About Us
We believe you deserve to have access to quality and professional services that honour the fullness of your humanity.
Margaret (Maggie) Brennan
Founder & Clinical Director
“As a fellow human being I understand how messy, challenging and painful life can be. I also understand how hard it can be to acknowledge when you are suffering and seek help.
What I know to be true:
No one is beyond struggling. We all experience challenges and we can all benefit from support and guidance at different times throughout our lives.
We all possess strengths and resources.
We all have the capacity to learn, heal and grow. "
You don’t have to go through things alone. We are here to help.
Being.
Being alive is inherently full of challenges, losses, hardships, hurts, obstacles and longings. One of the core tasks of living is figuring out how you want to respond to these unavoidable experiences of being human and how you want to live your life. How do you want to show up? Who do you want to be to the people in your life? What kind of a relationship do you want to have with yourself and others?
&
Becoming.
Becoming is the process of trying to move in the direction you want to go — whether it’s reconnecting with your true self; becoming more of the person you want to be; responding to situations or challenges in new ways; or creating an authentic life that is meaningful to you. Becoming is very much a process, a direction — not a destination.
THE MEANING BEHIND “BEING AND BECOMING”
At Being and Becoming Counselling and Wellness Services we support you in learning to respond to whatever life has thrown at you and help you become who you want to be.
Connect
Our work is grounded in meeting you human to human. Connection is essential for positive therapy outcomes. The connection you have with your therapist creates the container in which you can begin to open up, engage with yourself and others in new ways, and make meaningful changes.
Our Guiding Principles
Connect
Resource
We recognize the importance of equipping you with the resources you need to be able to make changes. We are committed to providing you with the necessary information, tools and guidance, enabling you to unlock new potentials and possibilities.
Empower
We strive to maintain an anti-oppressive practice. We help you reconnect with yourself, your strengths and capacities, so that you can regain agency and choice in your life.
Our Approach
How We Help
1.
We Listen To You
We listen, ask questions and provide space. Our goal is to understand the unique challenges that are preventing you from living the life you want. We strive to understand the changes you want to make and what is preventing you from being able to make these changes.
2.
We Create A Plan
We offer choices and seek your input to determine the approach that fits best for you. We develop a personalized plan aimed at helping you learn to cope with things as they are now, while also moving in the direction you want to go.
3.
We Help You Move Forward
We provide the container, guidance and resources to help you make changes that are meaningful to you. We continually check-in to evaluate progress and make adjustments as needed.
Therapy Approaches
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EMDR is a therapy approach that was developed to address trauma and has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of trauma. EMDR does not require talking in detail about traumatic experiences, and instead uses bilateral stimulation to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain.
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy was developed to address trauma and attachment issues. It draws on somatic therapies, neuroscience, attachment theories, mindfulness, and cognitive approaches. SP views the body as an incredible resource and works directly with the body and nervous system in the processing of trauma.
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IFS therapy maintains that everyone has different parts (e.g., an inner critic, a perfectionist part, a procrastinator part) as well as a Self. Some parts carry trauma or painful emotions and other parts try to protect these wounded parts. Protector parts can get stuck in extreme roles that have adverse consequences. IFS aims to heal parts from the traumas they have experienced or the burdens they carry so that the system can come into balance and the individual can be more Self-led.
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Compassion-focused therapy emphasizes the cultivation of self-compassion and compassion for others to help counteract self-criticism and shame and promote healing and well-being.
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Mindfulness refers to the ability to bring awareness to one’s present moment experience witht the qualities of curiosity, kindness and non-judgment. Mindfulness-based therapies help individuals develop this capacity through both formal and informal mindfulness practices and incorporate teachings from the mindfulness tradition.
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Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that works directIy with the body. There are many different kinds of somatic therapy. Somatic therapy helps individuals inhabit their bodies so that they can use their body as a resource; gain awareness of the information coming from the body and regain trust in this information so they can take effective action to get their needs met; learn to move and work with their body in ways that help to experience feelings of calm and safety, energy, or empowerment; and heal traumas that are held in the body.
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CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety. It focuses on helping individuals identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns—such as excessive worry, catastrophic thinking, or overestimating danger—and gradually change behaviours that maintain anxiety, like avoidance or safety-seeking habits. Rather than dwelling on the past, CBT emphasizes practical strategies that help individuals manage anxiety in the present and build confidence in facing feared situations.
FAQs
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Sessions are 50-minutes in length. You are billed for 60-minutes, which allows your therapist 10 minutes for record keeping.
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This will vary depending on your presenting concern, personal situation and goals. Therapy is typically most effective when you come weekly in the beginning and gradually reduce the frequency of your sessions as you move toward your goals.
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We require 48-hours for cancellations, otherwise you will be charged the full rate of your session.
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While therapy is not covered by MSP, many insurance companies provide coverage for counselling under their extended health benefits. Please be sure to check with your insurance provider to determine if Registered Psychologists and/or Registered Clinical Counsellors are covered by your extended health benefits AND the details of your coverage.
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We do not offer direct billing. We provide receipts at the time of payment, which you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement according to the details of your plan.