Our counselling practice offers individuals, couples, families and children expertise to support them to cope with challenges. We are certified counsellors that respect individual perspectives for healing and growth. Our services are eligible for coverage by many health care plans. Specialties include EMDR and couple therapy, family changes, depression, anxiety, grief, addictions, self esteem, eating disorders, trauma and abuse.
Our counselling is based on:
- Respect ~ for individual attitudes, perspectives, and life situations
- Confidence ~ that each person has the ability to progress and heal
- Belief ~ that counselling can support healing and insights for discovery and empowerment
We offer:
- Knowledge and experience working with individuals, couples, families, children and teens
- Accountability as Master’s degree psychotherapists and Certified Canadian Counsellors
- Familiarity with a variety of therapeutic approaches to tailor counselling to your needs
- West Ottawa location in a holistic health centre with free parking and easy bus access
- Coverage by many extended health care plans
- Appointments scheduled quickly. Daytime and evening appointments available
- Presentations and interactive workshops on mental health topics
|
 Michelle A. Bentley works with individuals, parents, families, children and teens. She has experience supporting families challenged by eating disorders, and draws on personal experience as a special education teacher, extensive work with mothers of young families and her own blended family background. Michelle earned her Master’s Degree in Counselling from Ottawa’s Saint Paul University, and is completing a post-graduate certificate in Couple & Family Therapy.
mbentley@lifesourcehc.com 613-601-1475
 Kim Maillet has training and experience working with individuals, couples and teens. She has particular interest in supporting those who have experienced trauma, as well as the elderly and their caregivers. Kim has her Master’s Degree in Counselling from Saint Paul University. She offers specialized EMDR therapy (eye movement desensitization & reprocessing), as well as integrating both mainstream and creative approaches.
kmaillet@lifesourcehc.com 613-265-2206
Assisting with:
- Trauma
- Couples
- Parenting
- Depression
- Self esteem
- Grief & Loss
- Communication
- Eating disorders
- Decision making
- Anxiety & Stress
- Children & Teens
- Spiritual questions
- Elderly & caregivers
- Blended / transitioning families
|
|
Why counselling?
Individual concerns – if you
- feel unhappy, angry or anxious
- lack confidence
- are stressed
- just lost a job
- are grieving a loss
- feel “stuck”
- have to make a decision
- struggle in relationships
- have experienced trauma
|
Marital challenges:
- we can’t agree about …
- I want more!
- the romance is gone
- we argue too much
- I think it’s over
- we don’t understand each other
|
Family – how to handle:
- divorce
- getting married/remarried
- a new baby
- teens not listening
- when a child is anxious
- stepchildren/adoption
- discipline disagreements
- siblings arguing
|
Counselling and Psychotherapy Approaches
Michelle and Kim have experience with a variety of therapeutic approaches, which allow them to tailor counselling to specifically meet your needs, goals for counselling, and particular learning style.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a thoroughly researched approach which focuses on underlying beliefs that may be affecting people’s thoughts (cognitions), feelings and behaviours. This approach is particularly valued for such concerns as anger management, anxiety, phobias and depression and can be incorporated into other therapeutic approaches.
Creative Therapy
Creative therapy approaches go beyond “talk therapy” to include activities such as art, music, body focusing, imagery and relaxation techniques in counselling.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
One of the main principles of Emotion Focused Therapy is: “the only way out of an emotion is through it”. EFT helps clients access and reflect on their emotions which enables them to make new meaning of their experiences. EFT is a non-blaming approach to help clients consider underlying emotions and unexpressed needs, which can be used to foster new or renewed closeness and understanding between family members.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment designed to access and process traumatic memories and alleviate the associated distress. Specific techniques can include finger tapping, eye movement, or tracking a light. EMDR has reported success in treatment of conditions such as: panic attacks, addictions, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, stress reduction, complicated grief and trauma related to sexual/physical abuse.
Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
An integrative approach allows therapists to modify their approach according to the specific needs of each client and new concerns that may arise during the counselling process. After the initial assessment and on an ongoing basis, therapists draw on their range of training, knowledge and experience to incorporate interventions they judge to be beneficial from cognitive, behavioural, creative, emotional, narrative and solution-focused, pastoral, and systems approaches.
Narrative and Solution-Focused Therapies
Narrative and solution-focused therapies share a strength-based, supportive and respectful approach to assisting persons to find new directions. Narrative therapy focuses on stories that may have developed about people’s lives that they feel are limiting their functioning, and helps them to consider new meanings and opportunities. For families and children, this approach can include using language in a playful manner to separate or externalize the problem in a way that is motivating and diminishes conflicts. The solution-focused approach encourages clients to identify specific ways to build on helpful behaviours and attitudes to efficiently bring about desired changes.
Self Psychology
Self psychology is a type of psychoanalysis which pays particular attention to a person's need to develop a healthy, vigorous sense of self. Therapists value an empathetic approach to understanding the emotional truth of each person's unique experience. Through a relationship with the therapist in which one feels safe, respected, and understood, various problems in living can be reduced and potential released, for more confident and effective self-expression.
Spiritual Integration
Counselling may incorporate spiritual resources from the client’s own beliefs, combined with psychological understanding in fostering healing and growth. You are welcome to include spiritual exploration and reflection in the counseling process.
Systems Approach
The systems approach supports both individual and couple or family clients to consider in a non-blaming fashion what patterns have influenced beliefs and behavior and both what is working and what might be improved in communicating and relationships. Counselling may involve directed conversations and specific interventions to explore dynamics and practice more effective relationship and communication skills.
We invite clients to inform us of their goals for therapy, what direction seems most appropriate and helpful to them, and to ask any questions they may have before or during the counselling process. We look forward to speaking with you!
|
