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Helping is your middle name.
You’re an all-around helper
who wears at least 5 different hats at any one time
and you’ve got to pull off some heroic magic before the clock strikes 12.
Do you ever just need to take off this miracle worker role,
break away from the never-ending juggling act and
take stock of what’s really going on inside you?
Well, you’re in the right spot.
That’s where I come in.
Ready for less stress at work
and more meaningful time with your favourite people?
I’m Jamie, and I work with helpers, healers and high achievers serving the greater good who are ready to get to the bottom of their stress, burnout and trauma.
I help everyday heroes, like you, find balance & fulfillment and feel strong from the inside out.
Through therapy, I turn the Inner Critic who hangs doubt on your self-worth into the Guiding Inner Voice who accepts, nurtures and empowers you every step of the way.
With more than 10 years of experience working on the frontline in trauma & vicarious trauma, I’ve provided therapy, training and consultation for the NHS, HM Prison Services, social services, psychiatric hospitals, drug rehabilitation units, specialist psychotherapy services and charities for abuse and addiction, and Trust & Safety + Legal teams in global corporations.
The clients I serve are naturally givers, empaths and humanitarians at heart. I’ve worked with CEO executives, first responders, law enforcement officers, politicians, life coaches and health & wellbeing professionals.
Therapy matched to you.
Shall we move beyond just coping to REAL healing?
Open Yourself to a Helping Hand
Let’s face it. The mindfulness apps aren’t working lately.
And it’s left you wondering if your GP’s recommendation of
6 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy sessions will actually move you further along.
Of course you’re feeling anxious.
It’s not like you can easily stop having such high standards for yourself.
The trouble is you’re good at doing what you love – helping. So you do MORE.
You would rather carry the weight of the world on your shoulders than let other people down.
It’s hard for you to say “no”, to step away from responsibility, to put yourself first.
Without feeling guilty.
Like a double-edged sword
1st edge:
Your job brings you heaps of joy . . .
and S . T . R . E . S . S .
Sometimes this work stress intrudes on your personal life.
And you’re reminded (yet again) to slow down.
2nd edge:
Keeping busy fills the gaps.
Steers away unwanted thoughts + feelings.
So you can stay afloat until you’re caught unaware
by the next wave of unexpected events or emotional tide.
Helping yourself isn't a selfish thing
My counselling clients come to therapy often asking :
How do I figure out this work-life balance thing?
Why am I so hard on myself and never satisfied?
What will actually make me happy?
Why don’t I ever feel good enough?
Who am I, really?
What’s the point?
“Can you actually help me?”
That’s the classic counselling question, right?
FROM ONE EMPATH TO ANOTHER . . .
I know somewhere behind the brave face you’re a Secret Introvert with a soft, sensitive core.
So I’ll be gentle. I won’t push you into picking open those big, ol’ wounds until you have your own set of tools for stitching and mending.
UNDERNEATH THAT RESPONSIBLE LAYER –
You’re somewhat of a Kid-at-Heart – naturally curious and creative with a wicked sense of humour.
That’s why we balance the tough stuff and make equal space for dreaming, laughing, playing and letting go. Because that’s healing too.
LET’S SET THINGS IN MOTION!
By drawing on the Go-Getter inside you with enough courage to take the driver’s seat.
Don’t worry – I’ll be there right beside you, helping you navigate through the bumps. Never grabbing at the wheel or snoozing in the backseat. I promise.
Superhero-ing it day and night is exhausting.
You don’t need to hold it all on your own.
I can help.
By now, you can probably tell . . . I’m not a head-nodding, tip-toeing, blank-screen therapist.
I’M THE KIND OF THERAPIST WHO (WITH MY SLEEVES ROLLED UP) WILL HELP YOU:
Get unstuck
and discover your right path from A to B.
Keep your head under pressure
with a battle-tested mind & body approach to mental health.
Master the Art of Balance
by developing your inner-resources and equipping yourself
with a robust set of mindset tools to cope with stress and crisis.
Become a stronger, more authentic YOU
by expressing yourself honestly and getting what you need off your chest.
Dig deep and pin-point tricky blind spots
so you can stop running around in circles and start making healthier choices
that serve you and your family better.
Heal these hard-to-scar-over wounds
with self-love and self-compassion.
Finally, you can unchain yourself from the past
and start planning ahead for your exciting future.
My Approach to Therapy and Mental Health & Wellbeing
Get the most out of therapy with effective mind & body healing.
The human brain is at its best for learning and healing when you combine both talking + doing.
Let’s balance these serious heart-to-hearts with something nourishing for the mind and body like mindfulness, visualisation, movement, writing, art, story and role play.
Tackle immediate issues that are current and pressing
– and – find personal resolve to bigger issues rooted in the past.
I’m all about distilling great wisdom from our grandfathers of psychoanalysis + latest research in neuroscience, trauma and creative psychology into easy-to-understand language that ‘hits home’.
Feel at ease and welcomed at all times. Your safety is No. 1.
I work in a trauma-informed way.
Meaning – I place greater importance on significant life events and your unique experience over medical labelling and jumping to conclusions.
I’ll be sensitive and compassionate to your needs. Always working at your pace and helping you make room along the way for self-care.
(***In case you’re looking for a direct answer: No, this kind of helping doesn’t require you to lie on a couch).
Talk Therapy + Creative Therapy =
Deeper Healing and Longer Lasting Change
My Story
The unabridged therapist bio (not found on my Psychology Today profile)
Just like you, I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world.
As a first-generation Asian-Canadian, growing up in the outskirts of Toronto was tough. Being a minority, an outsider, in what felt like small-town Canada was challenging.
I was the painfully shy kid who fought my way to a more confident “me” by auditioning at a performing arts school.
I got in. And I survived. Resurfacing not as a lead actress in West End musicals but as a Dramatherapist & Director of my own mental health therapy practice, YTherapy.
Getting the big break was never my end goal. Instead, I found my tribe with other creatives who relished being a little different. That’s when I learned to wear ‘my difference’ as a badge of honour.
I found confidence, strength and belonging through my involvement with drama, theatre and the performing arts.
For me, the creative arts are powerful and can spark change and promote healing.
So I kept following this path of creativity and studied psychology.
- Life experience. Tick.
- 3 degrees. Tick.
- And a whole lotta interesting clinical experience in hospitals, prisons and rehabs. Tick.
Then came the birth of YTherapy.
And just to be sure, you can learn all the nitty gritty details here:
I became a therapist because I wanted to make sure
people are SEEN & HEARD when it matters the most.
MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME:
Whatever your background or circumstance,
you have the power to create your own path and reach your full potential.
I help people recover and discover their hidden gifts by shining a mirror on their strengths.
NO ONE should have to endure the pain of feeling not good enough when they have so much to offer.
Nor should they have to ever apologise for being themselves and speaking their truths.
I believe that anyone who has the courage to look at their vulnerabilities can change the world.
Let’s take the first step together.
Sometimes it just helps to have that outside perspective.
It’s okay to ask another helper for a helping hand.
I would be honoured to be that person.
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