Doris Kieser

Choosing to see a counsellor, any counsellor, can be difficult and might even require courage. It’s OK to be nervous or ambivalent about seeking out help and support. It’s also OK to be happy and relieved.

I like to work from a relational stance. I use methods that encourage clients to recognize their situations and the issues that arise from them, and then acknowledge the emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that are difficult. Because I believe in the integration of mind, body, and spirit, I use a variety of therapies that individually, or together, promote a healthy sense of self and relationship to other.  For example: emotionally-focused, cognitive-behavioural, and body-focused therapies.

I generally like to start where people are at, and work with their strengths and vulnerabilities to create a healthy future. Every person comes to counselling with lived history, which is unique to them. While that history might weigh heavily on a person, it does not need to overwhelm them.  I believe that people are resilient and capable of making their way through difficult situations. My job is to facilitate the strengths of each person as they manage their own lived history, and living moments.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS

What is your favourite quote?

My favourite quote is from Anne Lamott, an American writer, who views the world with insight, compassion, and humour. When speaking about how to get things done, like writing a school report on birds, we need to take it “Bird by Bird.” We take one small step at a time, with patience and, hopefully, with grace. 

What has been the most satisfying part of being a psychologist?

Being a therapist has been an interesting journey for me, particularly in how I have come to see myself over the years. I am honoured that others trust me to work through their most difficult experiences with them. It is no small feat to walk into an office, sit with a stranger, and tell the stories of our lives; it cannot help but change the listener, who is walking the journey with the teller. And I am humbled by how much I have learned about myself in the process of walking with others.