Dr. Fishman’s Approach to Therapy

Therapy is a different type of dialogue than one you might have with your friends, family, or partner.  In fact, therapy is a conversation unlike any other. It affords you the opportunity to examine, understand, and change your life. And you get to do that in a place of unconditional acceptance, support, and trust. We often find ourselves engaging in the same patterns of behaviour, responding to situations or experiences in a rather predictable fashion – even when we recognize that these ways of behaving are not helping us. Therapy is that place where you get to change this – by working together with your therapist. In fact, the relationship between you and your therapist has the potential to be incredibly transformative. It’s not surprising then that research has consistently shown that the quality of the client-therapist relationship is a reliable predictor of a successful treatment outcome.

Therefore, my approach, first and foremost, is to provide you with a non-judgmental, compassionate, safe, and supportive atmosphere to talk about the issues that matter most to you. Therapy is much like teamwork in a sense. I will strive to provide you with an atmosphere where you feel comfortable to discuss any issues of importance to you. Together, we will then identify your goals for therapy and develop specific strategies and tools for managing any distress or unwanted emotions you may be experiencing. My goal, however, is not only to help you implement these strategies and develop new skills to approach challenges in a healthier way, but also to guide you in gaining a different perspective of yourself and your patterns of behaviour. Throughout this process, I will encourage you along the bumpy path that is often necessary to achieve permanent change. In due course, effective therapy not only relieves your suffering and distress, teaches you new skills and tools, but also guides you along a journey of personal growth and change, and ultimately empowers you to have a sense of mastery and confidence in the way you approach life and its challenges.

My actual approach to therapy is integrative, while grounded in evidence-based methods. While my primary approach to therapy is cognitive-behavioural, I draw upon different treatment approaches so as to provide a client-centered intervention that is guided by my client’s current symptoms and by evidence based practice.