Areas of Specialty
My expertise includes trauma-focused counselling with teens and adults (including seniors) and I have a vast knowledge of learning and behavioral disabilities. As an EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training, I also provide consultation to EMDR Therapists.
I specialize in treating trauma, including “big T” traumas such as abuse, assault, neglect, disasters, and accidents, as well as “small t” traumas (a.k.a. adverse life experiences and developmental traumas), such as bullying, academic challenges, divorce, adoption, etc.
My treatment modalities include primarily EMDR Therapy and Natural Processing (a “somatic” therapy, i.e., body focused), and my work is also heavily influenced by Emotion-Focused Therapy, Ego State Therapy, attachment theory, and neuropsychology. With these approaches I am able to support teens and adults in healing their emotional wounds, not just coping with them, which results in reduction of presenting symptoms. That said, my initial training was in Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy, so I am also able to support those who are more comfortable with a strategy approach to therapy and who are seeking to develop their coping skills.
Susan Rochow
I consider it a great honor to journey with my clients through their emotional healing and growth. I know how difficult it is to share our most private thoughts and feelings and am humbled when clients invite me into such vulnerable and sacred spaces. I believe that each human has the capacity to heal, change and grow when provided with the right conditions and support, and that each one of us wants to be known, understood, and valued. As a therapist, I endeavor to create an environment for clients that meets these needs and feel incredibly blessed that I get to see healing happen every day!
Qualifications
I have worked in the field of psychology since 1998 and became a Registered Psychologist in 2004. In 2007 I began to seek out specialized training in the area of trauma after recognizing that the tools I had at the time were insufficient for my clients who had deep emotional wounds. I quickly discovered that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy was considered best practice for the treatment of trauma. I completed EMDR Basic Training in 2007-2008 and became a Certified EMDR Therapist in 2013. Every year I deepen my skills through advanced trainings in EMDR. In addition, I have completed Level One and Two of Natural Processing, a somatic therapy that beautifully complements EMDR Therapy.
Philosophy
I believe that all presenting mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders, low self-esteem) are influenced by biological factors and life events, with the proportion of influence varying based on both the diagnosis and the individual. As a Counselling Psychologist, my work primarily targets the life events component, but biological factors are also addressed, including sleep, exercise, nutrition, and, at times, medication (prescribed by a medical doctor). Diagnoses that have a significant biological component, such as schizophrenia, are not in my expertise; these typically require intervention from a Clinical Psychologist and a Psychiatrist.
Educational Profile
Master of Science in Counselling Psychology, University of Calgary
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (With Distinction), University of Calgary
Bachelor of Christian Studies, North American Baptist College
Certified EMDR Therapist (and a member of both EMDR Canada and EMDRIA)
EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training
