Jason Koenigbaur,
Registered Psychotherapist

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a short-term, structured form of psychotherapy that focuses on the client's present. In this model of therapy, the clinician and the client work as a team to identify the client's dysfunctional and distorted thoughts and beliefs, and both challenge and modify those thoughts and attitudes. Using this model, the client is educated on the relationship between his or her thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Current research supports the use of CBT for the treatment of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance abuse, and personality disorders, just to name a few.

During CBT, the  therapist will identify and challenge a client's negative thought patterns. The therapist  will also help the client understand the impact those thoughts have on his or behaviour and feelings. By doing this, the therapist  and the client will be able to come up with alternative thoughts that lead to more positive feelings and behaviours.

Integrating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with Clinical Hypnosis offers a powerful combination of these treatment strategies. Studies have shown Clinical Hypnosis can enhance Cognitive-Behavioural Treatment and treat trauma. (Hammond, 1994; Lynn, Kirsch, Barabasz, Cardena, & Patterson, 2000). Research is also demonstrating that hypnosis is a useful tool for the treatment of anxiety, depression and fears. Clients whose issues may fall into the areas of psychological problems, habit change, or performance enhancement, may benefit significantly with hypnosis.  Clinical Hypnosis enhances cognitive and behavioural therapies.  It can be thought of as the glue that holds together the different aspects of treatment. 

It is important to note for clinical treatment of depression, anxieties and fears that a light hypnotic trance will suffice. The majority of the population drifts in and out of a light trance throughout the day; for example, when driving to a familiar location or becoming absorbed in a movie or a book. 

Clinical Neurofeedback refers to the combination of Psychotherapy and Neurofeedback.

Both interventions aim to help clients understand their mind and their brain. Neurofeedback is an intervention that uses the brain’s capacity to change in order to regulate the brain's electrical activity. It is a direct way to train the brain to improve its function and to regulate symptoms. Psychotherapy helps the client process and assimilate information, thereby becoming complementary to Neurofeedback.

During a regular Neurofeedback session, three or more electrodes are placed on the scalp in specific areas of the brain, where one is actively training and others are placed to act as references and poles. A state-of-the-art electronic equipment allows clinicians to amplify frequencies in a computer interface setting, helping clients to receive instant feedback of the brain wave frequencies. Through the process of operant conditioning, clients will learn to retrain their brain to achieve more of the desires brain waves in specific areas and reduce them in others.

Gestalt Therapy: Positive Personality Change through Dialogue with Parts of Self 

Gestalt therapy works to resolve the inner conflicts blocking individuals from growing and moving forward in their potential. I help clients understand the inner blocks and their origin and resolve them through the completion of 'unfinished business.' In addition to becoming more aware, the client can expect to connect to their inner resources, expand their emotional range and creativity ,and reclaim parts of self that have been disowned. Gestalt is an experiential psychotherapy. It places emphasis on a relationship of contact between the therapist and client, emphasizing the mind-body connection, and focusing on issues as they arise in the present-moment. Gestalt methods and intervention work towards reduction of distressful symptoms, creative ways to approach life’s problems, and fosters personality integration.

EMDR is a scientifically validated therapeutic protocol for overcoming trauma. EMDR utilizes “bilateral stimulation”, i.e., sensory stimulation alternately on both sides of the spinal cord to release traumatic material from the brain in a way that makes it workable. Traumatic images locked in the brain are unprocessed and consequently turn on the “fight, flight or freeze” response. EMDR helps to release these traumatic images and transforms them into memories that no longer have a deleterious hold on the individual. EMDR is an evidence based therapy for the treatment of PTSD and has been shown to be effective for anxiety, phobias, depression and addictions when these issues originate in trauma.

Clients who have experienced childhood traumas that have impacted their sense of safety and capacity to form close relational bonds in adulthood need a modification to the standard EMDR protocol. These injuries can include physical and sexual abuse, early losses, neglect, birth trauma, medical trauma, parental drug and alcohol abuse, and caregiver neglect. Children with traumatized parents can also take into their neuro networks the parents pain, distress and dysfunctional belief systems. Additionally, children who need to adopt a "false self," in order to repress feelings and emotions, or who needed to: adapt to the needs of their caregivers for attachment, can also benefit from AF-EMDR. Attachment wounds and developmental deficit are healed through the installation of attachment based emotions in the neural networks of the brain. As the healing process progresses, clients will have the ability to regulate distressful emotions, resolve the attachment wound, and establish deeper connections.

Release addictive behaviour and compulsions. A new short-term therapy that breaks behavioral addictions and eliminates the urges and cravings of substance addictions. The FSAP breaks the fixation between feeling and behavior. This fixation is the cause of addictions. By identifying the exact feeling and behavior, the fixation can be processed using a modified form of the 'EMDR protocol' Once the fixation is broken, there are no further cravings or urges that have to be controlled or behavior that has to be managed. In fact the person is able to perform the behavior as appropriate.

Image Transformation Therapy:  Releasing Pain & Fear Somatically From The Body 
Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT) is a break-through treatment used to treat trauma, depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, and relationship dynamics.  A gentle therapy, it can help to to release pain, fear, guilt, shame,  of trauma and other experiences without the need to intensely experience the feelings.   Based on a visualization and breathing protocol, pain, fear and other distressing emotions can be released directly from the body and disturbing images and memories neutralized. People who have undergone ImTT therapy speak about the profound changes that have occurred in their lives.