Meet Tim...
I work with individuals, couples, and families who are experiencing emotional and/or relationship distress and would like to heal and learn positive ways to cope with life's inevitable challenges. I help people face the difficulties within their experience and to heal from negative impacts they have experienced. People and families that I work with often struggle with various symptoms like depression, anxiety, conflict, trouble at school, and are seeking ways to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life. People I work well with are not just interested in reducing symptoms but in positive transformational growth.
The relationship based models of family therapy most inform the way I practice. I work with people in a concrete and experiential way to help them get more in touch with themselves and their present experience. When we make deep contact with ourselves we get in touch with our many resources and change is possible.
My aim is that you will find that I am willing and able to be open and real, making genuine human contact. Because of my background in Personal Training and my work in Corporate wellness my practice integrates physical and mental health as well as family and relationship health.
Meet Simone L'Abbé
Simone believes that yoga has the power to connect us to each other and to ourselves. Through yoga practice, including breath work and meditation, she finds perspective and balance, and is happy to have the opportunity to share this experience with her students. Difficult yoga poses challenge our mind and body, and can prepare us for the challenges we face in our lives.
Although Simone practices many kinds of yoga, such as traditional Ashtanga, her classes include a combination of mainly Vinyasa and Yin. Expect to start with breath work and a warm up, then move to a flow, strengthening and functional movement exercises, ending with calming poses and guided mediation.
Simone completed her Yoga teacher training at Breathe Yoga and Wellness Centre. She has a fondness for cats, who are admirably flexible and who live in the present. Zumba, singing, and playing the piano also bring her joy. Simone lives in Toronto, where she teaches grade two French Immersion.
"What would you like to change?"
I have been a therapist working with children/youth, adults, couples and families for 9 years. My approach combines my experiences in physical training as a Personal trainer for many years with my knowledge and experiences in mental health.
My background includes a Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Science (Specializing in Psychology) also from the University of Toronto and a post-graduate training in Narrative therapy, Systemic Family therapy and Solution focused therapy from the Hincks-Dellcrest Institute in Toronto.
My therapeutic approach has been largely influenced by Virginia Satir, a pioneer in family therapy, and can be characterized but not limited to the following words: Humanistic, Experiential and Systemic.
Below are more details about the meaning these words have for me.
Systemic therapy
I look at the world systemically, which means that I try to account for the relationships between different parts of a person as well as the relationships between people whether it be a family, a couple or an organization.
Thinking systemically and helping transform intrapsychic and interpersonal relationships enables me to work powerfully with clients in an efficient manner. I don't focus on solely on symptoms or problems but instead on goals and positive directions people wish to move towards.
Coping not problems
"The problem isn't the problem, it is the coping with the problem that is the problem." - Virginia Satir
Problems and challenges inevitably come up for people. There's no way around it. By focusing on the manner in which we cope we can empower ourselves to learn new ways of dealing with whatever experiences we face.
Therapy is an Experience not just talking
I work with people experientially which means I allow myself to be fully present and alive in sessions with people so that I can feel and understand them deeply and make a genuine contact with each other. This allows us to work together beyond just the cognitive realm and enter into a true experience of the coping and relationship patterns that are occurring within and between people.
I believe in honouring every aspect of our being, including the parts of ourselves (including feelings and personality traits) that sometimes cause us trouble or pain. By listening deeply to the underlying needs and exploring new and healthy ways of meeting deep human yearnings, the people I work with are able to experience new growth and freedom in their lives.
SELF-CONNECTION
Self-connection is a key principle in my work with people. By first learning to make a genuine and compassionate connection to one's Self, a person can learn to make contact with others and the realities they face. When someone is truly self-connected, they have greater access to their inner and outer resources and are more equipped to deal with problems and challenges and to move towards their goals.
FREEDOM TO MOVE
The Freedom to MOVE is another key principle that guides my work with people. Often people come to therapy stuck in a certain pattern of thinking, behaving and relating. They find themselves dissatisfied or suffering not sure of how to get out of their "stuckness".
By focusing on the aspects an individual has control of through developing their awareness, willingness, choices and decisions, they are able to move their minds, bodies and relationships to new areas of growth and connection.
Tim Sitt's Professional Bio
Tim is a child and family therapist, social worker, couple’s therapist and psychotherapist working with individuals. Tim has 9 years of experience, working in community-based mental health centers helping individuals (children, youth and adults), couples, and families who are experiencing emotional and/or relationship distress and would like to heal and learn positive ways to cope with life's inevitable challenges.
He helps people face the difficulties within their experience and to heal from negative impacts they have experienced. People and families that Tim works with often struggle with various symptoms like depression, anxiety, conflict, relationship dissatisfaction, trouble at school, and are seeking ways to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life that comes from a motivation to reduce symptoms but in positive transformational growth.
His work emphasizes learning new ways of coping and is inspired by the late family therapist, Virginia Satir's philosophy: “The problem is not the problem. The coping with the problem is the problem.” He works with individuals, families, and groups to find new ways of coping that honor the various needs of each.
The relationship based models of family therapy most inform Tim’s approach to work with people in a concrete and experiential way helping them get more in touch with themselves and their present experience. When we make deep contact with ourselves we get in touch with our many resources and change is possible. Tim’s aim is that you will find him to be open and real, and available for making genuine human contact. Tim’s approach balances client-centered empathy with an ability to be firm and challenging when appropriate. The balance of acceptance and change is an important dynamic in any effective therapy. Tim is considered by colleagues and clients to be compassionate, intelligent and creative.
Coming from a combined background as a Registered Social Worker (MSW,RSW) and Personal Trainer, Tim is also the CEO/Founder of Corporate Wellness company, ThinkMOVE, that helps organizations address the issue of being sedentary with breaks that address physical and mental health. He is passionate about helping people incorporate health into their daily lives at work and home. You can learn about this work at www.thinkmove.ca He is the author of an upcoming book titled: MOVE or die: How the Sedentary Life is Killing Us and How Movement, Not Exercise, Can Save Us.
Tim’s psychotherapy practice integrates physical and mental health as well as family and relationship health. His approach is experiential and takes into account the moment to moment experience of the body, which includes breath, muscle tension, and sensory experience. His approach is also systemic which means he explores the intrapsychic dynamics of an individual (feelings, perceptions, expectations) in conjunction with interpersonal patterns of relating.
Tim also brings to his practice diverse experiences in adult and children’s mental health, mindfulness meditation, martial arts, and dance. He has a love for reading, learning and connecting with people. He considers it an honor and privilege to the work of healing with all those with whom he comes into contact.
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