my office. If there’s physical sensation, that’s where we start.  The subconscious mind loves talking about physical sensations. It feels safe, so it’s a painless side door inviting us in.  If emotional only, we start there.  There’s no benefit in trying to push through elements of fear or distress that make themselves known.  Instead, we heal them one by one as we go.

By using advanced Emotional Freedom Techniques, we can teach the conscious and subconscious minds to safely and effectively collaborate.  Re-examining whether any particular moment in time and place is truly safe.  Since every feeling is attached to a belief, as we begin to painlessly resolve the physical sensations one step at a time, we begin to heal the underlying belief or trauma (big T or little t) attached to that feeling. The same applies to the emotional aspects.

Any time a discomfort appears, that’s the next piece to work on and reprocess.  Your subconscious mind is always trying to keep you safe the best way it knows how.  It will only stay engaged in the process if we honour and address each feeling as it comes up; along with its attached belief.

Phobias like any trauma can seem like a big scary peak. Too dangerous to even imagine climbing. In actual fact they’re made up of many small components; like balls of energy in a net.  Each time we safely reprocess the conscious and unconscious understanding of any part of the puzzle, we reduce the power of the entire issue. By the time the subconscious is ready to go to the scariest place, it’s no longer scary. It’s just one more little piece like all the others.

My clients have found this work to be so powerful that I offer a warranty program.

Yours in good emotional health

I'm looking for a trauma therapist. Would you be willing to work with me online?

Yes, I work via video cam where it’s desired for any reason. Zoom is very easy to use and it feels very similar to working face to face. After the 1st few minutes, we hardly notice the computer screen any more.  Feel free to visit my website @ www.ecosyswellness.com for a few videos and contact me if desired. The techniques I use are very gentle yet powerful for both big T and little t traumas. Because so many of my clients have spent decades and small fortunes trying to recover, I also offer a written warranty program for those who commit to six sessions. I’m located in Ottawa Ontario Canada which is Eastern Time Zone.

One technique you can use at any time to reduce your stress levels immediately is to place your thumbs gently near the front of your temples, then using your pointer and middle fingers of each hand gently draw the slightly separated tips from the center of your forehead to the temples.

Why it works: When stressed, the blood flow begins to be diverted from the prefrontal cortex (the area behind the forehead responsible for planning and logic) to the primitive fight/flight/freeze parts of the brain. This makes us feel even less able to deal with life and increases stress yet further. This technique helps bring blood flow back to the logical part of our brain.

It’s no substitute for resolving and healing the traumas, but you may find it quite helpful.

I feel so awkward about starting with a therapist? What can I do about it?

It helps to understand that in my work, there’s no such thing as an inappropriate feeling. Feeling are always attached to beliefs; often subconscious. Sessions start with honouring exactly how clients are feeling at that moment; including discomfort of any sort about starting. We acknowledge and respect the subconscious programming causing the unease, then use Emotional Freedom Techniques to quite painlessly process the feelings until they are no longer distressing. The process is remarkably gentle and allows both me and my client to painlessly ease into the session without discomfort, fear or stress.

It’s a very direct way of connecting the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of each client with over 400 published studies showing gently power of these techniques.