Student Counsellor
In Person & Online
Adult Individual Counselling
Youth & Family Counselling
Couples Counselling
BIOGRAPHY
I’m Gabi, I’m pursuing a Master of Counselling at Athabasca University, having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Calgary and a Counselling Diploma from Stenberg College. With seven years of experience in social services, I have worked as a Behaviour Interventionist for neurodivergent children and as frontline staff in a homeless shelter. While completing my Counselling Therapist diploma, I undertook a practicum with Moving Forward Family Services. I designed and co-facilitated a women’s group, conducted Cognitive Behavioural Coaching, and provided counselling for individual clients and couples. While completing my Master's, I also work as a Victim Support Worker in a women’s centre and a Client Support Worker in a women’s recovery house.
PHILOSOPHY
My counselling approach is integrative, trauma-informed, person-centred, and strengths-focused. I believe counselling should be tailored to each client; therefore, I draw on various interventions from different counselling theories, including Emotion-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Family Systems Therapy. This means our work together may involve tuning into and naming your emotions to better understand what they’re telling you, exploring the stories you hold about yourself and your life to see where they may need updating, and considering how your relationships and family dynamics have shaped your experiences. Throughout, we’ll work together in a way that honours your pace, priorities, and strengths.
SPECIALIZATIONS
I am interested in trauma and its impact on individuals. My interest in trauma is both academic and personal. Having experienced trauma myself, I recognize that each experience is unique and emphasize the importance of safety and nonjudgmental spaces for healing. I understand trauma can impact emotional wellbeing, relationships, physical health and more. As a result, my approach with clients involves exploring clients’ stories and focusing on fostering client empowerment by emphasizing clients’ resiliency. I work with individuals, couples, groups, families, and children ages 12+. I believe the relationship dynamics are key when working with couples and families. Some of the areas I work with include: · Relationship issues · Anxiety · Self-esteem · Depression · Trauma · Grief · Attachment injuries · Life transitions
