Sam Kriviak
Counselling
My Counselling Approach
I take a person-centred, experiential, and holistic approach to counselling.
I believe people change through new emotional experiences, and that those experiences start with a respectful and supportive relationship between us. I also believe new experiences are best nurtured
when we make sure to include all aspects of your
life - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual,
social, and relational.
I use tools from many counselling modalities. I work with each of my clients to determine which of these tools are helpful (and which are not as helpful!)
for exploring, growing, healing, and meeting
your goals.
Person-Centred
I trust that people are the experts of their own lives.
I also believe that people are inherently wired for growth and healing, and that they are using the best tools and strategies they have right now to deal with the challenges they face.
When your existing strategies are no longer enough for the new challenges you face (or seem to be causing more problems than they are solving!), counselling offers the opportunity to add new strategies
to your toolkit.
These new strategies add to your original toolkit, so that you have more options for solving your problems and meeting your goals.
Experiential
New strategies are developed through new experiences. New experiences can be subtle, like a new way of experiencing emotions, or big, like a new way of stating your needs in your relationship.
But before we can take in new experiences and start healing and growing, we need to feel safe, accepted, and validated, and build our understanding and awareness of our current struggles.
As a counsellor, I have two jobs. First, I need to work hard to build enough trust and connection with you that you can feel safe, accepted, and validated. Being a witness and an ally is the core of what I do. Second, I need to offer you new experiences that build your toolkit, address your struggles, and allow you
to meet your goals.
Holistic
Counselling works better when we consider your whole self, including your mind, body, relationships, and community!
Counselling is only one piece of the puzzle. While I believe everyone can benefit from counselling, not all problems can be fully addressed through counselling alone. Physical and biological factors often require additional support from other health professionals. Social problems, like oppression, discrimination, and violence, require social change. As a result, I am committed to providing relevant referrals, working with other professionals, and being an advocate for my clients and for a better society.
