Sarah Fisher

About Sarah

The older I get and the longer I have worked in mental health, the more I have started to appreciate two things.

1. Being a human being is really complicated, messy, and often difficult, and
2. We need the understanding and support of other human beings to be able to cope with it and change the world for the better.

I work as a counsellor because I want to provide that support and understanding, and I want to help people find and reclaim power in their lives, even in the face things they cannot change.

I use a couple of different counselling theories in my work:

Existential Psychotherapy: This is the counselling philosophy I operate in, which says that as human beings we all have to deal with some core problems in our lives, including death, making hard choices, and finding meaning in our lives. There are not easy solutions to these problems, but it is easier to face them bravely together rather than alone.

Social Justice Theory and Critical Consciousness Theory: While we all deal with some core problems as human beings, there are systems of oppression in place that are bad for all of us, and hurt some people much more than others. This includes sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism. Part of healing is learning about how these systems of power impact you and those around you, and how (even in small ways) you can challenge these systems.

Interpersonal Processes Theory: If you have experienced abuse or other kinds of emotional or physical danger, you likely developed ways to survive unsafe situations that are making it hard to live your life when you are safe. Building supportive relationships that meet your emotional needs consistently, whether with a therapist or other people in your life, can help you heal over time from harmful past relationships.

Integrative approach: People are incredibly complex and unique, and there is not a one size fits all type of counselling. Every time I work with a new client we go through the process of figuring out what works best for them, taking tools from different counselling approaches and trying them out to see what fits. I often will use tools or ideas from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and Internal Family Systems, although I don’t use these as my core approach. If a tool that we need is from an approach I have not used before, we can figure out if it is reasonable and safe for me to try it with you. Sometimes I will get supervision from a therapist more experienced with using the tool, and if it is not safe for me to use the tool with you but you need it, we can work together to find you a therapist who can provide what you are looking for.

If you like the sound of my approach I would be happy to have a free 15 to 20 minute consultation with you to see if I am the counsellor for you. I work with people living with depression, anxiety disorders, grief, and who are struggling with problems with relationships, setting boundaries, or just living their life the way they would like to. I work with people living with past trauma, and people in recovery from addictions.

I have specific interest and experience working with disabled and neurodivergent people, including autistic people, people with ADHD, people with intellectual disabilities, and people with progressive physical and cognitive disabilities.

Counsellors often end up specializing, so there are some issues you might be dealing with that I am less experienced or knowledgeable about. If you are interested in working with me but I have not described your situation here, feel free to contact me for a free consultation and we can discuss it further. If we determine I am not the counsellor for you, I have a network of colleagues who I can refer you to, or we can chat about how to find a counsellor that is a good fit. It can take a lot of courage to reach out for help, and I want to make sure you find the support your looking for.

There are a few issues that people can come to counselling for that have associated safety risks, and I do not currently have the training to help people with. They include:

An active eating disorder
Active psychosis
Anger resulting in violence against others

If you have experienced any of the above in the last six months, I am likely not going to be able to provide you with the support you need. However, if you are currently getting treatment from another counsellor/psychologist/psychiatrist for those specific issues and want to work on other concerns in your life with me, we can have a free consultation to see if I can provide what you need.

If you have any questions, or would like more information before booking a free consultation, please feel free to reach out to me by email at [email protected], or visit my website sgfcounselling.ca.