Range of services offered to individuals and organizations:
The services offered cover a wide range of psychological services adapted to the patients’s needs - both at the level of the individual and the organization.
These are unique professional services, drawing on a rich and solid clinical experience supported by personal development and state-of-the-art professional development.
I help patients find meaning in their lives. Their physical and mental well-being is always at the center of my practice, with a constant concern to provide high quality services.
Despite the fact that I practice in the private sector, my clinical practice is always guided by professionally recognized rules and values of ethics.
Psychotherapy is a psychological treatment that offers people the opportunity to explore their emotional problems, their behavioral disturbances or any other problem that causes suffering or psychological distress.
The purpose of psychotherapy is to promote in the person, significant changes in cognitive (thoughts), emotional, behavioral functioning and their interpersonal system, personality or state of health.
Psychotherapy provides a safe, confidential, non-judgmental environment throughout the treatment to explore and work on the issues presented. With self-awareness, the person comes to discover their own potential and find appropriate solutions for themselves. Psychotherapy usually helps the person improve their outlook on their life, in their interpersonal relationships, work, and overall psychological well-being.
Psychotherapy relies on theoretical models (scientifically recognized) of the human emotional, psychological and physical developement. These theoretical models make it possible to better understand the origins and causes of emotional difficulties or mental disorders.
Therapeutic interventions take place within the psychotherapeutic process and depend on the field of expertise of the psychologist - psychotherapist. The therapeutic interventions are varied according to the theoretical models on which the training of the psychologist - psychotherapist is based. The psychologist - psychotherapist can be qualified in one or more theoretical models.
My psychotherapeutic approach is integrative in that it is a holistic and dynamic approach that relies on a solid clinical and therapeutic experience that integrates several theoretical models (psychodynamic, Cognitive behavioral, existential / humanistic, EMDR, schema therapy ) and therefore it allows me to adapt my therapeutic interventions to the specific needs of my patients and not the other way around.
Although the majority of people experience very similar problems, each individual experiences their emotions in a very personal way. I give great importance to establishing a profoundly human and authentic therapeutic relationship - an essential ingredient to the success of therapy.
I work with a wide variety of patients (adults, couples, teenagers and seniors) presenting all sorts of difficulties related to abuse, harassment, traumas, post-traumatic stress disorder, separations problems, changes in career, difficulties of adaptation, existential crises.
I also offers Emotionally Focused couple therapy (EFT) and therapy to highly sensitive people. Patients from the CSST, IVAC and SAAQ are welcome.
EMDR is the preferred therapeutic intervention recommended by the UK Department of Health for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NICE, Guidelines 2005).
EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a therapeutic intervention that was developed by F. Shapiro in 1987, mainly for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. More than one million patients around the world have been successfully treated with EMDR.
EMDR is an effective, complex, powerful and rapid therapeutic intervention, the therapeutic effects of which are prolonged. Like all proven therapeutic approaches, EMDR brings together most of the fundamental elements essential to the successful conduct of a therapeutic treatment.
It is a holistic approach that connects emotions, thinking, behavior and physical condition. It is a therapeutic approach based on research and considered effective in the treatment of traumatic memories and the state of post-traumatic stress.
People treated with EMDR are often surprised to see their anxiety diminish from the first sessions and realize that they regain a better sleep and a general improvement of their condition, and this in itself brings hope.
Over the years, EMDR has also proven effective for the treatment of the following emotional problems:
EMDR is an effective therapeutic intervention, certainly, when it is appropriate according to very strict clinical criteria, hence the need to properly assess the problem presented before any application of this method. The length of treatment depends on the severity of the trauma. For multiple and complex traumas, the treatment is longer-term.
More information on EMDR
When one experiences an acute traumatic experience, our natural information process system can no longer cope with it. It is as if emotions and thoughts become so painful and invasive that they are no longer managed or processed by our normal information process. The traumatic experience remains very present and re-emerges in memory regularly, with its intensity of origin and the vulnerability that it generates, situations which are difficult to live and manage for the person. EMDR helps to neutralize the traumatic experience and integrate it into the general functioning of the person by replacing negative thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations related to the traumatic experience with more appropriate thoughts. It is like a jump start to the information process system. EMDR is one of the most effective therapeutic intervention and is a safe alternative to drugs and long-term therapies. It is recommended as the therapy of choice in several European countries, especially in the UK.
EMDR therapy is an effective treatment for many emotional disorders other than Post Traumatic Stress Disorder including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, sexual and physical abuse, harassment bullying, addictions, unresolved grief, performance anxiety.
Yasmina Lallemand is an accredited clinical psychologist / psychotherapist approved by EMDRIA.
An increasing number of patients are referred to Yasmina Lallemand from doctors, employers, health professionals, whose long-term medications and psychotherapy have not provided the desired relief. They are often very surprised how quickly their anxiety decreases and how the quality of their sleep and their life in general improves, and this, from the first sessions of treatment with EMDR therapy. Some of them express a lot of bitterness when they realize the loss of time and money in connection with the purchase of drugs or the pursuit of psychotherapy that has lasted for years, with so little if any effect on treatment of their traumas.
If you have any questions about EMDR, do not hesitate to contact Yasmina Lallemand.
Emotionally focused couple therapy, the effectiveness of which has been validated by many researches, is based on the theory of attachment and neurosciences. Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) was developed in the early 1980s by Sue Johnson and Leslie Greenberg in Canada. It is a conjugal or family therapy inspired by Bowlby's attachment theory. According to this approach, couples encounter relationship problems when they experience an emotional disconnection, which leads the couple to conflicts and repeated negative cycles of criticism, anger and disengagement (negative dance).
According to Johnson and Greenberg, lack of emotional commitment and avoidance in the relationship undermine the establishment of a security attachment. This type of attachment is fundamental so that the couple can maintain a safe base and deal with their differences and issues, while giving themselves the opportunity to explore the inner and outer world. According to them, the attachment relationship is a way of dealing with the negative emotions that arise from marital conflict. The emotional bond allows for the perception of openness and response in others, which promotes the feelings of closeness and security required to explore conflict and emotions.
The humanistic and existential approach differs from other therapeutic models in emphasizing the importance of the subjective experience of the person, as well as the concern for positive growth rather than pathology. The humanistic perspective views human nature as fundamentally good with the potential to maintain meaningful relationships in good health and make choices that are in the best interest of oneself and others. The human being carries with him the potential to get better and to realize himself fully. One of the goals of therapeutic work is to get patients free from what prevents them from living a life more in harmony with themselves. Growth and self-realization, self-reliance and personal responsibility are encouraged. This is one of the approaches that focuses not only on people in distress, but also on people who are doing relatively well, but who want to be more up-to-date. The focus is on the present moment and the ability of the person to become aware of their difficulties and to work on them.
The psychologist - psychotherapist will therefore facilitate and support the person during therapy and will offer a high quality active listening without judgment. For humanistic-existential psychology, the fundamental aspect is the individual experience of the person. The human being is understood as being conscious, having to give meaning to his/her world and participating actively in the construction of his/her being. Each individual understands the world differently because individuals construct their own subjective reality according to their dispositions, development and past experiences. Our way of perceiving reality then affects our behavior, our reactions, our emotions and our thoughts. Therapy involves meeting the other person in his/her personal reality and helping to understand and expand it. The purpose of existential-humanistic therapy is to guide the patient towards self-actualization, identification of internal resources and development of his or her full potential.
High sensitivity is a genetic trait that is present in 20% of the population, equally distributed between men and women. It is not a diagnosis or a medical condition and does not require treatment!
A highly sensitive person (HSP) is someone who is thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli that is backed up by research in neurosciences. Some refer to this as having sensory processing sensitivity, or SPS for short. Unfortunately, there are many highly sensitive people who go through their life ignoring, misunderstanding or undermining their trait and as a result desperately searching for an answer to their feelings and experiences to no avail. Feeling different from others is part of the trait and having childhood negative experiences add even more to the distress and lead to lack of self-worth, anxiety and depression. Therefore, understanding high-sensitivity is paramount to the therapeutic process alongside managing high-sensitivity which in turn reduces anxiety and depression, increases self-love, moderate relationship difficulties, burnout and perfectionism.
Many highly sensitive people find immense relief from this label because they can finally feel understood and validated, which isn't always the case, even within the medical profession. This lack of understanding when searching for answers with regards how they feel about themselves and how they are perceived by the world can increase their distress, their feeling of defectiveness as well as worsen their sense of being, their low self-worth, anxiety, and depression that often accompany the highly sensitive person.
Highly sensitive people are a gift to humanity. Unfortunately, they are often seen as broken or weak in a competitive society that often values image and performance. Research show that highly sensitive people thrive well in the right environment but are even more affected—due to their trait—by negative childhood and life experiences.
Psychotherapy is a means to support and validate their experiences; to assist them in understanding and appreciating their trait and give them the opportunity to reframe their past and present experiences in the light of their trait—a process which, in itself, is very healing.
High-sensitivity is also a typical characteristic of gifted adults and children. Brain activity in people with high sensitivity is different from people without this trait. According to research, the main difference is that compared to the 80% without the trait, the brains of highly sensitive people are able to process much more of everything around them. More intuitive, endowed with a deeper level of empathy, they possess the ability to resist society's attempts at desensitization and have remained open, authentic, compassionate, creative and alive. However, because the brains of highly sensitive people are hyper-processing, assimilating, evaluating and synthesizing information all of the time, they often become overwhelmed, feel tired, and tend to withdraw for periods of time.
Research shows that instead of just being a personality type, like being shy or outgoing, high sensitivity is defined as having an oversensitive nervous system. An increased sensitivity that makes a person very aware of the intricacies of their environment and because of this, they are more easily overwhelmed when they are in a very stimulating environment.
The essence of the highly sensitive person is made up of two parts: temperament and personality. Temperament refers to a set of innate or inborn traits that organize and determine a person's approach to the world. It's the internal processor and it is hardwired into the DNA. Personality is what arises in an individual as a result of temperament, life experiences, value systems, upbringing, and a host of other factors.
Temperament is like an art canvas and personality is the paint on the canvas. The main point is that the personality can be changed and constantly evolves, but the temperament remains the same. So, high sensitivity is the result of one's temperament and is reflected through one's personality.
« Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a 'hot mess' or having 'too many issues' are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world. » Anthon St. Maarten (My translation)
Cognitive and behavioral therapy is a therapeutic approach that is also based on clinical research. This form of therapy takes into account thought phenomena (cognitions), belief systems, attitudes and behaviors of the person and reveals how these phenomena influence and condition emotional disorders. This particular therapeutic approach uses a variety of strategies, such as getting the person to question his or her thinking patterns, and also uses behavioral techniques to help the person not only understand the causes of the problems that they are experiencing, but also provide tools for actions that will allow the patient to change and overcome his/her anxiety or depression, for example.
Problems such as depression, anxiety and phobias are triggered or accentuated by thought patterns. The Cognitive and Behavioral therapist helps patients to identify triggers, understand and question their thought patterns and attitudes that fuel their psychological distress, and also help them to develop effective strategies to better manage their problem.
Schema therapy is based on cognitive and behavioral methods. It also incorporates techniques from psychodynamics (therapeutic relationship, partial re-mothering), Gestalt therapy (emotional techniques) and the theory of attachment (Bowlby).
Schema therapy aims to help the person get rid of the influence of his schemas: set of emotions, memories, beliefs, feelings that originated in childhood or adolescence and which lead the person to repetitive and dysfunctional life scenarios (eg choosing abusive life partners in a person with a pattern of imperfection or abandonment).
The schemas are responsible for setting up adaptation "strategies" that lead to a particular behavior and relationship style, specific to the person. Thus, the therapist helps patients to identify their patterns, to understand their origins and to relate them to their current problems. The therapist combines cognitive, emotional, behavioral and interpersonal skills to replace or modify dysfunctional patterns and coping styles of the person with healthier and more appropriate behaviors.
Schema therapy is also very well adapted to current advances in neurosciences. It is an integrative approach.
Employers are increasingly recognizing the implications of stress and mental health issues in the workplace. The most recent statistics show that up to 40% of absences from work are psychological.
Under current Québec law, employers have an obligation to ensure that the working conditions of their employees are not a source of illness or injury. Stress related to problems outside of work such as financial or family difficulties, for example, can equally affect the ability of an employee to cope with stress under the pressure of work.
When employees's stress management is deficient or neglected, this translates into employees’ s increased absences, the repetition of longer or shorter sick days, a decrease in performance and productivity, and a downward spiral, a major staff turnover, poor time management, pain and psychosomatic diseases (back pain, ulcers, migraines, etc.) and finally, relational difficulties between colleagues.
The quality of my psychological services is based on various factors, including the clinical experience of several years with companies and their employees, intuition, sensitivity, knowledge, and finally, the mastery of complex mechanisms related to organizations and their organizational requirements, legal requirements for human resources services and occupational health and safety services.
With great ability in identifying and solving problems, and her communicative skills, I develop and maintain excellent interpersonal relationships and trust at all levels to achieve solutions that meet all parties involved.