Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Sarah, a Registered Psychotherapist offering somatic and talk therapy at my Roncesvalles and Junction offices in Toronto's west end, and online across Canada. This is where I share what I'm noticing in my work, with practical Tend to It Tuesday posts and reflective Friday Field Notes. Take what's useful, and leave the rest. Learn more about me
For education only, not a substitute for therapy or medical advice.
Why Our Systems Resist Change: The Science of Staying
The first week of January usually comes with a lot of pressure to "change everything." But by the second week, many of us feel a familiar pull back toward our old habits. Often, we label this as a lack of willpower, but the reality is much more scientific: your body has a biological preference for what is familiar.
In therapy, we look at this through the lens of homeostasis. Your nervous system interprets "familiar" as "safe," even if that familiar pattern is actually painful or exhausting.
Connection vs. Performance: How to Be Seen, Not Just Present
The holiday party circuit often brings a hidden pressure: the need to perform. We feel compelled to be witty, successful, high-energy, or perfectly composed. We are so busy trying to manage the external perception that we lose the opportunity for genuine connection.
Here’s what I want you to know: How are you connecting while performing?
Why You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Start Therapy
Therapy doesn’t have to be a last resort. It can be:
• A steady place to come back to yourself
• A way to notice stress before it becomes burnout
• A container for asking “What do I actually need right now?”
Like tending a garden, sometimes we prune, sometimes we rest. But it’s the regular tending that makes the difference.
Using Somatic Therapy to Support DBT in the Therapy Room
DBT offers powerful, life-changing skills — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — but for many clients, there’s a catch:
“I know the skill… but I can’t use it when I need it most.”
As a therapist, I’ve heard this again and again. And I believe them. Not because the skill isn’t effective — but because the nervous system needs to feel safe enough to use it.
Feel It, Don’t Fight It
This week in our September series, we’re exploring how somatic therapy complements the structured, skills-based model of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
You don’t have to choose between skills and sensations.
Sometimes, it’s the combination that helps you stay afloat.
When CBT Isn’t Enough: Integrating the Body Into Thought Work
From the therapist’s chair, I want to talk about how I’ve seen this pairing support clients — and myself — in ways that feel both practical and profound.
CBT is a tool I’ve used for years — personally and professionally.
It’s structured, evidence-based, and deeply empowering. It offers a way to notice and shift thought patterns that might be keeping us stuck.
And in moments of overwhelm or emotional spirals, it can feel like a lifeline.
Thinking Isn’t the Only Tool
This September, we’re exploring how somatic therapy complements traditional talk therapy models. Today, we’re focusing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — one of the most widely researched and applied approaches in modern psychotherapy.
Using Somatic Practices to Support IFS in the Therapy Room
This week’s Tend to it Tuesday explored the powerful integration of somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Today, I want to reflect on what it means from the therapist’s perspective to work with clients who are building relationships with their internal parts through the body.