Grace Nostbakken MA, CYW, Member CAPT

You are exploring the idea of psychotherapy either for yourself or for someone you are concerned about.  Even people who consider themselves to be relatively strong, successful and happy may go through periods of particular stress or upheaval when they are stretched beyond their own capacity.  At these times, therapy may provide help. 

Therapy may be short term or long term depending on the need and purpose. Help in facing and working through immediate issues such as job loss, retirement, a health crisis or a relationship breakdown may need to be only relatively short term. 

Facing longer term issues such as depression, anxiety, chronic stress, lack of meaning in life, difficulty in handling anger, unhealthy patterns of relationships at work or in one’s personal life may need to be worked with for a longer time.

Usually, therapy begins with the present and the stresses of the present.  Then if these stresses have links to other experiences from the past that haven’t been digested and moved on from, it is helpful to explore them.  These old experiences may go back as far as earliest childhood and one’s first attachments.  They have a deep impact on us and influence how we handle our current life.  They set the pattern for how we feel about ourselves and how we relate to others.  Psychotherapy can help us to understand and break free from any negative patterns.

Many of these patterns stem from old hurts, traumas and losses that cripple a person’s ability to work creatively and to love freely.  People may carry these hurts within themselves for years, never acknowledging them to anyone.  It is one thing to hold them inside and experience them alone; it is another to have these feelings heard, understood,believed and accepted.  The therapist goes with clients to their most desolate, fearful, hopeless places, but also to their places of hope and joy.  This is a healing encounter. 

It can help people to emerge from depression, anxiety and their paralyzing effects.  That in turn can help them to feel deeply, live with greater confidence and gain access to their creative energy and joy in life.

I have been working as a psychotherapist for over twenty years with children, youth and adults.  My training began with my own intensive experience in individual and group therapy and continued with specific training with children and youth, particularly through the use of play and art, in body therapy (reflexology, massage and biodynamic psychotherapy) and in psychodynamic psychotherapy.  My practice has included working with issues such as the following:

• lack of direction or meaning to life
• separation, loss or grief
• loneliness, depression, disappointment, failures
• on-going sexual difficulties
• emotional, physical or sexual abuse
• interpersonal conflicts, relationship breakdown
• emotional upheaval, personal tragedy, trauma
• attachment, bonding
• parenting, adoption
• aging, infirmity long term illness, retirement
• behavioural and emotional issues with children and teens

I founded, coordinated, and for over three decades taught in the Child and Youth Worker Program at Humber College.  I offer private individual clinical supervision to community workers, social workers, massage therapists and psychotherapists in training as well as group supervision to Child and Youth Workers in training.

As an adoptive mother, I have a specific personal interest as well as professional experience in working with children and parents of adoption. I offer groups for adoptive parents who wish to explore some of the emotional issues of the adoption experience.

Please contact me if you wish to explore the possibility of working together.  Here's my map.