Online Counselling for Alberta

Welcome to Well Workshop, Edmonton's ADHD clinic. The road to wellness is ongoing and can be difficult to navigate alone; with support from Well Workshop, you won’t have to. Individually, as a couple, or family, you’ll have the opportunity to work together with your therapist to acquire tools to develop and strengthen the skills and techniques needed for you to be–and stay–mentally, emotionally, and physically well.

I specialize in working with couples who want to break free from conflict to reconnect and (re)create a thriving relationship. I also work with adults struggling with anxiety and depression. You may feel stuck, lost, alone or unsure how to move forward in life or in your relationship. What ever you are dealing with there is hope. With the rights support change is possible! Counselling can be an important step forward, and this process is supported when you feel fully seen, heard and accepted by another. A strong, supportive, and safe therapeutic relationship is the foundation of this work.

I strive to offer an accepting, non-judgmental, and safe environment for all my clients. I believe that my clients are the experts in their own lives, therefore, I work with a collaborative approach.

There’s a phrase that resonates so well in our northern hemisphere: feeling snowed under. It brings a rather-Canadian image to mind along with a feeling of overwhelm. Sometimes, life feels like we’ve been left snowed under and we find ourselves spinning our wheels. It can be exhausting. I’m here to help. I’ve worked in child, adolescent, family and young adult mental health for over 20 years. I’m a parent, a partner, a professional in the field, and the learning never ends. Whether it’s raising our families or learning about the relationships we hold within ourselves, there are ways to decrease the distress and find an easier path.

Hi! I’m Dr. Michelle. I have a PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Calgary and am a Registered Psychologist in Alberta. I completed my residency in Los Angeles, California where I supervised doctoral students in addition to providing psychotherapy. In my practice I work with people managing: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and chronic health conditions. I also provide couple therapy and address the cross-over between individual health conditions in relationships.

I aim to support individuals & families to improve lives that have been negatively impacted by drugs, alcohol, gambling and process addictions. With 18 years of experience, we are well equipped with the knowledge and expertise to provide care and support for a full range of addiction concerns. I aim to help intercept and turn life back to the preferred direction of each individual and their families. I aim to help in the manner the impacted family members wish with a client centered approach. We are not able to force someone into change; however, our care and compassion allows individuals to explore change.

I see adult and adolescent clients from all sorts of different backgrounds, and who present with a variety of psychological concerns. However, I feel I’m especially well-suited to working with folks who are undergoing significant life change (e.g., job insecurity, divorce, bereavement, diagnosis, etc.), and who are experiencing anger, anxiety, or depression while traversing the flux. I’m also a keen advocate of mental wellbeing within a number of specific communities, including: veterans and first responders, men (cis and trans), LGBTQ+ folks, expatriates/immigrants, entrepreneurs, and people practicing consensual non-monogamy.

Do you feel overwhelmed and weighed down in your relationship? Are you feeling stuck in the same arguments and issues? Are you considering a break up or separation? Are you stuck in blaming and criticizing each other? Are you feeling like your partner doesn’t hear or understand you? If so, you might feel like you’re the only ones struggling but you are not alone. Together we can work to find solutions, to break unhealthy patterns of communication. I work from a solution focused approach, my goal is to listen to you and help discover solutions to bring a sense of understanding, acceptance, joy and connection into your relationships.

I am passionate about helping you restore serenity and peace in your life. I listen carefully to understand your experience, and respond to you with care and empathy. This is a process which helps you become more aware of your own strengths and resiliency and discover new possibilities. This process will help you be able to make more conscious decisions in your life, based on your own best interest instead of on old behaviour patterns. Whether you are facing an overwhelming problem or are just feeling dissatisfied with your life, you may benefit from working with me.

Are you looking for a therapist that specializes in relationship and couples issues, trauma, PTSD, anxiety and addictions? Have you ever experienced a traumatic event, recent or what seems a long time ago that occupies your mind, negatively impacts your daily life and feels like it's not over? Do you worry about the future, avoid or distract from feeling painful thoughts and emotions? Are you struggling in relationship with not feeling heard, understood, disconnected, ignored, at war with each other or just feel stuck? I can offer a place of support, safety, understanding in learning the origins and ways of addressing the issues.

It takes courage to seek help, so I commend you for taking this first step. Although therapy can seem intimidating, I view it as just like any other health service, such as the dentist or chiropractor. Just like how we visit the dentist if we have severe tooth pain or need a routine cleaning, I am here for both your traumatic experiences as well as maintenance sessions. No issue is too small when working with me and my practice, Arcadia Counselling. No one is meant to struggle alone, which is where I come in. Therapy looks different for everyone whether that is a place to unload, learn techniques, or improve your quality of life.

You’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and depressed; weighed down by hurt, shame and insecurity, and feeling “not enough.” You’ve been thinking, if you just do more, things will get better, but they aren’t and it’s impacting your relationships, your work and yourself. You are not alone. I’ve worked with many others with these same concerns.

My approach to therapy is collaborative and holistic, and is intended to help you build a better, healthier relationship with yourself and others. We’ll work together to discover ways to heal from mental illness and cope with life’s challenges. I have years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults (including couples) as an educator and therapist. I help people deal with a variety of challenges (e.g., anxiety, OCD, depression); I am trained in individual trauma therapy, and I work with individuals to find meaning in life and live theirs to its fullest despite the adversity they may have experienced.

Feel overwhelmed or burned out, struggling to focus or decompress? It's hard to be at our best when we feel out of control. Let's make sense of your concerns, find a clear way forward, and get you back on track. As a mental health expert with over 10 years in practice, I will help you establish lasting wellness so you can stay on top of what really matters - your interests, responsibilities, and relationships.

*Chronic Illness/Rare Disease Therapist & Trauma/Grief Specialist* Everyone deserves safety, trust, and hope. These build the foundation for our belief in ourselves, connection with others, and help us to live a meaningful life. Stress, health diagnosis, and unexpected challenges can uproot us. When that happens it’s my privilege to create a safe, grounding connection to help you find your way back to a meaningful life. Through a combination of trauma-informed and evidence-based counselling interventions, I provide a soft place to land, where you are seen, heard, and can safely speak your truth on the road to healing.

I enjoy helping couples who are struggling to find closeness in their relationship; typical goals are usually to improve communication and overall connection. I equally enjoy supporting individuals young and old who struggle to manage anxiety, depression, obsessions compulsions, traumas (i.e., military, car accidents), grief and loss, addictions (I.e., sexual). Goals often become finding ways to process past hurts and learn how to manage their emotions in healthier ways. With trauma in particular, I find people need support to get past stuck points that make it hard to differentiate the here and now from the trauma itself.

“Mental health is not a destination but a process- its about how you drive, not where you're going." My main focus as your therapist is to provide you with a safe, comfortable and compassionate environment in order to support you and meet you where you are at in your journey, wherever that may be. Our alliance is of the utmost importance and I strive to form meaningful and strong therapeutic connections so that my clients can flourish.

It is my passion to work collaboratively with clients to find a new path toward healing, resolution, and growth. Through providing a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment I strive to help clients achieve their goals and renew their strength. I tailor each session to attend to the specific need and situation that clients present. I provide ways clients can integrate what they are learning in therapy to apply their new skills, tools and perspectives to their everyday lives. It is my desire to see individuals and families lead passionate and fruitful lives.

*I am currently accepting new clients, both in person and online.* My passion is working with individuals and couples who are experiencing relationship issues. I believe that many of our current challenges are rooted in our past and that by uncovering and working through our past relationship difficulties, including attachment and abandonment injuries, we can begin to heal. I love working with clients who are wanting to make changes in their lives by digging deep and working to address whatever issues they are facing.

People are wonderfully complex beings. It is rare that our suffering and/or distress comes from only one funnel or area of life (although that sometimes is the case!). This is why I believe in taking a holistic approach to therapy. The consideration of nutrition, personal purpose and beliefs, sleep, physical exercise, and social connections can make a huge difference when designing a treatment plan. You are the expert of your own life. My job is to ask meaningful questions, to collect and synthesize information, and work closely with you to design your treatment journey. Let's get started!

I am gratefully working with clients from different backgrounds and cultures helping them learn how to deal with their emotions and feelings and guide them to find the best solutions for their problems, my goal is to help you and hold your hand while navigating your path.

Courageous conversations. Creative connections. Welcome! I am a Registered Psychologist in Calgary, Alberta providing counselling services and workshops to creatives, seekers, dreamers, deeply sensitive thinkers, and feelers experiencing life transitions, grief, interpersonal challenges, trauma, low self-esteem, identity crisis, stress, anxiety, or burnout. If you are creative, reflective, and looking for something to shift, I may be able to help.

Are you feeling disconnected, misunderstood or unmotivated? Are you worried your child is struggling and don’t know where else to turn? I understand that life is often hard and I can help! Contact me today to learn how to manage life’s challenges and discover life in a more rich and meaningful way.

Anyone who is not experiencing fullness and freedom like they were created to! Someone who wants more and is unsatisfied with just getting by or surviving and wants to live fully alive and free. They are ready to do whatever it takes to meet their goals and be the best version of themselves.