Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between psychoanalytic counselling and CBT?
CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and replacing them with better ones. It’s structured, short-term, and skills-based. It works well for many people.
Psychoanalytic counselling works differently. Instead of teaching you to override your patterns, we try to understand where they come from — what’s driving them underneath. The premise is that when you genuinely understand why you do what you do, change follows naturally. It’s slower, but it tends to reach things that behavioural approaches don’t touch.
Neither is universally “better.” But if you’ve already tried the structured, skills-based route and you’re still stuck, this might be the thing that’s been missing.
I’ve never been in therapy. Is this too intense for a first experience?
No. You don’t need to have “done therapy before” to do this. You just need to be willing to talk honestly and be curious about yourself. That’s the only prerequisite.
I’ll meet you where you are. If you’re new to this, we go at your pace. There’s no expectation that you arrive with self-awareness pre-installed. That’s literally what we’re building together.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. You don’t need to be “mentally ill” to benefit from this work. Many of my clients don’t have a clinical diagnosis. They have patterns — in relationships, in work, in how they talk to themselves — that they can’t seem to break. That’s enough.
And if at any point it becomes clear you’d benefit from something outside my scope — like a psychiatric evaluation — I’ll tell you directly and help you find the right resource.
What if I don’t know what to talk about?
That’s fine. “I don’t know what to say” is itself something worth exploring. Some of the most productive sessions start exactly there. You don’t need to arrive with an agenda.
How do I know if this is working?
You’ll notice. Not necessarily in dramatic breakthroughs — more often in small, accumulating shifts. You react differently to something that used to set you off. You catch yourself mid-pattern instead of after the damage. A relationship changes texture.
I’ll also check in with you directly. I borrowed this from a minimum-wage retail job, honestly: “Have we solved the issues we set out to solve, or is there anything left? Is there any feedback you’d like to share about me and the way I work?” You’re the expert on your own experience. I want to hear how the space is working for you — and if something’s off, I’d rather know than guess.
What if this isn’t the right fit?
Then I’ll tell you. Honestly. During the consultation or at any point in the work. Not every therapist is right for every person, and not every approach is right for every problem.
If I think you’d be better served by a different modality or a different practitioner, I’ll say so and point you in a better direction. I’d rather lose a client than waste your time and money.
This goes both ways. If you feel it’s not working, tell me. Sometimes that discomfort is the work. Sometimes it’s a genuine mismatch. Either way, it’s worth naming.
What are your qualifications?
I trained as a Clinical Psychologist in Ecuador, where psychoanalysis is a mainstream clinical tradition — not the niche it is in North America. I then completed a Master’s degree in Psychoanalysis in New York. Between the two I spent over a decade working across the full spectrum of mental health — including severe mental illness — learning from supervisors who shaped my thinking more than any textbook. I’m also a Counselling Therapist registered with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA).
If credentials matter to you — and they should — those are mine. But I’d also say: read the Handbook, listen to the podcast. The best way to evaluate a psychoanalyst isn’t their resume. It’s hearing how they think.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. Everything discussed in session is confidential. I keep clinical notes stored securely and in accordance with Alberta privacy laws. No one sees them but me.
There are a small number of legal exceptions — situations involving imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, or cases involving the abuse of children or vulnerable persons. These are standard across all regulated mental health practice. I’ll go over this with you at the start so there are no surprises.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. I’m not a physician or psychiatrist. If medication seems relevant to your situation, I’ll tell you directly and recommend you speak with a doctor. The two approaches can complement each other well — they address different layers of the same problem.
Do you work in Spanish?
Yes. Soy ecuatoriano-canadiense, el español es mi lengua materna y puedo llevar todo el proceso terapéutico en español — desde la consulta inicial hasta el trabajo clínico profundo.
Hay algo particular en trabajar en tu lengua materna, especialmente cuando el material es emocional. Ciertas cosas simplemente no se traducen — no porque las palabras no existan, sino porque el peso afectivo vive en el idioma en el que se sintió por primera vez. Si el español es ese idioma para ti, trabajemos en español.
I’m not in Calgary. Can we still work together?
Possibly. I work 100% online, so geography isn’t a practical barrier. However, counselling regulation varies by jurisdiction. If you’re in another province or country, we should discuss the specifics during the consultation to make sure everything is above board.
Time zones are rarely a problem. Willingness to do the work matters more than where your internet connection is.
What’s the Healers’ Guild?
A separate project and the company I run. It started when I wrote a free handbook for people who want to offer mental health support in their communities — not to replace therapists, but because the world needs more people who know how to listen well. The core idea: you don’t need a wall of degrees to help someone. You need curiosity and kindness. It is focused on psycho-education and institutional training. Nowadays it is the educational branch of my work.
Your private sessions are a different thing entirely — clinical psychoanalytic work, one-on-one, focused on you. But if you’re curious about how I think, and what I’m doing to change the mental health landscape around the world the Handbook will tell you more than any About page could.
How do I start?
Book a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment, no pressure. We’ll talk briefly about what’s going on and whether this approach makes sense. If it does, we schedule a first session. If it doesn’t, I’ll tell you honestly and point you somewhere better.