We spoke to this Toronto therapist about going beyond talk therapy

How’s therapy working out for you? No, really.

Maybe you’re in regular therapy and talking to someone has been helpful, but something still feels stuck. Even though you’ve gained insight, you can see your behavioural patterns and understand why they’re there, maybe you still haven’t been able to change them. Did you know that’s actually normal?

Deeply rooted ways of being and thinking operate beyond what can be accessed through talk therapy. That’s why Toronto’s Leah Sherry created Blue Rabbit Therapy, an online therapy practice that specializes in therapeutic approaches that address stored patterns so they can be processed and effectively released. 

With a team that’s trained across many disciplines with extensive client support backgrounds, Blue Rabbit offers personalized therapy plans that are unique to you, even if you want to start slowly before diving in full throttle. 

Behind Blue Rabbit

Blue Rabbit Founder and Clinic Director Leah Sherry was inspired to start the Toronto-based practice when she experienced feelings of isolation working in her private practice during the height of the pandemic.

“Therapists in session are working in isolation,” Sherry tells blogTO. “Yet to be a good therapist, you need to be connected to training, and support from your colleagues. I wanted to create a group of therapists who I could work with, and refer clients to when their needs were out of my scope.”

Aware of the limitations of talk therapy, Sherry set her sights on a different approach.

Hayley Hruska/Blue Rabbit Therapy

“I was aware of the strong desire my clients had for real change. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), for example, is effective — we see the results in our clients. ”

Depression, anxiety, relationship issues, chronic stress, and trauma can often be treated and relieved by working with the unconscious source of patterned ways of being. Somatic or ‘bottom-up’ approaches like Emotion Focused Therapy, EMDR, and Art Therapy are all effective and evidence-informed modalities that the therapists at Blue Rabbit are trained to provide.

Bottom-up therapies take a different approach than Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Talk Therapy, which use tasks for the brain to re-route negative thoughts.

EMDR, EFT, and Art Therapy seek to break deep-rooted patterns by relating and understanding them rather than strong-arming them out of the system.

“A bottom-up therapist [is] providing genuine non-judgement so that we can bring presence to what’s going on in the system,” says Sherry.

“We are curious about a client’s way of being in a relationship  — with self and others — so that we can understand the function of a pattern and address it with compassion and objective analysis. Then, through EMDR or Art Therapy, we can access what motivates our patterns of behaviour and create real change.”

Accessing online therapy in Toronto and beyond

Blue Rabbit leans into providing barrier-free access to services, which is why they offer sessions online, which helps people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, who live in a remote area, don’t have access to transportation, or are just super busy.

It also creates a sense of ease between life, home, and therapy. If you enjoy the comfort of therapy at home, prefer to skip the commute, or just want to save some time, EMDR therapy could be a great fit.

Hayley Hruska/Blue Rabbit Therapy

“We make sure our therapists are available and the admin is responsive. When you want therapy, we can make it happen as soon as possible.”

Experiencing the Blue Rabbit difference

Therapy can feel daunting if you’ve never done it before, but Sherry stresses that mutual connectedness between therapist and client can make all the difference.

“Clients can expect to feel relief,” she explains. “You want to feel as though you can put down some of what you’re carrying. That whatever you’ve been dealing with on your own — a stuck pattern that feels impossible to change — has some plasticity to it. You’ll be shown how to think differently about yourself and the world in a way that invites curiosity and hope.”

Vlada Karpovich/Pexels

The primary goal of a Blue Rabbit session is to create an experience of safety and connectedness. Blue Rabbit therapists do not view clients as problems, so you’ll never be made to feel that you’re doing something wrong.

The goal of a relational therapist is to essentially “read the room.” Your therapist will work with what you’re bringing into therapy, and sense your verbal and non-verbal communication to provide specific support attuned to your unique needs.

Connect with Blue Rabbit today

Consultations are free and easy to book so you can feel things out for yourself and find a therapist who is right for you. Plus, Blue Rabbit’s licenced therapists are covered under most insurance plans.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit the Blue Rabbit website to book a free consultation to see if Relational EMDR, EFT, or Art Therapy is right for you.