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Written by Michelle Sorensen, registered clinical psychologist and founder of Resiliency Clinic in Ottawa, on the therapy approaches we use most: CBT, EMDR, and ACT.
Most people who reach out are not sure what kind of therapy they need. They have heard of CBT, maybe EMDR, and they want to know which approach is right for them. That uncertainty is normal, and you do not have to figure it out before you start. At Resiliency Clinic, we use a range of therapy approaches in Ottawa, matched to the person in front of us rather than pulled from a formula. We draw on evidence-based methods, then tailor them to what you bring and what we notice together in the early sessions.
The therapy approaches we use at Resiliency Clinic
Therapy is individualized. We pay attention to what you are interested in or have asked for, and we bring our own clinical read of what is going on. Some clients arrive asking for a specific approach because a doctor suggested it or they read about it online. Others have no idea where to start, and figuring that out with you is part of our job. Either way the work is collaborative. You and your therapist are a team deciding what to tackle first, and we ask for your feedback as we go so we can adjust to what is actually helping.
The three approaches we lean on most are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Many of our clinicians blend them depending on the person and the problem.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is often where we begin, in both individual and group sessions. It gives you and your therapist a clear framework for understanding a problem and deciding, together, what to work on first. Dr. Aaron Beck founded the approach, and in my early years of practice I trained extensively with Dr. Christine Padesky and Dr. Brian Shaw, two psychologists Dr. Beck mentored directly. I care a lot about helping other therapists and clients use this approach well.
We use a five-part model to map a problem: thoughts, moods, behaviours, physical symptoms, and your general environment. These all interact, so a change in one can move the others. For someone who is depressed, the first step might be behavioural, like going for a walk or keeping a routine, to steady the mood before working on thoughts. For someone who is very anxious, it might mean balancing thoughts before changing a pattern like avoidance. Every person and every problem is different, so the place we start is too.
CBT is not positive thinking. If you are anxious at work and telling yourself “no one likes me,” we do not swap that for “everyone likes me.” We look at the evidence and land somewhere more believable, something closer to “I am generally well liked, and I will never be able to please everyone.” Balanced, not bright-sided. Our thoughts and moods are complicated, and yet change can be simple. A little bit better is still better. We start with realistic goals, build on each success, and watch clients develop skills that outlast therapy itself. It is a real honour to see that growth.
We also teach CBT in our group program, the Resiliency Bootcamp, using Mind Over Mood by Dr. Dennis Greenberger and Dr. Christine Padesky.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is for memories that get stuck. Sometimes the brain cannot process a difficult experience in a way that lets you move on, and it leaves you with distress, anxiety, or negative beliefs that follow you into the present. EMDR helps the brain reprocess that memory so it loses its grip.
One reason people choose it is that you do not have to describe the event in detail for it to work, which matters for anyone who finds the words too hard to say out loud. You also do not need a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis to benefit, since you can carry traumatic stress without one.
We have a number of therapists trained in EMDR. You can read more about EMDR therapy in Ottawa on its own page.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT takes a different angle. Instead of working to change a difficult thought, it helps you change your relationship to it. The idea is that we suffer more when we get tangled in our thoughts, or spend our energy trying to push uncomfortable feelings away. ACT helps you make room for the hard internal stuff while still taking action that lines up with your values.
The core of it is learning to notice your thoughts and feelings in the present, unhook from the unhelpful ones rather than fight them, accept difficult emotions instead of avoiding them, get clear on what matters to you, and take committed steps toward it. The goal is psychological flexibility, the capacity to stay present, adapt, and keep moving toward a meaningful life even when things are hard. That is close to how we think about resilience. Resilience is not brute strength, it is psychological flexibility, the capacity to adapt and bend rather than break.
ACT and CBT get compared often, so here is the difference. CBT looks at a thought and asks whether it is accurate, then works toward a more balanced version. ACT looks at the same thought and asks whether holding onto it is helping you live the life you want. A client who thinks “I’m a failure” might, in CBT, weigh the evidence and arrive at a fairer perspective. In ACT, that same client learns to notice “I’m having the thought that I’m a failure,” see it as a mental event rather than a fact, and act on their values anyway. Both can be effective, and many of our therapists draw on both, depending on what helps you. We try things, ask what resonates, and keep what works.
Finding the right approach for you
You do not have to know which of these you need. Every new inquiry at Resiliency Clinic is read personally by registered clinical psychologist and founder Michelle Sorensen, who matches you with a clinician suited to what you are working through and the approach most likely to help. From there it stays collaborative. We try things, ask for your feedback, and adjust. That back and forth is what helps clients build skills they can use on their own, so over time they lean on therapy less.
Resiliency Clinic is bilingual therapy clinic based in Ottawa, serving clients in both English and French. We see clients in person and by secure video across Ontario and Quebec.
If you are not sure where to begin, you can book a free 15-minute consultation. It is a low-pressure way to ask questions and get a feel for the work before you commit to anything.
This post is not a replacement for professional psychological services.
