Everyone at times experiences stress and anxiety. It is important, however, to seek help if you feel that stress and anxiety overwhelm you to the point of negatively affecting your quality of life. Long-term, chronic stress can be harmful to your physical and mental health. Among common stressors are major life events and transitions, such as marriage, pregnancy, a birth of a child, changing jobs or losing a job, experiencing losses, and many others. In addition to those major life events, routine everyday stresses, such as competitive environment at work or school, conflicts with peers and family members, financial pressures, and health concerns, also contribute to elevated stress levels.

Why is it that people react so differently to stress-provoking events? The answer to that question is complex, as a person's response to stress depends on their core beliefs about the world, themselves and others, which directly affect their perceptions, thoughts and actions in stressful situations. The availability of social support system may also play a part. Our perception is our reality, and, therefore, it determines whether we see our daily events as a threat or as a challenge on our way to success.

Working with a psychologist to uncover those core beliefs that guide our perception will allow you to have a better understanding of your reaction to stressful events and to develop more adaptive ways of coping.

We offer clinical supervision and consultations for providers of psychotherapy. At our supervision sessions we will discuss clinical issues arising in therapy, therapeutic content and process, counter transference, as well as therapeutic approaches and modalities.

Additionally, as a Certified Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy (ACT) and a Founding Member of the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT), Anna Prudovski, M.A., C.Psych., provides specific training and supervision in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels.

The supervision is eligible for Clinical Supervision Hours as defined by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) - both prior to and after the proclamation of the Psychotherapy Act.

Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling, TTM, trich) is characterized by recurrent pulling of hair, resulting in hair loss, in spite of repeated attempts to stop. Hair may be pulled from scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic area, underarms, and other parts of the body. The treatment of choice for the Hair-Pulling Disorder is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), specifically - Habit-Reversal Training, and the Comprehensive Model for Behavioral Treatment of Trichotillomania.

Co-compulsing occurs when a therapist inadvertently reinforces or validates the patient's compulsive behaviors and reinforces the obsessive-compulsive cycle, rather than helping the patient challenge and overcome their compulsions. There are several ways a therapist may be inadvertently co-compulsing with a patient:

Validating compulsive behaviors: A therapist may validate a patient's compulsive behaviors by acknowledging the anxiety or distress they cause and accepting them as a necessary coping mechanism.

Avoiding confrontation: A therapist may avoid confrontation with a patient about their compulsive behaviors for fear of causing more anxiety or distress.

Participating in compulsive behaviors: A therapist may participate in a patient's compulsive behaviors, such as discussing philosophical dilemmas with Existential OCD, talking about pros and cos of a relationship with Relationship OCD, or helping a client to come out as gay in Sexual Orientation OCD, in order to show empathy and support. T

Reassuring the patient: A therapist may offer constant reassurance to the patient about their worries and concerns, which can reinforce the patient's compulsive behaviors and make it more difficult for the patient to challenge and overcome them.

It is important for therapists to be aware of these behaviors and to avoid reinforcing compulsive behaviors in their patients.