Personal
Philosophy: I believe
counselling is one of many avenues to personal healing. As
a counsellor, my overarching goal is to provide a safe,
nonjudgmental, and understanding environment for personal
exploration and awareness. Ultimately, I believe this
process can result in a more harmonious and trusting
relationship with oneself and, in turn, more fulfilling and
rewarding relationships with others.
What to Expect:
As I view you as the expert
on your own life, I will work collaboratively with you.
Initially, I will be focused on acquiring an understanding
of your experiences, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. I
will then work with you to achieve your goals for
counselling. This process will be different for each
person.
Theoretical
Orientations: I use a
combination of Schema
Therapy,
Cognitive-Behavioural
Therapy,
Emotion-Focused
Therapy,
Solution-Focused Therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. Since I work
collaboratively, this means that you will also be learning
about and identifying concepts that are most relevant to
you and your experiences. Schema Therapy provides concepts
related to how we view others, the world, and ourselves,
and identifies various ways people cope with their schemas.
Schemas influence how we think, feel, and behave.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy focuses on uncovering and
altering distortions of thought or perceptions, which may
be causing or prolonging psychological distress. I draw
upon Emotion-Focused Therapy to help you identify, process,
integrate, and accept the assortment of feelings you are
experiencing and I use Solution-Focused Therapy to help you
identify your strengths, hopes, and goals. Finally, I draw
upon Buddhist Psychology for grounding exercises, such as
focusing on the breath, and alternative ways of viewing our
feelings and experiences.
Areas of
Focus: I offer
individual counselling for adults struggling to accept
their sexual orientation or who are questioning their
sexual orientation. I also offer counselling for
individuals coping with the impact of childhood sexual,
physical, and/or emotional abuse. Some of the challenges
you may be experincing may include depression, anxiety, low
self esteem, anger, shame, substance abuse, disordered
eating, problems with trust and intimacy, difficulties with
assertiveness and identifying your feelings, and a profound
sense of loneliness/lack of belonging.
I Offer a
Free 30-Minute Consultation Session: The overall purpose of this session is
to see if we are a good fit for each other. During this
session, I will ask what brought you to counselling and
what your goals are. I will then provide you with a brief
overview of Schema Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy,
Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. The
remaining time will be for you to ask me any questions you
may have.
Fees:
$90.00 per hour (sliding
scale available).
Address:
Locations in Kitsilano and
Downtown Vancouver.
Office
Hours: Mondays
&Tuesdays, including evenings.
Appointments:
The best way to arrange an
appointment is to call me at 778-990-1825.
If I am unable to answer, you may leave a message on my
confidential voice mail. I will return your message within
24 hours. Alternatively, I can be contacted via e-mail
at gbekar@shaw.ca.
Love After Love by Derek Walcott
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.