At Healing Works Counselling, we view healing as a complex, inter-dependent system whose parts must work cohesively and synergistically together for the entire system to function optimally. Healing is defined by Webster Dictionary as: “the act of making free of injury or disease; of restoring to original purity or integrity; of regaining health.”

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We believe that healing is a synergy between head, heart, spirit, and hand. Since we cannot heal that which we do not first acknowledge, awakening is a precursor to change. But consciousness alone of what is needed for change isn’t enough. The process of change is not merely a cognitive event.
 

Counter to our culture’s conditioning, the real ‘work’ happens in the body, heart, and spirit ~ not just in the head. This is why unless we enlist the body in service to healing, "talk therapy" alone is often ineffective. Neuro-scientific research in the past decade or so has established that there is a deep-seated connection between the mind and body, on the one hand, and between physiology and emotions, on the other. Because emotions are ‘energy in motion’, repressed emotions represent energetic blocks to our happiness, health, and ability to thrive. Not surprisingly, such blocks cause us pain and suffering; they rise up precisely when they are ready to be healed.
 

Happily, when emotions are systematically channelled, they become portals for self-understanding and empowerment. A deeply experienced emotion can help us dissolve blocks in our energy system. In this way, emotions are gifts to be welcomed, acknowledged, befriended, and understood.

By way of metaphor... Have you ever been out cycling when all of a sudden, your bike’s gear mechanism seizes up and your bicycle comes to a grinding halt? If you’ve ever had such an experience, you have no doubt appreciated that your bicycle’s mobility is dependent upon three things: (i) intelligent design; (ii) continuous cycling motion, and (iii) optimal mechanical operation. If the gear mechanism on our bicycle isn’t operating smoothly, if any one of its constituent parts is ill-aligned to the whole ~ no matter how hard or how long we attempt to cycle ~ our capacity for movement will be compromised. We will remain stuck, stagnant, blocked ~ UNTIL WE REPAIR the faulty mechanism that is the root cause of our impasse.

Similarly, in order for us to feel happy, healthy, and abundant, we need a “mechanism” that allows for unencumbered movement. As ‘energy in motion’, emotions are the mechanism by which we acknowledge, work through, then release any energetic ‘blocks’. What we experience as a block is often the result of suppressed emotions and/or ancestral trauma. Our emotions and spirituality are the critical keys that help to unleash our healing process. These are to healing what grease is to a bicycle’s mechanical gears.

As numerous scientists and researchers have taught, we are energetic beings who vibrate at various frequencies in the quantum field. Every emotion we have vibrates at a different energetic frequency. Renowned physician, author, lecturer, and researcher of consciousness, Dr. David Hawkins, who wrote the book, Power vs. Force ~ The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, created a Map of Consciousness that outlines the vibrational states of our  emotions in units of measurement called ‘hertz’ (Hz). Here it is, attached below:

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This said, we believe that YOU have all of the answers.

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It’s just that when life throws us some curve balls, we might temporarily ‘forget’ our innate brilliance. Ancestral beliefs, familial patterns, and traumas can blind us to our natural wisdom. Cultural norms may encourage us to suppress this wisdom in favour of conforming to the ‘safer’, but far less rewarding, status quo. Often, our self-limiting core beliefs muddle our vision. These beliefs can leave us shackled to our past, limiting our range of possibilities, and preventing us from seeing and believing in our own magnificence.
 

​​Even though you may have expended tremendous energy on your own attempts to resolve whatever is currently challenging you, the truth is that we were never meant to face life’s trials and tribulations alone. As social beings, we grow and evolve ourselves through connection with others. It is in relationship with others that we uncover our greatest strengths, discover our inner courage, and find out the stuff that we are truly made of.

​We invite you to consider that the process of therapy is like embarking upon on an adventurous archaeological excavation, the aim of which is to search for answers that lie within the depths of your inner landscape, and to deepen your understanding of your historical and cultural context.
 

​​We assist you in digging deep down under your bones. We encourage you to be willing to rough up your knees and dirty your fingernails. As we help you scour, scrub, unearth, dust off a layer of dirt and grime, cleaning and polishing the crevices of your spirit, you discover lost treasures and artifacts. We assist you in uncovering parts of yourself that are unknown, that have been abandoned, and are ripe to be reclaimed.
 

​​As trained professionals, we will ask you focused questions to gently encourage and draw out your inner wisdom. With deep respect, empathy, and compassion, we listen for your unique perspective, seeking opportunities to help you re-define and re-frame the issue, always eager to catalyze your strengths. We will encourage, cheer, egg, and incite you on. We will gently and respectfully challenge you, inviting you to take some risks and practice new behaviours that may lie outside of your realm of comfort. We will celebrate and reinforce your every success.

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​The more you have the courage to excavate and unearth your own emotional landscapes, the more you will sow from your harvest and the deeper and richer will the gifts you receive be.

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Disclosures
 

You may feel a whole range of emotions that you may not be accustomed to feeling. You’ll smile a lot, laugh, cry. You will hopefully feel supported in the process of moving through the gamut of emotions you will likely feel. Who knows? You may even have fun! After all, we declare our Healing Works Counselling a 100% safe, non-judgment zone where ALL emotions are welcome.
 

​As you progress through your transformative process, you will learn a lot about yourself. You will grow, stretch, and evolve. You will likely experience various emotional ups and downs. Sometimes, you may feel worse before you feel better. This is a normal part of the therapeutic process. While benefits are expected from counselling and coaching relationships, specific results are not guaranteed. Your therapeutic work is a unique personal exploration and may lead to major changes in your life. These changes may affect others in your world. Some of these life changes could be temporarily distressing. 

 

Client Resistance
 

Make no mistake. This work can be hard. But don't let this scare you from moving forward, as this work can also be rich and transformative! The counselling process often provides a gateway for change, which in turn, can trigger resistance. ‘Resistance’ refers to any opposition to the therapeutic process. It’s a way of pushing back from any suggestions, which could help you solve your mental or emotional health challenges. You may resist the solutions your therapist offers for a variety of reasons. Maybe you tell yourself that you aren't ready. Maybe you say something is unfair. Maybe you tell yourself that your therapist doesn't understand the whole story. In the critical periods of therapy, resistance can appear as unpleasant feelings against the therapy or therapist. Resistance can also present as tardiness or failing to show up for your appointments. You may doubt that the process is effective or working, and you may wish to interrupt or discontinue the therapy process. 

 

On a deeper level, your resistance is a defence mechanism of your ego. It serves as a protection against the discovery and processing of psychic wounds and deep fears which are repressed in the unconscious. It is important that you be aware of resistances. You might forge a contract with yourself to push through your resistances rather than giving into them. Take comfort in the knowledge that, we, at Healing Works Counselling, have a series of effective approaches for working with resistances.
 

​Timing
 

We often say that healing takes time, patience, energy, intentionality, and mindfulness. The amount of time it takes to work through your presenting issue(s) depends upon a number of factors: the severity and intensity of the issue that brings you to them, your level of motivation and receptivity to change, your level of resistance, inner resourcefulness, resiliency, how long the issue has been in existence, etc. We generally recommend that you plan on committing to a minimum of six sessions. In only two sessions, you should get a sense of whether the therapeutic alliance is working for you. Even though you can generally anticipate making considerable progress in six sessions, it is difficult to predict how many sessions you will need, as each person is unique. For this reason, we will negotiate the length of treatment with you, as we assess your progress and discuss next steps with you.

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The Benefits of Counselling for You!
 

As your trusted guides on this journey back to your precious Self, we strive to leave you feeling acknowledged, deeply heard, respected, and witnessed. From this place of deep nurturing, connection, and presence, you’ll discover that anything is truly possible!

In de-constructing your old story and separating your ‘story’ from YOU, the person, we will assist you in re-scripting a new story ~ one with a happier ending of your choice. In being gently guided to re-remember WHO you authentically are, you will reconnect with your Higher Self.

Healing happens as you are witnessed and supported by our nurturing presence and skillfulness, as dedicated helping practitioners. Where there have been feelings of helplessness, bondage, and enslavement, the net result of our therapeutic work together is clarity, a sense of calm, inner peace, serenity, and emotional freedom. You will walk away from your sessions with increased self-insight and self-understanding. You will feel more empowered and confident to experiment with the myriad of tools with which you will now have at your disposal.
 

In this empowered and elevated state, you will be rewarded with expansive possibilities for yourself and your life that were once completely inconceivable, let alone, accessible to you! ​Since we are all relational beings and inter-connected, it stands to reason that, as we each do our own individual healing, we contribute to our planet’s collective healing. As we become more present to ourselves, we then grow the capacity to become more present, loving, empathic, and compassionate towards others.

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The fact that you are standing here on the precipice of change, and willing to be vulnerable, attests to your tremendous strength and bravery in charting the next steps of your journey. We, at Healing Works Counselling, thank you for the privilege of assisting you.

Together, healing happens!

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