Kevin Parker - My Approach

Kevin Parker, MA, RCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor
 
 

 

 

My work with clients begins with the assumption of wholeness. Our work together involves first identifying and then peeling back the veils that prevent us from seeing and being our authentic self, honest and unencumbered by past trauma, shame, guilt or fear.

Drawing from numerous methodologies and traditions, I work to integrate divergent aspects of the psyche and personality by focusing on what is arising in the body and mind in the here and now.

Often, when someone begins therapy, it is out of a feeling of wanting to rid oneself of unpleasant feelings or thoughts. My approach involves inviting in the places in ourselves that are buried or suppressed. I believe that the false personality we have created to cope with the world is a mask that we formed, often as a survival strategy to protect us from early childhood trauma, shame or abuse. As adults the mask no longer serves us but we don’t have the tools to disassemble it and often don’t even know it is a mask. By fully acknowledging and embracing all aspects of ourselves we can learn to forgive and fully accept our being and begin to heal into healthy and honest relationships.

By working somatically or within the body we begin to feel into the places where painful memories or past trauma is locked up. This process is approached gently and respectfully, taking care to hold the client within a safe and secure container.

I have an interest in working with a diverse population which includes adolescents and adults, individuals and couples. I have experience in cross-cultural issues as well as what may come up around sexual orientation and gender issues.

The Artist Within

As children we are free to imagine and create interior worlds through art and play. As we grow into adulthood, creativity and imagination get stifled by the seriousness of grown up responsibilities. I feel that, as adults, we need to learn to play again. On occasion I will use art and imagination to open doors into the psyche. I have found that working with clay, painting and music or drumming can be very useful tools for exploring our inner landscapes.

With an undergraduate degree in film and television production, I have always been intrigued by the power of film to reveal archetypal aspects of human behavior and to be a reflection of the collective unconscious. Using what is known as narrative therapy I will often recommend viewing films as a type of “homework” for clients. I think that viewing films with themes that clients can strongly resonate with can help to facilitate the healing process.