Tailored Approach Change and healing are possible. Some concerns that might bring someone to counselling include: trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, grief and loss, childhood abuse, self-harm, anger, stress, guilt, trust, career, separation and divorce, or parenting. Let's set up a free consultation to talk about your concerns.
Availability Day and evening appointments are available.
Payment and Rates Payment can be made before each session by cash, cheque, e-transfer or credit card. Cancellations without 48 hours’ notice are charged the full fee. Hourly rates are comparable to the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors recommenced fees at $150.00/50 minute hour. Please inquire about rates for Intensives. I also work with insurance providers and EAP's, please inquire with your provider to learn if RCC or CCC designations is covered.
Funding may be available through several programs where I am registered:
Members of First Nations Communities (Blue Cross)
Crime Victim Assistance Program
Veteran Affairs
RCMP
ICBC
About Michelle: We are all born into circumstances that affect our lives in many ways and then ripple in ourselves and our communities. Mine began in Ontario, Canada as the youngest of three. In my 20’s, I graduated from Trent University with an Honours B.A., in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology as well as a TESL diploma from Fleming College. With shoddy internet service to be found only at an internet café, I began travelling. Over a ten-year period, I lived and taught English in rural Japanese village for three years and then for four years, lived in Hong Kong, teaching and attending HKU for my teaching degree. While overseas, I travelled to Nepal six times between 1999-2007 witnessing the impacts of the civil war, I caught a glimpse of Mt. Everest from Tibet and few times from the Khumbu Glacier, I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, learned to dive in the Philippines and had many, many other life affirming experiences. This period of my life spurred growth and was deeply healing. In 2007, I returned to Canada ready to pursue a career in counselling. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in co-operative education and psychology and an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria. As part of the journey to becoming a therapist, I developed counselling experience supporting students in the school environment as a district elementary counsellor and a behaviour support teacher. I also developed experience supporting high-school students’ emotional well-being and health while living at a boarding school. As my practice evolved, I began to specialize in trauma therapy and working with clients coping with Complex Trauma, PTSD, DID, Bipolar, Borderline, Depression, Anxiety, Personality Disorders, childhood trauma, abuse/violence, accidents, grief and loss and relational issues. I bring warmth, sensitivity, compassion, and advocacy to either short or long-term therapy.
Education: B.A. Honours Sociology/Cultural Anthropology (Trent University) T.E.S.L Diploma (Fleming College) Graduate Diploma in Education (University of Hong Kong) B.A. Honours Psychology/Co-operative Education (University of Victoria) M.A. Counselling Psychology (University of Victoria) EMDR Certified Therapist/EMDRIA Approved Consultant IFS Level 1 with IFS Institute - certification in process
Professional development:
Citizens Counselling Centre (peer counsellor program)
Advanced EMDR trainings include :Looking through the eyes of trauma and dissociation (S.Paulsen), The Embodied Self: Somatic Interweave for EMDR (S.Paulsen), When there are No Words (S.Paulsen), EMDR Therapy for Personality Disorders with C-PTSD (D. Mosquera), Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR: The Progressive Approach (D. Mosquera), Attachment and Dissociation (E. Davis), Flash Technique (R. Geenwald), yearly EMDRIA conferences, Strengthening the Self, A. Leeds, Case Formation, A. Leeds; Imaginal Nurturing A. Steel, Hostile Voices and Suicide and Self-Harming D. Mosquera, Easy Ego States, Robin Shapiro; Assessing Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders and Case Conceptualization K, Steel; Depression Protocol, A. Hofmann and M. Lehnung, DBT (L. Peterson)
Child/youth development: Slaying the Dragon (Ricky Greenwald), Beyond Desensitization: Expanding the Window of Tolerance for Children and Teenswith EMDR Therapy, D. Wesselmann. Coursework on Children through the Gorden Neufeld Institute. Training in several social-emotional and self-regulation programs; Zones of Regulation, Erase, Second-Step, Empowering Education, Superflex, as well as IEP writing and case management, behaviour support plans.