David Bott

I am a graduate student entering the final semester of my master’s program. I see individuals, couples, children, and families. I have worked with a wide variety of people, who have experienced a wide variety of challenges. I continue to be impressed with the courage, creativity, and resourcefulness of those I work with.

 

I have a tremendous faith in the innate ability of the human person to creatively adjust, re-organize, and stabilize in spite of challenging circumstances. I believe my role as a therapist is to nurture, support, and encourage the natural development process of individuals, couples, and families.

 

In the therapy room, I emphasize the role of perceptions, feelings, and intuitions. These “basic data” of human existence help us to discern what is most important, and move us to act responsibly in meeting our own needs. The therapy is experiential and exploratory; encouraging a heightened awareness of internal processes, and of the actions that follow. Increased awareness and understanding allows for emergence of new, creative solutions for life’s challenges.

 

This style of therapy relies on a good relationship between the client and the therapist. An environment of trust and support is required for good, therapeutic work. As a therapist, I strive to offer myself not only as a consulting professional, but also as a fellow human person.

 

The name of this approach is “Gestalt Therapy.” Originally put forward in the 1950’s, Gestalt Therapy has been revised and updated, drawing on research from neuroscience, infant and adult attachment studies, therapy relationship studies, intervention trials, somatic therapies, and over 60 years of first-hand experience of its practitioners.

 

With Children and families, my approach remains true to my Gestalt foundations, and I emphasize the role of perceptions and emotions as key developmental forces. With individual children, this is often best done through imaginative play and exploration. With whole families, I take a slightly more structured approach, and draw on the work of Virginia Satir, who made families her life’s work.

 

In couple work, I integrate my exploratory, emotionally attentive framework with the more structured “Gottman model.” John and Julie Gottman’s approach to couple therapy is backed by more than 30 years of research, and John’s book, “Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work,” is widely available.

 

I am in Chilliwack, at the Yale Therapy Group office, on Saturdays, and my rate is $50 for a 50-minute session. With couples and families, a 90-minute session is sometimes preferable, for which the rate is $75. You may contact me via email at animapsychotherapy@gmail.com                                                                                    or leave me a voicemail at 1-604-795-9552 ext. 153