About Melanie

I’m particularly intrigued by how we handle emotions. How are we responding or not responding to a situation or our environment? How does connection and disconnection from one another influence how we feel? And lastly, what is the recipe for changing our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions? If you’re wondering the same, you’ve come to the right place! Therapy is about bringing awareness to your inner experiences because you can’t change what you don’t notice.
In terms of how I work, my style is compassionate and down to earth. I tailor my approach based on your needs while using evidence-based practices. I’m influenced by several modalities such as Mindfulness Cognitive Based Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-based Therapy, and Trauma Informed Therapy. If those terms mean something to you, great, but if not, that’s fine too because fundamentally therapy is about change.
Change is an inevitable part of life and when we resist it, we remain stuck with internal distress. But it doesn’t have to be like that. You have the potential to live a life worth living if you do the work. Therapy is hard. It takes commitment to try new things, and to break old patterns and habits.
I am a lifelong learner and have received intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and other modalities. I completed my graduate training in Masters of Clinical Social Work with a focus on peri-natal and postpartum mental health. To stay on top of new clinical developments and treatments, I regularly consult and receive training from various professionals who are considered experts in their fields of practice. It is my personal belief that competence in being a therapist is developed over time and requires humility, critical self-reflection and a curiosity to learn from others.
My clinical experience spans over 20 years of working within the private and public mental health sectors providing therapeutic services to adults, family, adolescents and children.

Education and Qualifications
I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Manitoba College of Social Workers. The benefit of seeking counselling from a regulated professional is that their regulatory bodies ensure its members adhere to a certain code of ethics, standards of practice, competence and continued education.
I hold an undergraduate degree in Social Work and a Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree (clinical stream) obtained from the University of Manitoba. I have completed advanced clinical training and research in perinatal and postpartum mood disorders.