Lisa Calder, MSW, RSW, BCRPT
Specialties
Clinical Specialties
While I have offered services in many areas over the past 20 years, the following are ones in which I have special interest, training, and experience to assist you with. Should you have any questions, please book a free consultation.
Trauma
Healing from trauma and integrating your experiences into your life story in a meaningful way are keys to your recovery. Whether you have experienced a single traumatic incident or multiple complex traumas, I am committed to supporting you. As a trauma informed practitioner, I practice in ways that promote your safety, self-awareness, and emotional regulation through hope, support, strength, and resiliency. I will connect with you through empathy and non-judgement. I utilize cognitive and expressive arts therapies from a compassionate framework.
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
Caregivers, front-line workers, and professional helpers are at great risk for experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout. To alleviate such experiences our carers need support, compassion, and professional guidance to recover and prevent future occurrences of such experiences. I know that often due to circumstances out of your control and no fault of your own, your life and work can present you with more stress than you can handle alone. Let me help you figure out what you need now to take care of yourself and work your way back to a place of strength and hope.
Grief & Loss
We all experience losses and accompanied grief in our own way and timeline. My role is to compassionately support you while you walk your path of grief. I will assist you in making meaning of your loss and helping you choose how to go forward with strength and resilience. Narrative and expressive arts approaches are very useful therapies to process grief and loss and promote your growth and healing.
Chronic Illness & Invisible Disability
Individuals who struggle with chronic illness and invisible forms of disability often do not receive acknowledgement and support they desperately need. It can be very lonely at times and feel discouraging. I can assist you to rebuild your life by helping understand how your illness and/or invisible disability impact your life, find ways to cope and enjoy life, with support. People can cope well with chronic illness and invisible disability and have lives with meaning and joy.
Anxiety & Depression
Symptoms of emotional distress affect thousands of people every day. Once someone comes to counselling they often have tried many ways to relieve their distress. I work with people to therapeutically support your ability to process and transform distress and the management of feelings day-to-day. Short or long-term courses of CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) may be necessary. Expressive arts therapies (visual art, collage, writing, music, movement) are also beneficial in relieving intense emotions, finding new ways to cope, and bringing more enjoyment into your life. Compassionate approaches will be used.
Attachment & Relationships
Not everyone has the best start in life. Some have an experience(s) along the way which leads to them struggle with feelings of insecurity and doubt. Our early attachment relationships can have a long lasting impact on us as individuals and on our relationship with current or potential partners. Often times counselling is helpful to resolve and repair feelings of insecurity so you can move forward to safe and healthy relationships. We can work with attachment individually, with couples or families, depending on your particular needs. Emotionally focused therapy, family therapy, and expressive arts therapy are useful.
