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Stephen Buzzelli MACP RP

Registered Psychotherapist 

Theories that Influence my Practice

Schema Therapy 
Internal Family Systems Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Schema Therapy. I utilize Schema Therapy techniques which explores what patterns (thinking, feeling and doing) are repeating themselves in the present, due to unresolved experiences from the past. I will empathetically challenge maladaptive patterns so you can begin to create more adaptive patterns.

Solutions Focused Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy. I also like to collaborate and brainstorm solutions with you using Solution Focused Therapy techniques, where we find the exceptions in the past that could lead to solving your current problems. We also focus on the small steps to your success and learn to give credit to each step you make to change, to keep your motivation.

Internal Family systems Therapy. I utilize techniques from the experiential approach of Internal Family Systems Therapy to teach you to  externalize yourself into several parts (the “controller”, the “striver”, the “obsessor”, the “fantizer”, the “self-critic”, etc.). This makes it more manageable to process the overwhelming emotion that each of these parts of your “internal family” may be carrying, which could be adding to your problematic behaviour and thoughts. This externalization is done to help you connect to your true “healthy confident, calm, compassionate, courageous, clear, connected self” so that you can witness that your problematic behaviour and thoughts are not you entirely.

Therapeutic Alliance

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. I utlize Dialectical Behaviour Therapy techniques to manage intense opposing emotions. This is done through skills training that focuses on mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I utilize techniques from the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy homework so we can change the way you think and act, through labelling thinking errors, reframing your thoughts and identifying emotions.

Therapeutic Alliance. Most importantly, I actively listen and continually strive to provide a positive, non-judgemental, anti-racist and anti-oppressive space for all. Our therapeutic alliance will bring forth the most change to your chief concerns through our transparency, trust and honesty between each other. I share my conceptualization of your case so that the conceptualization can be reworked so that there are unified goals and understandings. There may be times that I empathetically challenge your problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This could cause discomfort and is normal. Success in therapy comes with a sequence of developments, ruptures and repairs (Horvath & Marx, 1991). However, if the discomfort is too intense, please let me know to readjust my technique, which I will do gladly; safety and security are the solid foundation for therapy and that is what I intend to create. If problematic thinking, feeling or behaviours surface in the meeting between us, it is a great way to explore in real time what is happening in your internal environment. Please share what is happening between us and do not avoid. It is also my responsibility to check any of my unconscious or conscious biases, so please, as an educator to me, notify me if I do not pick up on this myself. Therapy can be super comfortable but also bumpy; it is a journey!

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