Katrina Rodacker MSc, R. Psych, Safe Psychology Inc.

Our playroom has received a beautiful update recently! This is such a comforting and inviting environment, ideal for the younger clients that are needing support.

If you have any questions about therapeutic play, feel free to reach out.

I’m grateful to have completed the Advanced and Enhanced certification of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), to now be a master clinician. ART is a phenomenal form of eye movement therapy to help clients with a variety of concerns including:

Anxiety
Depression
Codependency
ADHD
Birth trauma
Addictions
Performance
Grief
Job relegates stress
Relationship issues/infidelity
Pain management
Mobility
Memory enhancement
Sleep disturbances
Dyslexia
Self-esteem
And more

If you have any questions in regard to the science (magic) of re-wiring the brain, please reach out.

Did you know that I provide therapeutic services for children aged 8+?

Play therapy is more than just playing with a child, but rather the beginning of where change will take place. Play therapy might look like creating art, storytelling, singing and dancing. But it is a very specific form of therapy that can provide lifelong change to a child in need.

Kindness is contagious ✨

✨ Exciting news ✨

I will now be offering direct billing, to the following insurance providers!

*And Alberta Blue Cross*

🤪

Determined to keep trying!
Even if it sometimes looks like this! 😳😂🤣
✌️❤️✨

🌿

The old saying “do as I say, not as I do,” is out.

Children are little sponges taking in every word, behaviour, and nuance from their caregivers.

Imagine the possibilities if you worked on your ability to cope, and it had a positive ripple effect on everyone in the household?

I couldn’t speak more highly of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), after seeing client success after client success. It is an honour to participate in the healing journey. ❤️‍🩹

What happens when you put yourself first?

You might be the best parent you can be.

You might be the best partner you can be.

You might be the best friend you can be.

You might be the best employee you can be.

You might be the best business owner you can be.

You might be the best version of YOU, you can be.

There is a reason every plane rides comes with a reminder, to put your air mask on before assisting others around you.

Did you know that we all have a reproductive story?

This is the narrative we begin creating from a very young age, often when we first begin playing house, and assigning all of our friends roles.

This narrative can be damaging, when what we envisioned doesn’t happen.

Reproduction is one of the most natural things in the world, yet it is complicated for approximately 25-30% of people.

When suffering while trying to conceive, receiving a diagnosis of infertility, miscarriage, still-birth, or traumatic birth, our reproductive story is what can hold us back from processing and moving forward.

Together, we can modify and create a reproductive story that better fits your reality, while allowing you to grieve and feel all that you need to feel.

You do not have to do this alone 🤍

Reasons Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) has the client in mind:

-We don’t need to build rapport first

-It is not talk therapy therefore, you can keep every single detail of your trauma to yourself, if you choose

-There will be a positive impact within 1-5 sessions

-ART can be facilitated over and over again for various concerns, as each experience will be unique

-Due to the rapid nature of the therapy, the financial commitment is less than traditional talk therapy

*Please note, ART can only be facilitated if 3 conditions are met*

1. Must be able to move your eyes, without moving your head
2. Must be able to focus on the same thought for up to one minute
3. Must have a GENUINE desire for change

Did you know there is a difference between anger and rage? This might just sounds like semantics, or it might resonate with an experience that has felt difficult to articulate.

Jennifer Mullan explains it best in her book “Decolonizing Therapy.”

Anger is the byproduct of a primary emotion that may have been repressed or unidentified - this means, it can be managed.

Rage is more intense, and speculated to be the byproduct of past unresolved trauma - it is visceral, and can feel like a hot volcano erupting.

With the help of therapy, we can identify the level of intensity, as well as the best approach to teaching your nervous system to regulate again.

Being in a state of fight or flight doesn’t have to be permanent.

Who would have thought? 🤪

I think most of us know this, but it doesn’t always make it easier to say what is on our mind.

Using Sue Johnson’s Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT), we can build a secure attachment in session, enabling more effective communication.

Feel free to reach out to learn more about the stages of EFT, and how it can help strengthen a romantic relationship.

Accepting new clients for individual, couples, and family therapy!

988.ca

Co-regulation is what happens when we practice our own regulating techniques, that simultaneously help regulate those around us. This is a great skill for parents, that can help teach children to gain more control of their emotional expression.

As a parent/guardian/authority figure it can be valuable for those around us to see us have a moment of vulnerability, to help normalize the human experience, while then modeling how to express it in healthy way.

Regulation can take place through a variety of techniques! Sometimes it is as simple as drinking a glass of water and taking a 5 minute break from the situation.

As the holidays approach, this is the remainder of my availability for 2023. Please reach out if you are looking for support during the next month!

I will be out of the office from December 21st-January 1st.

We have been absolutely blessed to have such a beautiful fall, providing us ample time to prepare for the colder weather and darker days to come.

Winter can be a difficult time for people due to the decrease in daylight and the chilled weather.

What we can do to maintain our mental health and resilience:

1) Take in the ☀️ whenever possible.

2) Stay hydrated!

3) Allow yourself time to take in fresh air - even if for just 10 minutes a day.

4) Travel if possible. Whether it is a trip 20 minutes or 20 hours away.

5) Most importantly, stay connected to your people. In the winter it can sometimes seem more challenging to see those in your life, but this is when connection is of utmost importance.

Let’s stay proactive together 🙌

What you think, you become…

Use this to your advantage 🌿

When it comes to therapy, we might want to see change right away. This is natural, because after taking the step to open up to a stranger and dive into the most vulnerable parts of our life, we expect that courage doesn’t go un-rewarded. However, it isn’t always that simple.

It can often take 6-8 sessions to build rapport and begin the therapeutic alliance. So even if a client is quick to share and trust someone, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the process will go any faster.

Rapport goes deeper than being able to tell a story. And your therapist needs ample information to be able to begin sharing ideas and strategies. Your therapist needs to know you, not just what you have been through.

Change isn’t always quick, easy, or comfortable… But being able to learn valuable skills that are suited specifically for you, could be the difference of being given a bandaid, or lifelong processing and coping skills.

The Postpartum Colouring Book!

The postpartum period can be… trying.

There are many things we can create rituals with such as journaling, meditation, stretching, mindfulness, gratitude, and more. I created this colouring book as a way to help the body regulate and find peace, while embracing our creative side.

A digital download and hardcopy are now available for purchase directly through myself or my Etsy shop. 🤍

https://safepsychologyinc.etsy.com

I am now a preferred therapist with the Breaking Free Foundation. This foundation helps to financially support those who have experienced trauma, have access to psychological resources. To apply for financial support, please see the link below.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c5dd7e9c2ff6166a12c2d57/t/64445b2096519e3f97fcfafe/1682201377157/Application+for+Grant+Therapy+-+2023.pdf

It's Mental Illness Awareness Week in Canada 🧡 ⠀

✨ New policy ✨

Hello all,

This decision has not been made lightly, but effective immediately, a credit card must be provided for new clients to secure their first session. This is being implemented for two reasons:

1. Out of respect for my time, and the time of others.
2. Accountability! Taking the step to book a counselling session can feel scary, so this could be the motivation to now, attend.

Thank you for your support and understanding 🤍

In session, when a client says the word “but,” it is usually after saying something positive.

“I received a great performance review but…”

“I was more in-tune with my baby but…”

“I was more cognizant of movement but…”

“I practiced and found success with a grounding exercise but…”

Imagine how freeing it could be to acknowledge growth and change, without simultaneously searching for flaws. ✨

Couples therapy can be a fit for a couple struggling with various concerns. The most common issues include, but are not limited to:

-infidelity
-financial troubles
-lack of intimacy or passion
-blending families
-difficulty with family in-law
-communication issues

Couples therapy is a safe place to identify the goal of a relationship, whether to strengthen or engage in a controlled separation, and to support both partners with their unmet needs.

Perspective is everything.