Dr Sam Reimer is a Registered Clinical Counsellor to help you through whatever issues you are currently experiencing.
Dr Sam Reimer is a Registered Clinical Counsellor to help you through whatever issues you are currently experiencing.
Outline of
a first 3-hour session with Dr Sam Reimer
One of the
most important things contributing to effective progress in therapy is the
connection/rapport the client has with the counsellor. For that reason, it
helps significantly to spend some time getting acquainted. I offer a no-fee
consultation of 20 -30 minutes. A first session can be as short or as
long as the client wants. If the client is committed and eager to get started
on resolving issues, they often choose a 3-hr first session. This is what that
may look like:-
● One hour – you sharing whatever
information you feel comfortable with, to let me know what you are
experiencing, who is involved/impacted, what you’ve done about it, and what you
would like to get out of counselling; also, opportunity is given for you to ask
any questions you may have re the counselling.
● One hour – “Orientation” – here I am
doing most of the talking, going over six things with you: paperwork (brief
clarification of a few points); briefly explaining the process of counselling,
letting you know what you can expect from me and what I would be expecting from
you; sharing a few personal things with you that I think you should know about
(also talking about availability and frequency of sessions); letting you know
why I am optimistic about lasting positive change taking place in a person’s or
couples’ life without counselling and with counselling; and lastly, explaining
a few terms we’ll be using in counselling that you can use outside of session
and throughout life.
● One hour – consideration of a plan of
action to address your issues; going over a number of handouts to help you on
your healing journey; some of these are just suggestions, others are strong
recommendations, and some are homework to assist you to achieve your
counselling goals faster; so, this contributes to working toward an effective
action plan.
● These time frames are approximate; they
may be quite systematic, or all the information points may just flow through
each other.
● We may also do one or more relevant
questionnaires in the course of those 3 hours.
Typically I do not
charge a fee for the hour of orientation – at the same time, if the client
wants to contribute monies to it, I am open to that. So, some clients
contribute the full hourly fee, others a portion, and some are OK with just
paying for the two hours. There are absolutely no obligations re a contribution
to the hour of orientation.
If we have sessions
that are 1 – 2 hours in duration, most of the orientation information gets
incorporated into those sessions over time, all of which is billable.
Relationship Issues
Are you dating, engaged, living common-law, married, thinking of separating or
already there but want to make the relationship work and enjoy it?
Dr Sam Reimer, Kelowna based Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), is here to
assist you.
Dr Sam can help you in many ways:
Healthy relationships start with being emotionally healthy
yourself. That means having your own issues resolved or at least being aware
that you have them and are consciously working on them.
If you do not have
peace and harmony within yourself and with your past, it is unlikely you will
be everything you want to be and that your lover / partner wants you to be in
the present or future.
This leads to disappointment and resentment which
typically contributes to unpleasant critique, arguments, and feelings of being
disconnected.
This in turn often results in seeking to numb and escape the pain
with alcohol, drugs, games, work, sports, tv, pornography, infidelity, etc.
It doesn't have to be that way! Reach out and connect with a competent counsellor who will help you heal and be the person you know you want to be for yourself and for your loved one.
An addiction is
anything that is controlling us more than we are controlling it.
All too
frequently, when someone is not emotionally and/or mentally well, they resort
to things that end up being an addiction.
That addiction will ultimately
destroy us and everything positive and good in our lives. It can be alcohol or
drugs, pornography, sex, food, exercise, work, codependency, and countless
other issues.
There is always abuse involved in addiction. Some common themes of abuse include verbal, emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, social, religious, and financial. The examples under each of these topics number over a hundred and some are criminal offences.
Healing and the breaking of bonds is real, and often comes through counselling. Dr Sam has personal experience regarding addictions and can give practical tips on how to have victory over them as well as provide a degree of accountability that is essential for any consistency in maintaining sobriety abstinence from the addiction.
Addiction can be beaten!
Dr Sam can help you, if you are willing.
Let Dr Sam help you get there.
It’s rare to
meet anyone who really has it all together, so that means YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
The emotional well-being we all desire
consists of being grounded and at peace with ourselves, our Creator, and
others. It is being level-headed and not reacting in a hurtful or disrespectful
way to people and situations that could be (or are) upsetting.
Emotional
health is being able to manage our emotions in a timely and constructive way.
Then we have the capacity to express our feelings in ways that we and others
feel good about.
Mental
health, simply put, is being able to think clearly and make good choices with
whatever life throws our way. It’s having what we need in our head and using it
to better whatever situation arises.
When we are emotionally and mentally healthy,
we enjoy life more, and others enjoy us more. Counselling with Dr. Sam will
usually contribute to you being a more emotionally and mentally healthy person
within a relatively short period of time, and this will have a positively
infectious impact on those around you. The counselling he provides can help you
get a new perspective and thereby enable you to manage your emotional states in
a more constructive way.
When a
person is emotionally unwell (i.e., not coping/managing their feelings in a
positive way) or mentally ill (i.e., has a chemical imbalance that causes a
brain disorder), he/she is typically unhappy and sometimes downright miserable.
There are dozens of unpleasant feelings including sadness, deep grief,
frustration, confusion, discouragement, loneliness, anxious, mad.
Five serious
and persistent mental illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder,
clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety/panic attacks.
And then there are at least 15 personality disorders which disrupt one’s
ability to enjoy life or maintain healthy relationships, like borderline
personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, anti-social
personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder.
From troubled waters to a complete and total calm.
Sometimes a little guidance can go a long way in helping you to relax and enjoy your life.
Dr Sam can assist you with that.
Often individuals who
are not emotionally healthy and those who have a mental illness or personality
disorder are either unaware of it or minimize or completely deny it. This
typically leads to crazy making for anyone close to them.
THERE IS
HELP. . .
Dr Sam is familiar with emotional issues, mental illnesses, and
personality disorders. And he can help you construct a plan to deal with the
situation better and have a more enjoyable life. He is a stress and anger
management specialist who has personal experience in resolving multiple distresses.
First responders Occupational Stress Constant
exposure to traumatic and critical incidents can take a toll on first
responders.
Accumulated occupational stress increases risk
for burnouts, compassion fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, personal
and family issues, mental health issues, sleep problems, reduced productivity,
and reduced physical alignment. Dr Sam has a great sensitivity regarding the
demands first responders face on a regular basis and how, over time,
instinctive survival responses to traumatic stress may become maladaptive and
detrimental to the individual’s overall well-being.
Who can we
help?
First
responders include many different people, such as firefighters, ambulance
crews, 911 Operators, police, and anyone who responds to emergencies and
disasters.
After recently completing an intensive
occupational awareness training in treating first responder trauma, Dr Sam is
on the preferred list of clinicians for BC firefighters and is equipped to
assist first responders in other industries.
Dr Sam
Reimer is an approved counsellor under the BC Crime Victim Assistance Program
(CVAP).
Dr Sam is well acquainted with people who have suffered personal
trauma, and who have been victims of crime.
Dr Sam has over 30 years of experience
in this field and can be of considerable assistance.
Regardless of the circumstance, if you have been violated in any way, let Dr Sam help you. Do not try and manage this on your own. We can assist you in overcoming the trauma that resulted from your painful experience.
Grief is a deep sadness in the core of one's being and comes from experiencing a loss (tangible or not) something common to all of us. If that grief is not effectively resolved in a timely manner, a person can sink into depression. Everyone processes the emotional pain attached to grief in a different way and time.
Clinical Depression is feeling down for more than a couple of weeks and can affect most areas of your life such as, appetite, sexual desire, degree of energy and motivation, level of self-esteem and optimism. It can result from a multitude of factors, including genetic vulnerability, a chemical imbalance, unresolved anger, sleep deprivation, unresolved stress or trauma, whether there is actual brain memory of this or not. It is very typical that anxiety accompanies depression. Depression is also often cyclical or recurrent.
While every person is different, often the best way to reduce or work through the grief or depression is a combination of things. Here are 3 suggestions: 1. Sometimes pharmaceutical medication (anti-depressants) are necessary. If a person has an aversion to these, herbal treatments are sometimes effective. 2. With either of the fore-mentioned, there are a number of non-medical treatments you can do yourself, including: exercise, healthy diet and nutrition, mindful meditation seeking optimism, get rid of negative thoughts, laughter, calming/uplifting music, body massages, be around positive people, get some sunshine and fresh air. 3. Counselling with a competent therapist who is familiar with multiple therapies beyond just talking...
It is important to emphasize here in order for any lasting positive change to be happening in a person's life, there are at least 4 things that are essential: they have to have awareness of the situation and the need for change, and they have to be ready, able, and willing to be experiencing that change.
Dr Sam has experienced depression and used all and more than the points noted above. He has been loving life for many years! He can help you get through the pain of grief and depression when you are ready to do what it takes to be optimistic and love life more.
First, it is important to emphasize that you are
not going to find an unbiased counsellor. Anybody who has a brain that is
functioning has biases, that is, beliefs or a belief system. Having said that,
Dr Sam is committed to be as impartial and objective as possible and commits
to being empathetic, respectful, and compassionate in his approach with clients
whatever their beliefs are.
Given that there are many definitions of
spirituality, it can be important for the client to know that Dr Sam defines
spirituality as one’s spirit connecting with the Creator, who is spirit. He is
a Christian and adheres to the PAOC doctrine. As a follower of Jesus Christ,
Dr Sam seeks to be filled with the Spirit of God, and to absorb the Word of
God and thereby grow to be more like Jesus on a daily basis.
Clients are
typically asked in the first session if they are open to spiritual guidance in
the course of the counselling. Dr Sam lets the client know that if they say no,
then their identified issues will be addressed from a purely clinical
perspective; and if they say Yes, Maybe, or A little bit, they are giving Dr
Sam permission to talk about God, faith, prayer, and the Scriptures; they can
be assured that he will do that in a matter-of-fact way without preaching at
them or pushing them in any particular denominational or theological direction.
He commits to every client to be respectful and professional in all aspects,
and to be as impartial and objective as possible in helping them achieve their
counselling goals as quickly as possible in ways with which they are most
comfortable.
Are you searching for a spiritual connection?
Faith regardless of its nature is a prerequisite for success, however it must be accompanied with action to bring it to fruition .
Paraphrasing from John 2:14-16
Some of us
will become terminally ill and we will be aware that our death will be in the
near future. Some will simply pass away due to old age. Some may die suddenly
when least expected. In all these circumstances, the one thing you know is that
death is a natural event that must occur to each and every one of us. Generally,
we do not know when that event will occur.
If you have loved ones around you,
one of the kindest thing you can do - while still alive - is show them that you
accept your approaching death and that you are okay with it. This will help
them better deal with their grief when you are gone.
Some of us believe when
the last breath leaves our body, that is the end of you and you will live on only
in the memories of those you leave behind.
What happens if this is a wrong
assumption? Based on countless credible testimonials there is another
probability: though your body dies, your soul lives on into eternity. If this
true, then you will have to consider the fact that there really is a God. If
you reach that conclusion then you best prepare yourself for a whole new look
on things.
If you have come to this conclusion, then the last major act for
you to do, is ask Jesus Christ into your life, confess yourself to HIM, this
must be from your heart. Believe that your redemption is already paid for. Then
buckle up, you are in for an incredible ride. It is all good and it is forever,
and by the way, it is all very real as you will see soon enough.
Dr Sam can encourage and help you, regardless of your belief system.
First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)
Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program (IRS RHSP)
Dr Sam is an approved provider for the FNHA IRS RHSP.
This Program provides eligible former Indian Residential School students and their families with access to mental health support services so they may safely address the broad spectrum of mental wellness issues related to the negative impacts of Indian Residential Schools. IRS RHSP intends to fulfill commitments made in the 2007 IRS Settlement Agreement on behalf of Canada but delivered in BC by the FNHA.
Dr Sam is willing to travel anywhere needed to provide these services - depending on prior approval from FNHA. If you (or anybody you know) would like to have mental health counselling for issues that are directly or indirectly related to you or a family member having attended an IRS or have been impacted by MMIWG , contact Dr Sam and he will be glad to help.