Online Counselling for V9R

You CAN live without anxiety, stress, overwhelm or burnout! Numb, stuck or simply surviving? We live in crazy times! You’ve lived, loved, worked, possibly married and divorced, raised a family, cared for aging parents, surely succeeded in your unique ways and also dealt with life’s natural challenges and losses too. If a helper-type, other’s needs have likely come before your own. Life happens, and often not how planned. Whether anxious and stressed, have a heavy heart or upset emotions, stuck in unhealthy patterns of thought or behaviors, in loss or life transitions, unhappy in relationships, we ALL need support to shift / grow.

To all of you who feel weary, frightened, overwhelmed, alone: take refuge here. You are not alone. There is hope. Although the waves seem too rough, they can be calmed. Let’s navigate these storms together. I am Kathryn Atkinson and I want to provide you with a safe space to share your struggles, be truly heard, and understood. Together we will find ways to increase your resilience and climb those mountains that seem insurmountable or traverse those dark storms that seem unending.

We are an online counselling agency so do not provide services in person. Strength Counselling Services has licensed, experienced therapists who use evidence-based practices, prioritize client needs, and maintain ethical standards. We offer culturally sensitive, affordable services in a supportive environment. We offer a comprehensive goals assessment, regularly assess progress, and collaborate with other professionals. We provide transparency in our fees and for thirteen years now have held a positive reputation of trust, and client success. Lastly, ensuring our clients' privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance to us.

I offer personalized therapy that is grounded in research and relationship; in-person & online; child, teen, & individual adult counselling. I want to connect you back to you. You may have experienced trauma in your life such as: unsettling events or experiences, to challenging or abusive relationships that left you feeling wounded, and alone. You may feel blocked or triggered. This may manifest as: anxiety, depression, numbness, flashbacks, trouble sleeping, addictions, or even the need to be perfect. You may find it hard to connect with others, or navigate certain situations. You just want to feel calmer and happier.

My name is Melissa and I'm here to support you on your path to healing and wellness! I have over 15 years experience with somatic energy work. I use this valuable experience in my counselling practice to help clients release inner blocks and open their mind and body to new possibilities. I support people through with various life challenges including anxiety, divorce/separation, grief/loss, depression, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and more. I currently work with Indigenous children and families who have experienced sexual abuse and intergenerational trauma. I am a First Nations Health Authority provider.

NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME. I embrace a holistic and collaborative approach to working with others, respecting that successful therapy honours the values and beliefs of each client. I believe that one's trauma history, distress, and pain are often the foundations that strength, meaningfulness, and wisdom are built upon. I offer personalized short or long-term therapy individuals, couples, adolescents, or families. Resiliency need not be something one is born with, it can be cultivated. ~Christine

Thank you for taking the first step toward creating a brighter future for yourself! Do you struggle with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRB) or other mental health concerns? I am here to help. Together we will walk a journey towards wellness by unpacking your negative thinking patterns or unhelpful behaviours and work to create healthy thoughts and behaviours that will lead towards a healthier you!

What ever you may be going through, you deserve to be heard and seen. Art therapy is an invitation to use the arts to reflect, gain perspective and understand ourselves better. It is a way of being curious, empathetic, aware of ourselves and the world we live in. It can be both a place of validation and a place to challenge the ways we make sense of the world. Engaging in art in such a way allows us to grow, integrate, let go and and transform.

Are you finding that you feel stuck in the same negative thought patterns, or are struggling in your relationships? Is your lack of motivation or anxiety and depression spilling over in your day-to-day routine. Have you experienced a recent loss and are feeling lonely and hopelessness? These difficult emotions can be challenging to deal with daily and even harder to figure out the first step to a solution. I work with co-parents, couples, adults, adolescents, and children who are feeling overwhelmed in their daily life. Together we create goals by focusing on values and connection and by moving towards flexibility and acceptance.

To conceptualize therapy, the following might be a helpful picture. Several years ago, we decided to hatch our own chickens. After a couple of weeks, we candled the eggs to get a glimpse inside. The glimpse was amazing and mysterious—we could see life happening beneath the shell. This is what often happens in a counselling session; we look beneath the “shell” and get a glimpse of the mystery and complexity of the human experience. From this deeper looker inside, we have many choices and changes that are possible.

Hello, if you are reading this, it means you have taken the first step in your counselling journey. I stronly believe in a “come as you are” counselling approach that is centred around the belief that all individuals have the capacity for change. Whether it is a mental health concern or needing support around improving your relationships, career, and day-to-day life. As a queer woman (preferred pronouns she/her), I am passionate about movement for mood, empowering healthy bodies, self-love, and honouring the courage it takes to start the journey of healing.

Change can be hard....but you have got this! Hello, my name is Ashleigh and I have over 17 years of providing counselling and social work support to children, youth and adults. My work is focused on trauma, parenting and parenting-related challenges, blended families, adoption, foster care, and working with children and youth who are navigating challenges. I also work with individuals who are experiencing anxiety, stress and life challenges. I look forward to connecting with you and walking alongside you and or your children/youth on a journey to wellness.

Struggling with self-criticism, shame, low self-esteem, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, chronic illness, eating disorders, family conflict, relationship struggles, life changes or grief? Needing support, new skills or help for moving forward? You deserve to find more peace and well-being. I can help. Together we will explore what is getting the way, heal what needs to be healed, feel what needs to be felt and learn what needs to be learned.

Counselling provides a space to explore what you need in order to expand, let go of the past, find direction, and explore your process without having to worry about anyone else. Counselling provides a very unique relationship that supports you in your process towards expanding the possibilities of who you are, and how you choose to live your life. There are times that the challenges in your life may lead to isolation, anxiety, depression, and other problems. Through counselling, you can explore your alternatives, build on your strengths, and develop new insight and skills.

I have had the honour to work with children, youth and adults in various capacities for 15 years.   During this time I have gained experience working in mental health, addictions, employment and trauma.   I have learnt that each client has the capacity to find the answers within themselves, and it is my role to walk beside them as this process unfolds.  I know what it is like to struggle to try do the right thing for yourself, your child or your family, and to not be sure whether you are over or under reacting.  Some things just don't go away- and that's when it might be time to reach out for help.

Are you feeling overcome with stress, anxiety and depressive feelings? Do you find yourself suffering from negative self-talk that contributes to a lack of self-esteem and confidence? Are you lonely, even with people all around you? Do you long to connect with meaningful relationships? Do you find yourself looking for escapes with addictive processes? If this sounds like you, I would love to help you connect to your authentic self by overcoming the negative lens that has been built throughout your life by what others have said, feelings of disapproval, traumatic experiences, societal and cultural conditioning.

I am a Registered Psychologist, and have been working in the field of mental health for over 20 years. I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Depth-oriented focus, and a Master's degree in Counselling and Creative Arts Therapies. I provide psychotherapy, crisis intervention, pychoeducation, & group facilitation. I have years of experience working with sexual assault & incest, trauma, addictions, eating disorders and mood disorders. My therapeutic approach is integrative, and I combine CBT, DBT, somatic, psychodynamic, humanistic, depth-oriented, insight-oriented, interpersonal, and existential philosophies into my practice.

We each have our own story and through a safe and compassionate space, I will support you in gaining the insight and awareness necessary for personal change. It takes courage to make this first step and in choosing to move forward, you have already started. Having grown up as an identical twin, I am keenly aware of the unique challenges, needs, and desire for individuality we all face. With this in mind, and with the understanding that people approach counselling for many different reasons, we will move forward together in a way that best meets your individual needs.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS. If you are feeling like life’s challenges are stressing you out, and getting in the way of you being the person you want to be, then you have come to the right place. I can support you to a place of calm and help enact lasting change so you can know yourself as peaceful, complete, and safe. Problems can appear insurmountable, and our ability to find a way through alone daunting. I can help you to tap into yourself and find a renewed sense that change is achievable.