How I See It
My goal is simply to help people feel better — less fear, more peace and happiness, greater satisfaction and fulfillment.
We often know what isn’t working in our lives and how we would like things to be, but we fall short on making it happen. The familiar roads and strategies we’ve used to cope are now fraught with potholes, sinkholes, detours and dead ends. Around we go, often frustrated and back to square one. Many of us recognize our patterns and even have a pretty good grasp of where they come from. Yet we remain stuck.
An intellectual understanding is a great and often necessary beginning, but it isn’t enough for lasting relief from our distress. There is often a deep disconnect between what we know in our heads, and how we feel and what we say and do.
To my mind, improving things — healing our minds and our hearts — always involves some kind of change. And to successfully make those changes, we need to look carefully at 3 things:
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What we think
Our attitudes, beliefs and the very subjective interpretations we assign to the events in our lives and the behaviour of other people shape our feelings and determine our responses. Getting a handle on our thoughts and learning how to observe and evaluate the impact of what we think on how we feel and what we do are essential to making effective choices.
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What we feel
Feelings constitute the heart of change. We can’t create lasting change without attending to the emotional pieces. It just won’t happen. We can only strive, push through, rise above and positively affirm for so long. The lasting change we seek lies in our ability to accept the natural and normal feelings that accompany every aspect of our lives and that will inevitably accompany change. We need to be able to feel whatever there is to feel, move through it and let go. There are no shortcuts. -
What we do
Our thoughts determine our feelings (not the other way around), and our thoughts and feelings combine to drive our behaviour. We must be willing to face up to and take responsibility for what we are doing that is not working. The good news is that what constitutes right action often becomes obvious and flows naturally from right thinking and the ability to feel and release our emotions.
“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change, or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between we fear. It’s like being in between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.”
— M. Ferguson
How I Can Help
I’ll help you identify the attitudes, beliefs, and patterns that support or undermine your best efforts to clear your confusion, get unstuck and resolve your mental and emotional distress.
I’ll help you to untangle the knots and clear the way for your peace of mind to be restored and to flourish.
I’ll help you shift the way you interpret things that happen, change the way you react and respond, and to accept — maybe even welcome — the natural and normal feelings that go along for the ride.
You set the agenda and I’ll provide guidance, suggestions, feedback, support and unconditional acceptance along the way, with confidentiality as the cornerstone of my practice.
Here are some of the issues I’ve helped my clients resolve, manage better and/or create:
- Self-esteem
- Work-life balance
- Personal, workplace relationships
- Happiness
It’s important for me to emphasize that I don’t claim to have the last word on anything. But I’m confident that my unique and potent blend of professional and personal experience can help me help you. (Learn more About Me) I’ve been a psychotherapist in private practice and in the public health and corporate sector for over 30 years. And I’m a Registered Professional Counsellor (RPC) with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) and hold a Master Practitioner of Counselling Psychology (MPCP) designation.
Ultimately, though, whether or not counselling with me will be effective for you depends on the quality of the connection between you and me. If any of what I’ve said resonates with you and you’ve never met me or attended any of my talks or wellness sessions (or even if you have), then please book a Discovery Session (30-minute complimentary session) with me to see if we’re a good fit.
Are We A Good Fit?
Book a complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session to find out.
Caroline is clear and direct with her feedback and insight. She asks permission, respects boundaries, and is easy to listen to. She makes it safe to become vulnerable and thus opens up the possibility of self-examination and self-discovery in a non-threatening way. I would highly recommend Caroline to anyone seeking healing and growth.
Theresa Thomas
Halifax, NS, Canada
We are, with Caroline, at all times, in safe and astonishingly generous and nurturing hands. She brings the gift of her fullest attention, gently challenging our beliefs and engaging us to think of new possibilities, not alone, but with the collective wisdom of the others who are so fully present.
L-G Peterson
Florida, USA
Caroline counsels with divine presence and listens with all her senses. After several sessions with Caroline, I felt filled with inspiration and insight as to the next steps in my life.
Marie Hedlund
Stockholm, Sweden
Ms. Kohn’s contribution to the [problem gambling] unit was consistently outstanding; her clinical understanding, depth of experience, professionalism and integrity were always evident. She brought exceptional knowledge, caring and skill to her clinical practice. These attributes were also in evidence in her supervision of students and in her program development work. Our group supervision and the unit’s clinical practice were very much enriched by Ms. Kohn’s engaged and highly intelligent contributions.
Nina Littman-Sharp, MSW, RSW
Toronto, Canada
Caroline has helped me to clearly see my personal beliefs – many I didn’t know I had – and how they are directly affecting the outcomes in my life. Through this process I am able to release the beliefs that no longer serve me, and choose new and greater possibilities for my life. Working with Caroline has increased my personal power and feelings of joy and peace.
M.M.
Toronto, Canada
I searched for years for counselling that left me feeling like I was moving forward and not just talking about the things that were keeping me stuck in the past. And after my first session with Caroline, I knew I had met the right person. There is something truly unique about Caroline. She is insightful, intuitive and purposeful when she speaks. She has a gift of knowing when you need compassion and space, when you need the tools to support yourself in the moment, and when you need to be challenged and held accountable for your own personal growth.