Our Staff

Landor initially practiced as a Pastoral Counsellor for 9 years until he chartered as a Registered Psychologist in 1984 and has been a practicing Counselling Psychologist for over 35 years. Landor’s graduate education includes the following: M.Div., 1975; M.Sc. (Human Ecology), 1984; Ph.D. (Education), 2005. He works with adult individuals, First Nations individuals, and couples. His interest in counselling is “helping people in their becoming” – Bruno Bettelheim.

Landor was an ordained minister for a number of years – through his work at Cornerstone he has been afforded the opportunity to work with persons seeking counselling from a range of faith and Christian denominational perspectives.

Inspirational Quote:
“…every individual is unique – is a new set of experiences, a new universe: has been granted the ability to bring something new into being is capable of participating in the act of creation itself. It is the expression of this capacity for creative action that makes the tragic conditions of life tolerable, bearable – remarkable, miraculous” (Peterson, Jordan B., 1999, Maps of meaning, Routledge, London & New York).

How do you believe counselling can help?
“Through the art of being present to another person”, Mahoney suggests, “the client/therapist relationship provides a context for vital experiments in living…a transformational crucible” (2003).”

Your approach to counselling:
“Existential; integrative”

Jennifer completed her Masters in Counselling Psychology (MCP) at Adler University and is a Registered Psychologist. She genuinely loves people and desires for them to grow and develop and live a life of fullness. It excites Jennifer to be able to sit in the space with another person and witness them as they are and who they are becoming. She is honoured that so many people would share their lives with her and allow her to journey with them through difficult times. She desires to help others find peace with the past, joy in the present and hope for the future.

Inspirational Quote:
“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny…” – C.S. Lewis

How do you believe counselling can help?
“I believe that counselling provides people with the opportunity to discover new things about themselves. I also believe that counselling can provide a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless and power to the powerless. It is a place where people can grow, develop and experience their own uniqueness, which can be exciting and scary all at the same time. When our hearts are revealed to us, we are graced with seeing the beauty inside. On the flipside, we also are vulnerable to seeing the not so beautiful areas in our lives. To learn to love and respect all parts of who we are and what they have given to us provides a person with the affinity to move through and experience healing.”

Your approach to counselling:
“Multiple facets impact people and how they interact with the world. I desire to provide a safe place for people to be heard, respected and honoured through love and compassion. Through time, sensitivity and understanding, we come to process as to how to best bring peace, healing and hope, personally for you. This can be a scary, unpredictable journey, but I will always do my best for those who come, so I invite you to come as you are, and just be. I love to meet you where you are, and I love to walk into places that may be scary to go alone.”

Marliss graduated with her Ph.D. in 1988 from the University of Alberta. She has her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and has been counselling for over 25 years. Marliss works with individuals, couples, families, primarily adults, but also works with children and adolescents (when working with children it is essential to work with the parents as well.)

From the time that she was involved in planning her university career, she was interested in Psychology. Her mother was a special education teacher, and her father was an Administrator in Social Work. She was always interested in their work and in their attitudes of caring for and helping others. When she took her first psychology course, she was totally inspired and knew that it was the direction that her career would take. She continued to believe that it was the most wonderful choice of career for herself. Marliss has always been fortunate to love her work. Marliss’s strongest interests in counselling are stress management, marriage counselling, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, understanding cognitive disabilities and special education needs, managing behavior problems, depression, and anxiety.

How do you believe counselling can help?
“Providing support in a nonjudgmental fashion, allowing people to have their feelings, recognizing the vulnerabilities, but also the strengths that individuals bring to the situation, offering observations and suggestions from a helpful perspective, and by helping clients to resolve their concerns within an accepting environment.”

Your approach to counselling:
“I use a supportive, client focused approach. I strongly believe in Cognitive Behavior Therapy as well. I listen, ask questions, and provide observations, but also try to provide theoretical perspectives that will assist the individual to explore, understand, and resolve their concerns.”

Shelby is currently on maternity leave, returning May 9th. 

Shelby completed her Master of Counselling degree at City University of Seattle in Edmonton and is a registered psychologist through the College of Alberta Psychologists. Her previous education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Applied Psychology and a minor in Education from Concordia University of Edmonton.

Shelby works with adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families from all walks of life. She believes that we are all responsible for creating our own meaning in life. Our past plays an important role in shaping who we are as individuals, but it does not determine who we become. Shelby will work with you to overcome the things that may be holding you back in life and to strengthen your genuine self.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give to situations.” – Alfred Adler

How do you believe counselling can help?

Each person has a unique perspective that shapes the way they view the world and make sense of things. These perspectives dictate how and why a person behaves the way that they do, but sometimes we get stuck in negative patterns that are hard to get out of. Awareness of our unique patterns and ourselves is the first step to creating a meaningful life. Counselling provides a safe environment in which we can explore and work towards a healthier version of ourselves.

Your approach to counselling:

As a counsellor my role is to teach, guide, and encourage people in creating a better understanding and changing the parts of their life story that is holding them back. My goal is to create a cooperative, optimistic, respectful, and growth-focused therapeutic environment in which people can feel safe. Although much of my practice is influenced by Adlerian psychotherapy, I draw on other counselling models to fit the unique needs of each individual.

As a Registered Psychologist, Nadia works with individuals of diverse ethnic, cultural, and individual backgrounds. Since no two people are the same, working with Nadia is a collaborative process, where therapy is tailored to be just right for you!

Nadia is passionate about working with those who struggle with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and unhealthy or abusive relationships. She also supports individuals going through stressful life transitions in their families, relationships, spirituality, or at work. Working from a cognitive behavioral approach, therapy with Nadia will focus on setting goals, making visible life changes, and experiencing the difference in how you think and feel about yourself.

Nadia received both her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelors in Science, with Honors in Psychology, from the University of Alberta.

Inspirational Quotes:
“Every flower must grow through dirt.” – Laurie Jean Sennott

How do you believe counselling can help?
I believe that counselling provides a safe relationships and environment that allows individuals to test the limits of their beliefs and practice new behaviors they want to bring out into the rest of the world.

Your approach to counselling:
I generally work from a cognitive behavioral approach that shows clients how to tackle their thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. However, I also use a client-centered approach, and I try to match the client where they’re at in the process of change. This means finding the right techniques for each client and working with them to make sure we’re tailoring therapy to be just right!

Emily received her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2006 and has been counselling for over 20 years. She works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Emily’s interests in counselling are anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, communication, marital and relational difficulties, stress management, family of origin issues, and faith-based counselling.

Emily is a committed Christian and incorporates these values into her sessions for clients who want this perspective. She loves counselling and feels privileged to be able to support and help individuals who desire to improve their quality of life.

Inspirational Quote:
Emily does not have a single quote that guides her life. Her inspiration comes from the Bible.

How do you believe counselling can help?
“I believe that the key to therapeutic change lies in the quality of the therapeutic relationship. If clients experience complete acceptance, empathy, genuineness, openness, respect, and an understanding of the problem from the therapist, as well as ideas about its solution, it empowers them and causes them to feel free and safe to explore their issues.”

Your approach to counselling:
“I am an integrative therapist and vary my counselling approach to accommodate my individual clients and the circumstances that bring them into counselling.”

Tanisha provides in-person and virtual counselling.

Tanisha received her bachelor’s in psychology in 2003, and a master’s in counselling psychology from Northern Caribbean University in 2005. She also pursued further training in the field at Athabasca University and California Southern University. Tanisha has several years of experience working with children, adolescent, adults, and families. She has provided therapeutic interventions for individuals presenting with various psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, anger, grief, and loss. She has also supported individuals struggling with parenting issues, relationship problems, history of abuse, stress, and trauma. Tanisha is also able to provide spiritual support and Christian counselling.

Inspirational Quotes:

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, suffering, struggles, loss, and have found their way out of the depts.” – Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

How do you believe counselling can help?

When we go through challenges and struggles as individuals, our thought patterns usually become negatively skewed and our ability to cope and solve problems often diminish. Counselling can provide a safe, caring, nonjudgmental environment to share concerns and express our feelings. Counselling helps to release tension, restore hope, bring new perspective, and generate solutions.

Your approach to counselling:

I mainly utilize cognitive behavioural techniques in helping clients examine their challenging thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. I believe that counselling should be client-centered as everyone is unique and possess their own answers and solutions within them. When suitable, I also integrate other theoretical approaches, prayer, play therapy and art.

Alex is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and has been counselling at Cornerstone since January of 2021. One of the things she loves most about counselling is the privilege that comes through sitting with courageous individuals each and every day. She learns through her interactions with clients and is grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside them through various stages of life.

Since working at Cornerstone during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex has been offering individual counselling in-person, online, and over the telephone. In addition to her counselling work, Alex has been using her skills to facilitate mental health groups and informative webinars for businesses and not-for-profits.

Alex has received an M.A. in Counselling from Providence Theological Seminary and a Bachelors in Science in Psychology from the University of Alberta.

Inspirational Quote
“Choose, everyday to forgive yourself. You are human, flawed, and most of all worthy of love.” – Alison Malee

How do you believe counselling can help
In creating a therapeutic connection, individuals can feel heard and seen at their deepest levels. In this space compassion, validation, strength, and worthiness are cultivated and individuals can become more equipped to better walk through situations they are experiencing. I truly believe that positive growth best occurs through human connection.

Your Approach to Counselling
I strive to create a compassionate, dignified, and safe environment. The foundation of my practice is built on person-centered techniques and I often utilize cognitive behavioural, attachment, feminist/liberationist, and emotion-focused theories. In this space, there can be collaborative work in exploring new areas, inspiring awareness, and fostering healthy lifestyles and relationships.

Sheila completed the Masters of Counselling program at City University of Seattle, Edmonton. She graduated from the University of Alberta in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Biological Sciences.

Striving to provide therapy to persons in need, Sheila has a deep interest in understanding people in their entirety. She believes it is important to see the person as a whole, and to understand the factors, events, and people, that have shaped who they are, and the path that has led them to therapy. Therefore, being aware of unique factors such as the oppression, pain, and barriers her clients face, is very important to her.

Inspirational Quotes:
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi

How do you believe counselling can help?
I believe each person is the master of their own life. Therefore, my main role as a therapist is to help support people and help them achieve insight about themselves, their relationships, and their behaviors. Counselling, just like many other environments, allows a space where people can build new and positive experiences. If the therapeutic environment is safe, supportive, and non-judgmental, a strong therapeutic relationship can be built in which healing and growth can occur. 

Your approach to counselling:
Currently, my approach to therapy can be summarized as eclectic because I truly believe in meeting people where they are at. However, the roots of my work lie heavily in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral therapy, and Narrative therapy. Furthermore, I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) techniques for working with trauma.

Sean graduated from the University of Alberta with his Bachelor of Arts in 1991. He went on to the University of Minnesota earning his Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology in 1994.

Sean completed an internship in adoption, attachment disorder and play therapy in 1996. He has been counselling for over 20 years and his strongest interests are military families and the stresses they face, the impact of childhood trauma, adoption and how people adjust to later adoption, family dynamics, and adjustment to family transitions.

Sean works with children, families and couples. He works with children beginning in infancy, but any work with children younger than 5 takes the form of parental consultation and focuses on building therapeutic parenting skills. Sean does counselling and assessments with children and families. He chose to become a counsellor because he was always drawn to service based careers that involved helping others: policing, military, counselling, and teaching. He believes that counselling impacts lives in a very personal and satisfying way. It is humbling and awe-inspiring to be part of a person’s efforts to improve themselves and overcome the pain in their lives.

Inspirational Quotes:
“Be the person you want your child to become” – Noah ben Seah

“Experience consists of mistakes from which you learn. Failure consists of mistakes from which you don’t.” – Gary Emery

How do you believe counselling can help?
“Through the application of compassion, insight, and specific techniques within the context of a trusting therapeutic relationship, counselling offers people the opportunity to alter their frame of reference and re-write their working models (the assumptions we have about ourselves, others and the world around us). These assumptions colour our experience, decisions, and emotional responses. They are learned through our past personal experiences and create our expectations about the present and the future. A person’s anxieties or unhappiness today result from their past experiences, and the working models the person has created based on those experiences.”

Your approach to counselling:
“Eclectic. At its base, my approach arises from Humanistic-Existential psychology. I make heavy use of Cognitive Behavioral techniques. My work with children is fairly systemic, taking into account the context in which the child lives, and involving the parents in an ongoing consultation process, even when the work is focused on the child.”

Janet completed her Ph.D. in Psychology (Clinical) at the University of British Columbia and is a Registered Psychologist.

She works with adults, teenagers, and couples and has experience with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, dependence, abuse/neglect, suicidality/self-harm, personality and relational issues. Her masters and doctoral research focused on perfectionism – if you feel a pressure to be or seem perfect and this adds another layer to your struggles, let’s navigate this together.

Additionally, Janet is a Christian and would welcome the opportunity to incorporate discussions of faith into sessions for clients that also desire to include this element into counselling.

Inspirational Quotes:
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl G. Jung

How do you believe counselling can help?
Sometimes in the midst of struggles, we can lose hold of ourselves. I welcome the opportunity to walk with you in your struggles as you become increasingly grounded and confident in your authentic self.

Your approach to counselling:
I take an integrative approach to psychotherapy. My first priority is in building a safe and trusting relationship with you, and getting to know you; from there, I incorporate strategies from different theories to best adapt therapy to you.

Steve received his undergrad in Psychology from the University of the Fraser Valley and his MA in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. He has much experience in working with adolescents in various capacities as well as adults. He is most interested in working with people with various types of anxiety, phobias, and depression since his theoretical orientation is both CBT and REBT.

The most rewarding part of being a psychologist is seeing people grow and change and being able to be a part of that. In his free time, he loves watching and playing sports, specifically hockey and football.

Inspirational Quotes:
“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” – Epictetus

How do you believe counselling can help?
“I believe therapy can help by developing trust with people while they begin to share very personal aspects of their lives. As clients start to open up and feel comfortable, they often discuss issues that they have never disclosed before, and it is often during these times that the process of change starts to occur.”

Your approach to counselling:
“My approach to therapy involves seeing the client as the expert, as they know themselves better than anyone. Regardless of which modality I use, I always take a client centered approach by showing empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard which is arguably most important.”

Marcus provides virtual counselling.

Marcus is a Master of Social Work graduate of the University of British Columbia. Additionally, he has a BA (UAlberta), BSW (UCalgary), and is a Registered Clinical Social Worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Marcus works with individuals, couples, and families, aged 12-100. His strongest interest is relationship counselling.

Marcus became a counsellor to help people change and grow through intentional work within a professional relationship.

Inspirational Quote:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap; a time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down, a time to build; a time to weep, a time to laugh; a time to mourn, a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to speak, and a time to keep silent; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

How do you believe counselling can help?
“With and through supportive accompaniment, people can more deeply understand themselves and their social environment and can build skills for successful living and hope for a different future. Skilled and compassionate service to others is my hallmark.”

Your approach to counselling:

• Systems– working with people in the various contexts of their lives (e.g., psycho-emotional, relationship, work, faith, cultural).
• Strength-based – identifying and harnessing people’s innate and acquired abilities and skills.
• Existential – exploring purpose and mission in people’s lives.

Caryn is a provisional psychologist and a doctoral student. She obtained a Master of Education degree in Educational Psychology and Special Education (School and Counselling Psychology) from the University of Saskatchewan. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Educational Psychology (Counselling Psychology) at the University of Alberta. Caryn is passionate about working with adolescents and adults to address life’s challenges and find a way forward. Her research interests include shame related to racism and ways to address it.

Caryn is a first-generation immigrant (1.5 generation according to some!) and has firsthand understanding of life in a new culture and what it’s like to live between two cultures. The moment she knew she was changing from a big(ger)-city BC girl to a prairie girl was when she wondered how a lack of snow would impact the farmers. She has yet to see the northern lights, but some day!

Inspirational Quote
“Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius

How do you believe counselling can help
Along the path of the journey of life, we all come across challenging times where we need a safe place to just be ourselves and be heard. Talking to someone, gaining new perspectives and skills, and being seen can help make the journey easier. Even when things are going well, there are times where having a safe ear can be helpful because the twists and turns in life can sometimes leave us a little disoriented. Counselling can help make things clearer and help us discover where we want to go and how to get there.

Your Approach to Counselling
Caryn’s approach to counselling is integrative, not adhering strictly to one way of counselling. Central to it all is the relationship she builds with clients. She believes in being flexible in her approach and meeting clients where they’re at. Caryn strives to work together with clients to identify where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there. Her approaches include narrative therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and person-centred approaches. She integrates elements of expressive arts therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and discussing in-the-moment experiences. She is also trained in cognitive processing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Freda completed her undergraduate degrees at the University of Saskatchewan and Athabasca University, and her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. Freda has worked for several years with children, youth, and families, and provides support for people experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, ADHD, and relationship conflict. Freda is passionate about working towards equality and justice for all members of our community.

Inspirational Quotes:

“When you have more than what you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.”-Unknown

How do you believe counselling can help?

I believe that people create stories out of the events which take place in their lives, and that those stories help us to understand who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. Sometimes the stories of our lives are not what we’d like them to be, and often the environment we are living in contributes to those less-than-desirable plot lines.

You could think of me as a ghost writer. I can help you with the writing, but the story is yours, and you are always in control of what you want it to say. I use many different strategies as we work together, based on what we are working on and what feels comfortable to you.

Your approach to counselling:

I use strategies from a variety of different counselling perspectives, primarily narrative therapy, person-centred therapy, and ACT. I believe that the best approach is one that is tailored to the needs and wishes of the person.

Ann-Renee provides counselling to children, adolescents, and families.

Ann-Renee completed her Masters of Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She has a Bachelor of Religion and Child & Youth Care from Taylor University Seminary. Ann-Renee has extensive history working with children, teens, and their families with acute psychiatric challenges as in-patients within a hospital setting. She currently works with the Children’s Mental Health Education Team, running various single sessions and parenting groups for both caregivers and educators.

Ann-Renee is passionate about helping children, teens, and adults as they walk through their journey of life. She values the importance of a positive relationship between counsellor and client in recognizing and enhancing the strengths that already exist within the client.

Inspirational Quotes:
“To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono (Pop group U2 front man)

How do you believe counselling can help?
We are all trying to go through life as best we can, using the gifts that God has given us to the best of our abilities. Counselling allows us to recognize those gifts more clearly and use them in a positive and helpful way as we travel through the peaks and valleys of our own unique journey.

Your approach to counselling:
My main goal as a counsellor is to listen and work collaboratively with clients in achieving their goals. I aim to offer a safe and judgement-free space in which the client can learn and grow. I try to use theoretical approaches that will best suit the client; however, my background is in Solution-Focused Therapy.

Andrew McBeth is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor. Before completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, Andrew worked in the world of radio broadcasting. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Religious Studies and spent time serving as a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.

For Andrew, working as a therapist is viewed as an act of human service, from which professional excellence and quality care entwine to promote a sense of safety and wellbeing for people seeking counselling. Andrew finds nothing more fulfilling than the experience of journeying alongside individuals during times of difficulty, helping them navigate the countless complexities of life en route to therapeutic change.

Andrew is also interested in spirituality and the exploration of what people consider to be spiritually sacred. He believes the counselling process, when integrated with spirituality, can facilitate health and wellbeing as people discover more of themselves through an inquisitive investigation of what is held most sacred.

Inspirational Quote
“Reality is more what we make of it than what it might really be.” –Steve De Shazer

How do you believe counselling can help
Counselling provides a bridge between problematic situations and change. As the cornerstone of counselling, the therapeutic relationship provides people with the opportunity to address and work through deep-seated psychological concerns free from such obstacles as bias and judgement. No matter the issue—emotional turmoil, life change, crisis, doubts, difficulties, frustrations, spirituality, or suicidality—counselling lays the groundwork for resiliency and provides a path forward towards personal healing and transformation.

Your Approach to Counselling
As a counsellor, my role is to facilitate depth of discovery by helping you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your potential to enact change in your life. Through an integrative approach to counselling that draws from numerous therapeutic methods, the goal is to tailor the approach to your unique circumstance and needs. Aside from the therapeutic method, the counsellor-client relationship is paramount in that you and I, through a collaborative relationship, co-create a therapeutic experience conducive to the outcomes that you’re seeking to achieve.

Cassie obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from MacEwan University in 2018. She is currently working on completing her Master of Counselling through City University of Seattle, Calgary, and plans to graduate in 2022.

Cassie has always been interested in other people and what makes them unique. She would like everyone to have the ability to grow into their best selves, which is part of why she is passionate about working in the mental health field. In her free time, Cassie enjoys being outside, playing ball hockey, and reading.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

How do you believe counselling can help?

I believe counselling can help as it gives everyone a safe space to talk with an unbiased and nonjudgmental professional. It gives us the ability to find ourselves and practice new skills to better our lives and lead to self-improvement.

Your approach to counselling:

My general approach to counselling is to meet clients where they are at and help them use their existing strengths to improve their mental wellbeing. One way I like to do this is with cognitive behaviour therapy as it combines our beliefs, feelings, and behaviours. I also have experience using solution focused therapy.

Dawne completed a Bachelor of Arts in Religion (Ambrose, 2001) and later followed with a Master of Divinity (Regent College, 2013). At Cornerstone, Dawne is completing the practicum portion of a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. Her academic and ministry pursuits have culminated a spiritually-integrated approach to providing compassionate care and counselling to people seeking help. This focus emerged during the ten years she was involved with prison ministry, where it became clear that compassion is not only turning toward people in suffering, but also gaining the knowledge and skills to best help. She is looking forward to offering unconditional compassionate care and support for people seeking understanding and healing from issues and wounds sustained through the realities of life.

Inspirational Quotes:

“The freedom question is not whether we can do whatever we want but whether we can do what we most deeply want.” ― Gerald May, quoted in The Truths that Free Us by Ruth Haley Barton

“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning…” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

How do you believe counselling can help?

Counselling, at its best, is a relational way to support and help others to confront and work at overcoming their challenges. In fact, one intriguing study notes that when someone is present with an individual facing a steep hill to climb, the hill literally looks less steep (this includes both metaphorical and physical hills). A counsellor can be that trusted presence who supports people in finding the courage to confront the steep realities of life’s challenges. In the context of a trusted therapeutic relationship, counselling can offer a secure base for individuals to do the hard work of exploring their inner worlds. Through this process, counselling may bring new perspectives, knowledge, self-insight, self-compassion, new approaches to old issues, and more.

Your approach to counselling:

I have trained specifically in Relational Cultural Theory which is based on the idea that we are all hard-wired for connection and that disconnection and isolation are at the root of a great many mental health issues. Founded upon attachment theory and social neuroscience, the RCT model emphasizes that it is within mutuality and growth-fostering relationships that people heal; this important tenet informs my approach to counselling.

I believe every individual is of inestimable worth and value, no matter their circumstances. This belief underwrites my commitment to being nonjudgmental and to having unconditional positive regard for every person. I have also extensively studied compassion science and seek to integrate this into the modalities I utilize, particularly Compassion Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, backgrounded by elements of Family Systems Therapy

Toby completed his undergraduate degree at MacEwan University in 2016, where he Majored in Psychology and Minored in Sociology. He is currently working on completing his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology through Yorkville University, and he plans to graduate in 2022.

Friends and family would describe Toby as someone of kindred spirit, easy to talk to and a good listener. He has always been genuinely passionate about helping others and learning about them and what makes them who they are.

When he is not working or completing school work, Toby enjoys driving to the mountains, going for hikes, bicycling, and kayaking. He is also a bit of a fitness enthusiast.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Fight for your dreams, and your dreams will fight for you.” ― Paulo Coelho

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” ― Norman Vincent Peale

How do you believe counselling can help?

I believe counselling aims to help individuals learn to deal with and overcome issues that cause them emotional pain or make them uncomfortable. I also believe that counselling can provide a safe and regular place for individuals to talk and explore their complicated feelings.

Your approach to counselling:

My approach to counselling will look at a few avenues as I am relatively new. The methods that resonate with me are mindfulness-based counselling (MBT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and client-centred therapy. I enjoy the concept of mindfulness-based therapy as it is the process in which the client will focus on their sensations, thoughts, and bodily states without judgment. Although MBT is sometimes paired with Cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT is another approach that focuses on how one’s thoughts and behaviours dictate their feelings in a given situation. Finally, client-centred therapy. I believe that people already have the qualities to prosper in any situation, given the proper guidance. Client center therapy can help clients reach their full potential.