ABOUT VANESSA

My passion has always been helping individuals and families to live a healthy, happy and productive life.    I have sought to live my passion by earning an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the Adler School Of Professional Psychology and I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an effective and efficient means of healing trauma.

I began counselling people with emotional challenges approximately thirteen years ago doing volunteer work with psychiatric patients. While completing my Master’s Degree I counselled individuals with ADD, Anxiety and Depression. Using short term techniques and play therapy I completed three practicuums counselling adults, families and children. Five years ago I moved into the challenging but very rewarding work of helping trauma survivors at the Niagara Region Sexual Assault Centre through long and short term therapy.   This past year I decided to make the exciting leap into the world of private practice as co-owner of Reclaim Counselling with my business partner Lori.

Due to my excellent education and wealth of experience I have a strong foundation as a therapist. I strongly value continued education through attendance at invaluable conferences and workshops. In my practice with individuals I always seek to find a balance between expressing empathy and challenging clients in order to facilitate their growth and to achieve their goals.   I possess excellent intuition, sensitivity and strong boundaries and ethics.

My client-centred approach comprises a blend of therapeutic philosophies and various techniques. Co-facilitating groups and workshops has always been a very rewarding aspect of the work I do.   I work with individuals with a variety of issues such as trauma, relationship difficulties, sexual diversity, disordered eating, depression, anxiety, compulsive behaviours, stress and low self esteem.