Thank you for reading my profile. Finding the right therapist is one of the most important steps in the therapeutic process. I would like to congratulate you on taking this important first step. For the past 15 years I have been working collaboratively with clients to help them to reduce distress and increase moments of happiness, joy and ease. It would be an honor to work with you.

I work with clients experiencing a variety of struggles including depression, anxiety, relationship issues and life transitions. I collaborate with clients to build a safe, compassionate space for sharing their vulnerabilities and struggles. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, clients will begin to identify the historic roots of their struggles and to work on shifting their emotional and relationship patterns towards more workable and comfortable ways of being.

I specialize in working with complex and relational trauma. Using the most modern and psychologically researched methods I help clients to overcome past traumas and to find deeper connection with themselves and others. Trauma research has clearly shown that we hold traumatic memories in our bodies and minds. To address these traumas, it is necessary to access the relevant past memories and then form new, adaptive associations with those experiences. There are two main approaches I use to facilitate trauma healing.

I am a certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist. IFS is a transformative therapeutic tool that assumes that we are all made up of protective and wounded inner parts, or subpersonalities. By using our inner wisdom to connect with our parts, we can move beyond avoidance and safely release past pain.

Additionally, I am trained in EMDR, a highly researched therapeutic modality, that uses a process called bilateral stimulation to help to create new therapeutically corrective memories of past traumas. A client who effectively undergoes EMDR reprocessing will be able to recall a past trauma or painful experiences as if it was a neutral emotional experience and will be less likely to be triggered by reminders of the trauma in the future.

In couples therapy, I help clients to bring increased understanding and awareness to the relational patterns connected to relationship challenges. In other words, what is the pattern of your most typical argument? Couples will examine how these patterns stem from past family issues and together as a triad we work to move the relationship from stuck patterns of codependence toward a deeper, more interdependent and loving connection.

In couples therapy I draw most from an IFS based couples’ modalities known as intimacy from the inside out (IFIO) and emotion focused therapy for couples, a modality that explores emotional patterns within a relationship and facilitates compassionate and direct communication.

I am currently a doctoral level licensed psychologist in Ontario and Quebec. I work with adolescents and adults of all backgrounds with a specialty in complex, relational and childhood trauma. I am passionate about couples counseling and see couples of all ages and backgrounds. I also conduct psychological and ADHD assessments for adults and adolescents. I have experience as the clinical director of Creighton University counseling center in Omaha Nebraska in the US. I have had valuable training experiences working in veterans’ hospitals in the United States. I have taught college and graduate level courses in developmental psychology and positive psychology. I have published and presented on research in the areas of mindfulness and attachment as predictors of therapy outcome, positive psychology and on the flow, consciousness states. A few of my research articles listed below:

Martin, D., Gilath, O., Deboeck, P., Lang, K., & Kerr, B. (2017). Changes in attachment security and mindfulness as predictors of changes in depression and general anxiety. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 36, 769-797.

Martin, D., Gillath, O., Deboeck, P., Lange, K., & Kerr, B. (2013, August). Mindfulness and attachment security as predictors of success in therapy. Poster presented at the American Psychology Association Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Martin, D., Givens, M., & Sharma, S. (2009, March). Mindful awareness during musical performance: A pilot study. Poster presented at the First World Congress on Positive Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

Martin, D., Shultz, E., & Kerr, B. (2008, August). Flow absorption and openness to experience of creative students. Paper presented at the American Psychology Association Conference, Boston, MA.

Martin, D., & Ryan, H. (2008, March). Flow experiences of creative students. Poster presented at the International Counseling Psychology Conference, Chicago, IL.

I studied Zen Buddhist meditation in Japan. A practice which has informed my clinical practice.  I have been trained in a variety of therapy modalities including:

IFS institute Level 2 trained- Including training in IFIO Couples Therapy.

EMDRIA approved EMDR training.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) training through Behavioural Tech (founded by Marsha Linehan).

Somatic Experiencing training through traumahealing.org (founded by Peter Levin)

Emotion Focused Therapy Training with Leslie Greenberg (founder of emotion focused therapy)

Polyvagal Informed therapy training with Deb Dana.