Cara Boileau (She/Her)

There are certain moments in life where we experience or witness a traumatic event that shatters the foundation upon which we live. We might find ourselves avoiding people or places that once felt safe, feeling overwhelmed by racing thoughts, losing sleep due to haunting nightmares, or even snapping at our loved ones due to unusual mood swings. Post-traumatic stress disorder can make us feel as though we have lost a part of ourselves, but therapy can help us restore a sense of peace and safety.

Anxiety is often painted in a bad light by society, but in reality, anxiety is a survival mechanism. We need fear to keep us alive and out of danger. Anxiety tells us we care. Unfortunately, there are situations where our fight-flight-freeze responses become dysregulated and we engage in thinking patterns that keep us in that fear state, even when we are not in danger. By learning to examine our thoughts, work with our nervous systems, and practice self-compassion, we can retrain our brains.

Grief is a complicated experience. It's not the simple linear process it's portrayed as with easy to define stages and a finish line of "acceptance." It's a blurry grey area, where the past bleeds into the present moment in unexpected and sometimes even painful ways. We seek to heal as if it is a state of being that is achieved, but more often, it is a conscious effort to integrate that pain into who we are and guide us toward a life filled with meaning and purpose.

The word holistic is derived from the Greek word "holos", meaning total or entirety. Rather than focusing on pathology, holistic therapists seek to understand symptoms and/or dysfunction by utilizing an integrative perspective that takes into consideration the whole person (i.e., physiologically, psychologically, spiritually, socio-culturally, environmentally, etc.). Holistic therapy can provide benefits such as improved sleep, improved mood, decreased stress, and improved relaxation.

Humanistic therapy is grounded in the belief that people are innately good. Humanistic therapy seeks to empower clients by building on their existing insights and strengths. It emphasizes the uniqueness of each client and focuses on potential for growth in the here-and-now, rather than focusing on symptoms or diagnosis. Humanistic therapy is effective in treating depression, anxiety, panic disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, addiction, and relationship issues.