Psychotherapy
Hello and welcome.
You have found a safe, confidential space to explore and heal.
Reaching out often is the hardest part of the journey towards better emotional and mental health. By looking for help, you took the first step in this journey.
Any successful therapeutic journey has to have the client’s own individuality and innate wisdom at its core. As such, I work in collaboration with my clients, helping them to discover the wisdom and unique insight that – I firmly believe – we all carry in us.
If you find yourself at a point in your life where something is shifting — a transition, a loss, a growing restlessness, or a sense that things are no longer quite working as they used to — therapy can offer a space to pause, reflect, and begin to understand what is asking for your attention.
This work is not about fixing what is “wrong,” but about exploring who you are, how your experiences have shaped you, and how you would like to move forward.
Who this work may be for:
This work may be meaningful for you if you find yourself:
- feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or disconnected from your life
- navigating a transition, loss, or period of uncertainty
- reacting more strongly than you used to, without fully understanding why
- questioning your direction, purpose, or sense of identity
- longing for a deeper connection with yourself and your life
The Emotional Landscape
What therapy can explore
Managing Change
The only constant in life is change
— and yet it can be one of the hardest things to meet. Sometimes it unfolds gradually, almost quietly. At other times, we sense that something is shifting, but we cannot yet see where it is leading. We may feel caught in an emotional standstill, unable to move forward or let go, as if something in us is waiting for clarity that has not yet arrived.
At times, change comes suddenly — through the end of a relationship, a loss, or an unexpected event — and it can feel as though the ground beneath us has shifted. What once offered stability may no longer be there, and even small decisions can feel overwhelming.
In these moments, it can be difficult to find orientation on our own. With space, reflection, and gentle exploration, a new perspective can begin to emerge — one that allows for both understanding and movement, helping you find your footing again and take the next steps forward.
Self-Exploration & Boundaries
When you say ‘Yes’ to others, make sure you are not saying ‘No’ to yourself. (Paulo Coelho)
At some point in life, many of us find ourselves asking: Who am I, really? This question may arise in times of change, or simply as a quiet sense of restlessness or dissatisfaction. We may begin to notice that the roles and identities we have taken on no longer fully reflect who we are. By turning inward — toward our values, desires, and inner sense of self — we can begin to rediscover what feels true. Learning to set clear and compassionate boundaries can then help bring our relationships into alignment with this emerging sense of who we are becoming.
Fear and Anxiety
Fear is a natural and important part of being human. At its core, it serves as a signal — alerting us when something feels unsafe or when our boundaries may be overstepped, whether physically, emotionally, or internally.
At times, however, fear can become constant and overwhelming, shaping how we move through the world. What once served as protection can begin to limit us. In therapy, we work with both the immediate experience of anxiety and the deeper patterns that have shaped your relationship with fear over time.
Fear may never disappear entirely — and it does not need to. But it is possible to develop a different relationship to it, one in which it regains its original role: offering guidance and awareness, rather than holding you back.
Loss & Grief
Loss is a natural part of life. Endings and beginnings are often intertwined, even when it is difficult to see that in the moment.
Yet grief is not always given space in our lives. It is often rushed, minimized, or misunderstood. In reality, grieving is a deeply personal process that cannot be forced or measured. It unfolds in its own time, allowing memories, feelings, and questions to emerge as they need to.
Loss does not only come through death. It can arise through changes in relationships, roles, health, identity, or direction in life. In therapy, there is space to meet these experiences, to grieve what has been lost, and to gradually find a way of living that includes both what was and what is becoming.
Recurring Life-Patterns
“I did it again… Why does this keep happening?”
At times, we begin to notice patterns repeating in our lives — in relationships, at work, or in the way we respond to certain situations. What once felt like coincidence may start to feel familiar, even predictable.
These patterns often point to something within us that is asking to be seen and understood. Exploring our part in how they are formed and maintained can be challenging, especially when our thoughts and reactions follow well-established paths. In therapy, there is space for honest reflection and gentle exploration, allowing new ways of understanding and responding to emerge.
My Approach to Psychotherapy: Soul-Spirit Integration©
Psychotherapy is Soul Healing
— a journey toward the Self that asks us to move through the darkness, not around it.
Each person is a unique system, with their own temperament, experiences, and history, and their own place within a larger social and cultural environment. I believe that we seek healing and change when we feel disconnected from this whole. It is then that we pause and begin to observe our lives with greater clarity and honesty, becoming curious about our patterns, reactions, and experiences.
In this way, true change unfolds: we move toward greater awareness, balance, and connection — both within ourselves and in relation to the world around us. We begin to encounter the living paradox at the heart of this work: by turning inward, we become more fully part of the world, and by engaging the world, we come to know ourselves.
Drawing from psychodynamic and transpersonal therapy models, as well as anthroposophy, I offer a calm, grounded, and compassionate space for this exploration. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. Often, understanding emerges through the process itself — through conversation, reflection, and, at times, working with the body, imagination, or creative expression.
The process begins with a short introductory meeting, where we explore your questions and get a sense of whether working together feels like a good fit. In the first sessions, we take time to understand your story and what is unfolding in your life. From there, the work develops in a way that reflects your needs, your pace, and your circumstances.
In our work together, we explore your inner world as well as the mirrors offered by your relationships, your environment, and your life story. As awareness deepens, you may begin to relate to familiar patterns differently and, over time, choose new ways of being that feel more aligned and supportive.
At the core of this work are curiosity and respect.
My Part
I work with an integrative approach, drawing from client-centred, psychodynamic, and transpersonal psychotherapy. I see my role as a guide — holding a light as you explore the less visible parts of your life and your Self.
I can offer perspective, ask questions, and help you find orientation when things feel unclear or overwhelming. I can walk alongside you as you meet difficult insights, transitions, and decisions. But the path itself is yours. You are the expert of your own experience, and my role is to support you in rediscovering the wholeness of who you are.
Your Part
This work tends to resonate most with those who feel a curiosity about their own life — a willingness to look inward, to question, and to meet themselves with honesty.
You do not need to have clarity at the beginning. Often, it is through the process itself that understanding begins to take shape. We move at a pace that reflects your life, your readiness, and what is unfolding for you.
Each person’s path is different. Together, we find a way forward that feels true to who you are becoming.
Ways we may work together
Depending on your needs and preferences, our work may include:
Conversation and reflection
Open, non-judgmental dialogue to explore your experiences, thoughts, and patterns.
Body and felt experience
Attention to physical sensations and emotional responses to access deeper layers of awareness.
Imagination and creativity
Guided imagery, drawing, or symbolic exploration to engage parts of your experience that are not easily expressed in words.
Inner parts and patterns
Exploring different aspects of your inner world, including conflicting thoughts, feelings, or roles you may carry.
Dreams and life story
Working with dreams and your life history to uncover meaning, connections, and recurring themes.
Spiritual perspectives (optional)
If meaningful to you, we may include meditation, contemplation, or other spiritual perspectives as part of the process.
All of these approaches serve the same purpose: to support you in developing a deeper understanding of yourself, reconnecting with your inner resources, and finding a way of being in the world that feels more aligned and whole.
Possible Session Formats
In-Person Sessions
In-person sessions are conducted at my home office in Cookstown, approx. 15 minutes south of Barrie. The office is located on the upper floor of the building, and is only accessible via a staircase.
Since I work from a home office I don’t have a waiting room for clients. You are asked to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before your session. A sign on the door will alert you if I am still with another client at the time of your arrival.
Clients may park on the west side of the driveway (right, close to the front deck and main entrance). Especially during the winter months this is recommended to facilitate snow clearing efforts.
Online Sessions
Stressful and busy agendas, great distances, and heavy traffic all seem to make it perfectly natural to have a therapy session online in the safety and comfort of one’s own home. And sometimes online therapy is the perfect solution for those who truly have a difficult time connecting in person with their therapist.
However, online therapy has some unique challenges that need to be understood and addressed in order for it to be safe, effective, and satisfying for the client.
1: Confidentiality and Privacy Issues
Online work is inherently unsafe. Computers can be hacked and conversations that are conducted via satellite connections can be interrupted. In order to provide my clients with the highest possible privacy and confidentiality assurance, I do not conduct online sessions via Skype or any other online platform.
I offer online sessions through a secure web host. NousTalk provides medical professionals in North America with a platform for online consultations that comply with the stringent privacy requirements formulated by governments. SecureVideo is PHIPA and PIPEDA compliant.
In order to use this platform, clients are required to download SecureVideo’s software on their computer. This is a one-time activity that is relatively easy and very well described when the first online session is booked. Reminders are sent to the client via email before the session. A computer with a camera and a good sound system (or headphones) is required for online therapy to work.
2: Private Space and Focus
Some of the very advantages of doing therapy from your home can also become stumbling stones for successful therapy. Yet it is easy to create the environment at home that will support your emotional, psychological and/or spiritual work during your online therapy session.
- Create an interruption-free zone. Close the doors to the room where you are sitting. Let family members know that you can not be interrupted. Arrange for a babysitter for the kids. Turn off the house phone, radio, TV, etc. in your “therapy room”. And disable alerts and notifications for emails etc. on your computer.
- Get comfortable — but not too comfortable. Find a comfortable place where you can sit at the computer without getting stiff or twisting your body. However, treat your session like you would treat a session with your therapist in the room.
- Keep the sound down. If sound carries in your home, consider using headphones so that you can be sure that your family members aren’t overhearing parts of your session.
- Stay hydrated. Set up a cup of tea or a glass of water before the session starts so that you don’t get unfocused when / if you get thirsty.
3: Emotional Support
Deep emotional work can be difficult in online therapy. Without the support of another human being in the room, some people feel too vulnerable or are worried that they won’t be able to keep themselves ‘safe’ when they let go emotionally. On the other hand, some people allow for more emotional “letting go” if they aren’t facing their therapist. Either way, there are some ways to provide emotional support during and after an online session that may be worth considering.
- Keep the Kleenex close. Make sure that you have tissue paper close at hand during your session.
- Book extra time. Allow for an extra 10 minutes after the session to decompress and collect yourself. If you were visiting your therapist’s office, this would be the time you’d spent getting home.
- Have your journal at hand. Like after an in-person session, journalling can help sort through and normalize some emotions that have come up during a session.
- Get help if needed. Again, like after an in-person session sometimes it may be best to call a friend or to go for a long walk in order to let the emotions settle slowly.
4: Technical Set-up
The thing getting most often in the way during online therapy sessions is technology: the headphones don’t work, the computer freezes up, the camera dies, etc. If something breaks or stops working during a session there isn’t much we can do. I develop an alternate plan for such situations with each client before we start working in online therapy. Alternatives may include finishing the session by phone or rescheduling for a later date.
In order to avoid unnecessary complications, please ensure that your technical equipment works as best possible. Try out the headphones and the camera, charge up the batteries of the laptop. And please download the software from SecureVideo well in advance of the first session to avoid last-minute complications.
Phone Sessions
Under certain circumstances, such as bad internet connection, prohibitively long travel time, or lack of privacy at home, sessions may be conducted via the phone.
Telephone therapy has several advantages, much like online therapy (please read the text for Online Sessions for details about preparing for your session).
One of the biggest disadvantages of telephone therapy is the lack of visual cues. However, with a little extra effort, telephone sessions can provide a valuable and effective way of conduct therapy.
Walk-and-Talk Sessions
Some things are better talked about when we move. Movement can help us release our frustration, give us direction in our confusion, or settle our anxiety. Especially walking in nature can help loosen our thoughts and relieve our fears, offer reflective moments, and make quiet consideration and contemplation easier. More than that, walking can help us reconnect to nature and beauty in the world and it adds some exercise to our daily routine.
Therapeutically speaking a walk in a natural or semi-natural environment can help with some symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduce stress, and increase overall well-being.
With these thoughts in mind, I am offering walk-and-talk sessions. Dogs can be brought to walk-and-talk sessions but have to be kept on leash during the walk. Dog owners need to understand that the intensity of the focus on their work may suffer when they bring their dogs.
Session duration is the same as for regular sessions, and sessions are charged the same fees. Sessions begin and end at the office. This allows for last-minute changes to plans, e.g. with inclement weather conditions presenting last minute. The main difference between regular sessions and a walk-and-talk session is that during the latter we will walk for about 45 minutes at a pace that is set by the client.
There are some issues that are not appropriate for walk-and-talk sessions:
- deeply emotional issues
- acute crisis
- deeply personal issues
- shame issues
- other issues that may be determined individually
Should any of those issues be the theme of a client’s session plan, walk-and-talk sessions would not be encouraged. Should any of those issues arise during a walk-and-talk session, client and therapist together will decide on the best continuation of the session.
Requirements for walk-and-talk sessions:
- indication that a walk-and-talksession would be preferred upon booking
- wearing appropriate footwear
- personal understanding of physical fitness level to accommodate a medium-speed walk
- carrying appropriate weather gear (sun, cold, rain, wind protection)
- carrying water or snacks as desired
- willingness to be flexible in arrangements if weather or circumstances require it
- if dogs are brought to a walk-and-talk session:
- keeping the dog on leash throughout the walk
- “poop and scoop” compliance
- consideration of alternative options in case of a change of plans
- understanding of the dog’s suitability for such a walk experience
Moving forward
Each person’s process is unique. The pace and depth of the work depend on many factors, including your life circumstances, your readiness for change, and your engagement in the process.
If you are curious about whether this work might be right for you, you are welcome to book a short introductory meeting.
It is an opportunity to ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and explore whether this feels like the right next step for you.
Sabine Cox, RP
If you have questions, send me a message – or set up a free first meeting of about 30 minutes, so that we can meet, talk about your goals for your work, and see if we are a good fit for it.
(416) 889-5291
7 Selby Street, Cookstown, ON L0L 1L0
sabine@sabinecox.com