Our Services
Areas for Therapy:
Some of the areas that propel people to seek out the help of a professional (i.e. psychologist, counsellor, psychotherapist) include, but are not limited to, the following:
Addictive Behaviours
Anger
Anxiety / Panic attacks
Bullying
Career Issues
Caregiver Stress
Childhood Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect)
Communication Issues
Eating Disorders
Guilt
Low Self-Esteem / Low Self-Worth / Low Self-Confidence
Motivation
Procrastination
Schizoaffective Disorder
Social Skills
Stress (Work stress, School stress, etc.)
Other issues/ areas that prevent you from being a better version of yourself
Relationships can be a source of great joy, and also of significant pain. Conflict, communication breakdowns, emotional distance, infidelity, parenting disagreements and life transitions can all strain even deeply committed partnerships.
At The Calming Ark, couples therapy is offered by Valerie Lim, a trained Gottman Method therapist.
The Gottman Method is one of the most extensively researched approaches to couples therapy in the world, focused on building friendship, managing conflict constructively, and creating shared meaning between partners.
Couples therapy at The Calming Ark is appropriate for partners who are:
- Feeling disconnected or like they are growing apart
- Struggling with recurring conflict that does not seem to resolve
- Navigating a specific crisis such as infidelity or a major life change
- Wanting to strengthen their relationship before issues escalate
- Considering separation and wanting to explore all options first
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Functional Dyspepsia
Functional Constipation/Diarrhoea.
Why see a psychologist for gastrointestinal issues?
Stress and psychological/ emotional distress (such as depression and anxiety) can worsen your gastrointestinal symptoms.
Traumatic life experiences such as sexual or physical abuse are associated with an increased prevalence of IBS and other FGIDs.
Comorbid psychiatric disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and major depression are highly prevalent in patients with FGIDs.
The brain-gut axis: our brain exerts a powerful influence over gastrointestinal pain perception, motility and secretion. Conversely, gastrointestinal symptoms also impact patients’ mood and stress levels as well as pain perception.
Role of a Psychologist
As gastrointestinal symptoms are closely linked with the psychological factors as outlined above, our psychologist can help you to learn how to a) better manage your emotions, b) process traumatic life experiences, c) make lifestyle changes, d) strengthen coping mechanisms and e) build resilience.