Welcome to Mind Matters...
And thank you for your interest in the therapeutic services I offer.
You might be wondering what counselling (commonly called talk therapy) is like. Well, in therapy, you and your concerns are the priority. I provide an atmosphere of privacy, trust and understanding—a safe place where you won’t be judged as we explore and work through the challenges causing you distress.
It’s a journey you don’t have to walk alone.
My Practice
At Mind Matters Psychotherapy, I work with adolescents, adult individuals, and couples—whether they are in a married, dating, or common-law relationship. I collaborate with my clients using evidence-based therapeutic strategies to strive for optimal results.
Adolescents
Adolescents
I work with adolescents (ages 11 to 18) on many emotional and social issues. Adolescents experience a great deal of mental and physical changes associated with their development. Puberty can cause confusion as hormonal changes start affecting their moods and thoughts. Counselling can help young people make sense of and manage their feelings, behaviours and thinking so that they understand themselves and their world better.
Individuals
Individuals
Individual adult sessions are done on a one-on-one basis. It allows for the building of a therapeutic relationship in a space that is confidential, caring and non-judgmental. Clients are allowed to explore their thoughts and feelings, work through challenges, identify areas for change and set goals to work towards these changes. A treatment plan is built around the challenges and goals that clients want to work on.
Couples
Couples
Couples therapy is for two individuals in an intimate partner relationship (dating, partnered, engaged, married) who are seeking to overcome challenges they are facing in their relationship. Therapy allows for a safe space for couples to work together, but also individually, in a therapeutic, supportive environment. They create and work towards goals that can improve the quality of their relationship, resolve conflicts, improve communication or enhance intimacy.
Modality of Service
Services involve working face-to-face in Kingston and, in light of the COVID-restrictions (and for those not based in Kingston), eCounselling is available using platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp or over the phone.
Hours of Service
My hours of service are 4-7PM Monday to Thursday, and 12-7 PM on Sunday.
Fee Structure
The fee is $5000JMD for an individual session lasting 1 hour, and $7500JMD for a couples session that lasts 75 minutes.
Therapeutic Techniques
Some of my preferred techniques include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Solution-focused Therapy
- Art and Play Therapy
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is proven to be effective for working through anxious and depressive symptoms. It is a short-term, goal-oriented treatment that uses a practical approach to problem-solving. It aims to change the way people feel by altering patterns of thinking or behaviours that are at the root of their difficulties.
Solution-Focused Therapy aims to promote lasting relief for those in therapy by discovering realistic solutions as quickly as possible. This minimises the amount of time people are in therapy, so instead of spending long periods of time sorting through issues, you can be living your best life.
Art and Play Therapy is the preferred method to work with children as it helps them to express their inner thoughts and feelings in a way that is creative and nonthreatening. It is also used for helping adolescents to create emotional connectedness, improve self-esteem, and enhance relationships with peers and family members.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy is effective for working with couples. It draws on psychologists John and Julie Gottman’s 40 years of relationship research and clinical practice where they have identified the elements it takes for relationships to last—among all types of couples across all phases of life.
Mental Health Challenges
Mental health problems are a common human experience that affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
All kinds of people from all walks of life can be affected and it’s likely that, when sufferers find a combination of self-care, treatment and support that works for them, they will get better.
I offer interventions for the following mental health challenges:
Depression
Depression
Depression is an intense feeling of sadness or gloom that lasts for more than a couple of weeks and involves feelings of low self-worth and an awful sense of hopelessness.
Suicidal Ideation
Suicidal Ideation
Sometimes the mind is so dark, it can be hard to see any possibility for future happiness, but know that it is possible to recover from suicidal thoughts.
Anxiety
Anxiety
Normal anxious feelings are common responses to a stressful situation. Anxiety is a problem when these feelings don't subside after the situation is resolved. It’s manifested in your thinking (“I’m losing my mind”), feeling (nervousness) and physiology (racing heart).
Stress
Stress
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense real or imagined danger the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process. Stress is different for everyone so your approach to minimize it must be personalized.
Grief and Loss
Grief and Loss
Grief is like living two lives. One is where you “pretend” everything is alright, and the other is where your heart silently screams in pain.
Anger Management
Anger Management
It’s okay to feel angry, but sometimes anger is expressed in an abusive, violent or negative way, and this is unacceptable. Need help managing your anger?
Relationship Issues
Relationship Issues
When your partner is upset with you it’s almost always about something deeper. Explore that. Breathe, listen, and ask questions. Seek to understand their position.
Premarital Counselling
Premarital Counselling
Many people assume counselling is only for couples facing challenges, but premarital counselling helps you learn how to identify issues and handle the conflicts that inevitably arise in a marriage.
“Every person on this earth is full of great possibilities that can be realized through imagination, effort, and perseverance.”
Scott Barry Kaufmann
“Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
Joubert Botha
“Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
Joubert Botha
A Bit About Me...
I’m passionate about caring for matters of the mind. I believe that people’s mental health is an integral part of their overall wellbeing and that to live your best life as God intends involves caring for both body and mind.
I’m a registered member of the Jamaica Psychological Association and hold a Master’s degree in Counselling from Monash University in Australia, where I lived for over fourteen years and practiced as a counsellor and chaplain for four years.
Since returning to Jamaica in 2018, I’ve been working as a Counselling Psychologist with Family Life Ministries, Choose Life International and the Ministry of Health and Wellness. I also work as a guidance counsellor at Hillel Academy.