counselling & psychotherapy
welcome all!
it can be hard to reach out for support. i’m glad you’re here.
with over 20 years of professional counselling experience, you can be assured you are in good hands.
– libby ells, msw, rsw
social worker, psychotherapist
how to reach me
7456 birnam line, warwick township, ontario, n0n 1j4
+ 1 (519) 328 9144
libby@northerncardinalcounselling.ca
is counselling for me?
if there is disconnect between how things are in your life and how you would like them to be, you may benefit from counselling or psychotherapy.
i’ve been working to facilitate hope and change with individuals, couples and families for over 20 years. my hope is that you leave our session with a new way of thinking about things or a plan for a way forward in your life.
my goal is to create an environment where you feel safely supported to explore those areas where you may be prevented from achieving the life you want.
benefits & risks
as with most treatments, there are potential risks – as well as benefits – to your participation in counselling or psychotherapy. it is important to discuss your questions and concerns with your counsellor/therapist. some of the potential risks and benefits include (and are not limited to) the following list.
benefits
- clients may feel better about themselves, feel stronger in the world and learn new skills
- clients may overcome fears, anxieties and anger
- therapy may provide a safe and confidential space for reflection and considering options when one faces important decisions
- therapy may lead to making permanent changes in our world views, self-view and view of others
- therapy may lead to growth as persons, in relationships, at work, at school and at home
- clients may experience greater satisfaction with life
risks
- in the beginning stages of therapy, clients may feel worse before they feel better
- there may be moments of being in touch with intense and sometimes painful emotions (anxiety, sadness, guilt, anger, frustration), often for the first time, as one shares unpleasant memories, histories and experiences in the process of change
- clients may experience discomfort as a result of challenging taken-for-granted belief systems and interpretations
- with self-discovery, some clients may question the way they live their lives and their relationships as they change beliefs or priorities or change direction
did you know?
social workers are the largest group of professionals providing counselling and psychotherapy in north america
ontario association of social workers
80% of counselling in canada is provided by social workers
ontario association of social workers
the modal number of sessions a client attends is one
duncan & miller, the heart and soul of change
some clients may need 25 sessions or more
duncan & miller, the heart and soul of change
services
some of my guiding assumptions include:
- everyone is multi-storied, with many versions of problem and solution events
- people typically come for therapy when they believe they have reached the limit of what is known and familiar to them – they may be engaged with a single story that is pathologizing, limiting and oppressive
- people have values, beliefs, commitments, intentions, preferences, hopes and dreams
- people engage in actions and initiatives which may start out as adaptive and become non-adaptive
- families, youth and children are experts in their own lives
- people have, within them, the knowledge, abilities and skills they need to solve the ‘problem’ that brings them to therapy
my job, therefore, is to listen with curiosity and ask questions that elicit a different telling of the problem story; to help you “unpack” your experience(s), with the goal of helping you to remember the knowledges, skills and abilities you possess that can be brought to bear on the current “problem”
land acknowledgement
i want to acknowledge that i live on and work from land that is a part of the traditional territory of the ojibwe, potawatomi and odawa first nations. i acknowledge the historical and continuing contributions of indigenous peoples, including first nation, métis and inuit peoples, to this land, this province and this country.
i recognize and respect the diverse cultures, knowledge and reciprocal connection of these peoples to the land they have inhabited for thousands of years. it is my privilege to live, work and play here and i am thankful for the stewardship of indigenous people from the beginning. i recognize our shared responsibility to respectful relationships and to the continued well-being of the land that nurtures all of us.
i’m ready to get in touch
no issue is too big to overcome. reach out to me today.