Providing Humanistic, Client Centered Counselling for Individuals & Couples.

Keith maintains a Client Centered method to his therapy but will combine other systems to custom fit each Client’s needs.

Treatment specialization includes:
  • Therapy for Depression and Anxiety
  • Couples Counseling
  • Grief Counseling
  • Work and Career issues
  • Stress Management
  • Harm Reduction Approach to Substance Abuse
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Secular Spiritual Guidance
  • Sliding Scale For Seniors
  • Existential Reasoning

How to Budget for; What to Expect in Therapy

People often wonder is therapy worth it? The honest answer is there are no guarantees however for the most part therapy makes a difference and is worth your investment of time and money. We will work hard to help meet your goals and along with good effort from you there will be obvious rewards. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

Take time to choose the right therapist. Research on psychotherapeutic outcomes tells us that the relationship you have with your counsellor is the most powerful factor in your in healing. Take advantage of “free consultation” offers to check out a potential Counsellor and ask about their treatment process. We know that not everyone shares the same vibe. If this is the case then we can happily refer you to a therapist who may be more suitable; always it’s what’s best for you.

Cost per session varies between therapists but it’s safe to expect $100 to $150 per individual session; couple’s counselling usually starts around $120 for ninety minute sessions. It is important to check the services covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. Most plans provide for about five sessions and it’s a good idea to share this with your counsellor so s/he can consider this in your treatment strategy.

The average length of treatment is four to eight one hour sessions depending on the person and how challenging the issues. It is not unreasonable for some treatments to go ten to fifteen visits depending on your specific needs. Therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule weekly sessions and set a pace that you are comfortable with.

The first session is when we explore the nature of your issues and identify the goals we are going to achieve. Subsequent sessions are when we further explore your values, needs, wants and motivations and much more. We will usually always discuss your early childhood experiences and explore how they affect you in adulthood. In my experience it is usually the third or fourth session when we get things “mapped out” and we can create an effective strategy to your treatment. It naturally takes some time to develop trust and to become more comfortable sharing personal information.

Counsellors have a professional obligation to establish a “termination” date. Sounds severe I know but that’s psychobabble for “planning the end” of an individual’s counselling. If you are feeling better, self-reliant and ready then you are to practice the learned techniques and tools in the future without the therapist’s help. It isn’t the end, but rather a new beginning for you. Never forget however that the door is always open; if you wish to return for reinforcement or what I call a “tune-up” or if you are encountering new challenges then don’t hesitate to reach out.

The Stigma Attached to Men Seeking Psychotherapy

As the suicide rate for middle aged white males rises, one looks to dispel the stigma attached to seeking help from a Mental Health Professional. Men have a hard time stopping to ask directions let alone asking for help from a Counsellor; the result is a significant and lasting effect on their well-being.

Increasingly, studies show that men who equate seeking psychotherapy with weakness, or feel that it demonstrates an inability to handle their problems, experience more trouble in the long run. They suffer trouble in relationships with their significant others, have a higher likelihood of substance abuse or “numbing” behaviour and risk earlier death.

“This inability, reluctance or straight-up unwillingness to get help can harm men’s own mental and physical health, and can make life more difficult for their friends and families”- says Jill Berger, PhD, who studies the psychology of masculinity. Over the past several decades, surveys and contextual studies show that men of all ages and ethnicities are far less likely than women to seek help. Between women and men seeking counselling for similar problems such as substance abuse, depression or stress; less than a third were the men.

It’s not just the aforementioned stigma; part of the problem is with the convention of therapy itself. Of all the different methods of psychotherapy available to clients, there is no empirically validated model specific to men. Traditionally mental health professionals are trained to provide reflective, emotionally focused and feeling orientated exploration which may not engage male clients. The savvier Counsellors and Therapists will integrate strategies in their therapeutic process that will resonate with men better; yet still lead them to important goals such as emotional awareness. This in turn allows more meaningful communication with their partners who can offer the continuing support.

So what do we do to help dispel the stigma?

Firstly, individual men need to realize that they are not alone if they are suffering with depression, grief, adverse childhood experience, trauma, anxiety or other issues. It’s normal!

Secondly, we need to remember the security of absolute confidentiality. This is especially important when considering those cultures in which admitting to having mental health issues can lead to loss of social status in their community.

Thirdly, is by offering positive encouragement. All too often I get a new male Client who sits across from me, begrudgingly; their spouse has sent them usually as some sort of ultimatum or last ditch effort to salvage a relationship. The intent is sincere but you can’t force someone into therapy.

Lastly, remember the reality; it’s an empowering move to ask for help; to gain knowledge and make healthy decisions for ourselves. Just like visiting with a personal trainer, working on our mental health is a status symbol that represents success, strength and courage. There is no shame in wanting to be the best you can- Right?

For Actors and Performers

At Keith Norris Counselling we offer a specific model of therapy for performers and actors. We aren’t acting coaches; we leave that to the specialists who act as a liaison between you and the director, help you prepare your lines, understand the scene, and make sure you are focusing on the acting. What we do is help with your personal and emotional well-being.

Especially when starting out and having to cope with repeated rejection and criticism, financial hardship and long dry-spells; it’s no wonder the actors I see are suffering anxiety and depression. We will teach life balance so that you can draw self-esteem and positivity from other aspects of your life. We will give you the tools you need so that you don’t feel desperate or believe that everything is riding on your next audition.

We will help improve and develop your self-awareness and empathy; two essentials to becoming a top performer. A deeper understanding of the-self equates to a better and deeper understanding of the character you are to portray. Konstantin Stanislavsky (1950), the famous Russian acting coach and theorist, believed that the voice and bodily movements of a character followed directly from an actor’s knowledge of the character’s thoughts.

We also help with the psychological fatigue of method acting; when performers repeatedly draw on real life experiences to invoke the correct emotion for a scene they can become exhausted. Either they be resolved or unresolved, tapping into these issues over and over can cause shame, anxiety and sleep problems compromising their mental and physical well-being.

Every actor needs 10 to 12 key affective emotional experiences to call upon to deliver a part. At Keith Norris Counselling we help in recovering and compartmentalisation of a performer’s raw emotion; allowing access for them while maintaining a safe psychological alignment and closure. We’ve found that the safer the performer feels, the deeper they are able draw on their emotional resources.

Our method of therapy is adapted from the Person-Centered model to support talented professionals who find themselves on the brink of fame and need to be free of any deep-rooted issues that might be holding them back. We can help manage the issues that come with your success such as: Fear of failure, issues with addiction, managing public vs private identity, issues with family and other personal factors. We can help with any problem that may be preventing you from being able to be fully present and perform.