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Director of Counselling Services
Rebecca provides counselling to individuals, couples, and adult families dealing with a wide range of emotional and psychological issues. Her areas of specialty and interest include interpersonal relationships, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, trauma, coping through loss, divorce, and separation, as well as issues related to the dying and grieving processes.
With a warm and empathetic style, one of Rebecca's greatest strengths is her ability to connect with clients. She views her role in the counselling process as a collaborative facilitator, helping people to determine and meet their personal needs and goals. She has a strong belief in her clients’ inner resources and endeavors to help them connect with their own inner wisdom, strengths, and the significant people in their lives.
Although Rebecca is well-versed in a range of therapeutic models including experiential, psychodynamic, narrative, and emotionally-focused therapies, she works with each client to develop an individualized program that integrates the therapeutic approach most suitable for them. Rebecca is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and has found this to be one of the most effective approaches when working with clients who have experienced trauma.
Rebecca has a Masters degree in Social Work and is a registered member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and the Ontario Association of Social Workers. She participates regularly in continuing education programs to ensure that she continues to provide the most up-to-date and effective services to her clients. rfromowitz@thecounsellinggroup.com
Clinical Supervisor / Counsellor
Marlene received her Masters Degree in Social Work from the Maritime School of Social Work. Marlene began her career with JFS when it opened its doors as JSSA in 1980. She has thirty years of counselling and supervisory experience. Marlene’s expertise is in working with individuals who have experienced trauma or loss, childhood sexual abuse and loss of trust. Marlene is delighted to speak with community members who have identified a need for services not currently offered by The Counselling Group. mcherun@thecounsellinggroup.com
Intake/Counsellor
Jesse is both the intake worker, and a member of the counselling team at TCG. As the intake worker, Jesse is the point of first contact for clients who call to inquire about counselling services. All clients are greeted over the phone in an open, warm, empathetic and respectful manner. Jesse takes great care to ensure that, following an intake, the client is matched with the best possible counsellor available on our team.
Jesse also provides individual counselling to adults who may be facing a wide range of issues, including: crisis, interpersonal and relationship issues, issues related to family of origin, childhood trauma, grief and bereavement, anxiety, depression, body image and issues of self worth, LGBTTQQ issues, and assertiveness.
Jesse approaches all of his work from a compassionate and non-judgmental perspective. His areas of interest include grief and bereavement, trauma, and interpersonal issues. Jesse’s clinical approach incorporates aspects of attachment, psychodynamic and existential therapy.
Jesse also has experience co-facilitating our “Transformations” anger management group at TCG. He has a wide range of experience in mental health and domestic violence counselling.
Jesse has a Master’s degree in Counselling and Spirituality from Saint Paul University and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor. jhenneberry@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Wendy has been practicing in the field of counseling and family therapy for nineteen years. Her practicing philosophy is that every one of us deserves an opportunity to heal and find support: “Our personal growth has a profound impact upon how we understand ourselves and function in the world. When we create change within ourselves, we develop healthier relationships with others, and with the world around us. We are all worthy of this process”.
Wendy helps people manage emotionally challenging situations and difficult life transitions. She is experienced in working with anxiety and depression, family of origin dynamics, sexual abuse, grief and loss, and trauma-related issues. Wendy works with the modalities of cognitive-behavioral therapy, attachment theory (EFT) and experiential-systemic theory.
Wendy’s approach to therapy is collaborative and inclusive. She offers a calm and supportive environment, where clients feel understood and encouraged. The professional relationship created is based on mutual respect and trust.
Wendy works with clients from diverse backgrounds, including couples, individuals, children, First Nations, Inuit and Aboriginal clients, and LGBTTIQQ2S clients. She is an approved Approved NIHB Service Provider and provides service to clients referred from Victim Services, Health Insurance and Auto Insurance.
Wendy’s counseling experience includes employee assistance counseling, intensive in-home therapy, group facilitation, play therapy and private practice. Wendy also has many years of experience working with adult survivors of sexual abuse and early childhood trauma.
Wendy holds a Master Degree in Social Work and is a registered Social Worker, in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and with the Ontario Association of Social Workers. wcotton@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Angela graduated from Saint Paul University with a Master of Arts in Counselling and Spirituality and a graduate certificate in Couple Counselling and Spirituality. She has experience working with individuals and couples from a wide range of backgrounds and with varied concerns, including depression, anxiety, identity and self-esteem issues, loneliness, loss, anger, relationship distress, and trauma.
Angela’s work with couples focuses on creating a secure connection and deepening emotional intimacy. She also provides pre-marital counselling, and separation counselling. Angela is an LGBTTQ positive counsellor.
Angela is well-trained in a range of counselling modalities and she works collaboratively with clients to determine the best path for them to find resolution. Angela’s primary approach is experiential and attachment based. That is, she follows the client’s immediate emotional experience to help them explore and process their feelings, while also helping them gain a better understanding of how their past relationships may have influenced their current experience of the world.
Angela is proficient in working with clients who have experienced traumatic events, both recently and in their past. Her ability to quickly create a warm and empathic environment allows clients to safely explore and process the underlying emotions related to their trauma. aspinney@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor/ Psycho-Educational Assessments
A graduate of the University of Toronto and the Ontario Institute for Studies of Education, Stacey has her Masters in Psychology and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor. She has practiced in the field of psychology for more than ten years and has gained extensive experience counselling children, adolescents and adults, including work with families.
Stacey’s experience in the field of counselling has involved working with clients struggling with depression, trauma, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, separation/divorce, custody and access issues and anger management. She also assists students and their families with school-related concerns. Her overall approach to counselling is multi-faceted since it involves assessing each client’s needs and then providing the support and guidance required to help clients reach their potential and improve their quality of life. This type of client-centered approach involves focusing on solutions and finding attainable goals. Cognitive behavioral techniques are also frequently used with clients and found to be helpful in making positive changes.
Stacey has also provided student support, both within a school setting and as a consultant to students, teachers and parents. She has assisted students and their families with a variety of difficulties, such as: school-related concerns, behavioral difficulties, emotional issues, family dysfunction, loss and separation/divorce.
Stacey has the capacity to administer psycho-educational assessments and to provide evaluation of children aged six to sixteen. Psycho-educational testing can provide useful information about your child’s cognitive ability and grade level equivalency across a broad range of academic areas. These comprehensive assessments involve combining information from parents and teachers, along with the testing results, to diagnose difficulties with such issues as attention, learning and emotion. Testing can help facilitate the academic success of your child since it provides information on your child’s cognitive level and potential, how your child’s mind best learns, and your child’s strengths and weaknesses. syoung@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Reina graduated from Queen’s University and Carleton University with degrees in Psychology. She is also a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Master of Education (Counselling) program. Some of her work experience includes working in the downtown core of Ottawa as a Family & Child Health Promoter ensuring that newly settled immigrant families have the resources they need to ensure optimum growth. She also worked in Kanata as a Community Developer delivering the “Bully Prevention Program” to teachers, educators and parents. Reina has been working with JFS for 7 years. She manages and facilitates “Transformations” the anger/life management workshops.
Reina’s areas of interest focus on relationship issues, self-esteem, (boundary issues), enhancing communication skills, working with incest survivors (both genders), and takes a special interest in parenting issues as well as anger management. She counsels individuals and couples and is LGBTTQ positive. Lately, she has been doing a lot of work with women and men who have experienced trauma and domestic violence. Reina takes a holistic approach, looking at the whole individual (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) and believes that the answers lie within us. While her approach is direct and challenging she is able to maintain a down to earth, empathic and quite approachable persona. She works as a partner in self-discovery.
If you want to be challenged to find some of the answers inside of you, she may be the counsellor you are looking for. Reina also provides field supervision to university interns training for a counselling career. rmcsheffrey@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor/ School Support
Shoshi is a counsellor with over 15 years of clinical experience working with children and adolescents. She holds a Masters Degree in Family Therapy from The London Institute of Psychiatry. She is a registered certified Psychotherapist with the Israel Association of Family Therapy and the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapy, as well as, a Canadian Certified Councellor.
Shoshi’s current work involves helping families with children who are facing a wide range of issue such as: difficulties in school and social interactions, behavioural difficulties, bullying, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, coping with parental separation and divorce, disordered eating, and depression. She is also experienced in delivering psychotherapy to youth with mental health issues. Shoshi’s areas of expertise include providing art and play therapy to children who have experienced violence and /or trauma, and working with children (and their families) coping with various disabilities. Shoshi also has extensive experience in supporting young families and couples with relational difficulties and parenting concerns.
Throughout her career, Shoshi has worked with children, youth and parents towards discovering their inner resilience. Often one of Shoshi’s goals in counselling is to provide clients with opportunities to identify aspects of their struggles that they can understand and influence, while supporting them through this process of change.
Shoshi utilizes diverse approaches to connect with children, including play and art therapy. She implements a variety of intervention techniques, including: solution focused therapy, narrative, structural and systemic family therapy, and CBT in order to tailor an appropriate therapeutic approach to each unique client’s needs.
Shoshi has great awareness of multicultural issues and works sensitively with families of different ethnic backgrounds. She emphasizes collaboration and respect as part of the therapeutic process.
Shoshi offers counselling in both English and Hebrew. szin@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Lynn completed her Masters Degree in Social Work at Carleton University in 1984, and was a child protection worker at Ottawa CAS for three years before becoming Executive Director at Centre for Educative Growth, later Gateway Children’s Mental Health Centre. Since 1995, Lynn has worked at The Counselling Group providing counseling to children, adolescents, adults, and families.
Lynn works with children, adolescents, adults and families facing various issues including: Domestic violence and sexual abuse, current and historical Family breakup, including:
- Separation and divorce and CAS intervention
- Chronic illness including:
physical and mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia
- Bereavement and grief
- Addictions issues
- Workplace difficulties
- Stress and anxiety
- Attachment, behavioural and mental health issues with children
- Trauma
- Developmental issues and special needs.
Lynn believes that each person has unique strengths and inner wisdom based on their life experience: Lynn utilizes a systems based, cognitive-behavioural framework to help her clients confront the confusion and/or despair in their lives, to find a way to resolve pain, to accept that which is, and to use their inner strength and wisdom to build a strong and meaningful future.
Lynn has also been active in social justice and anti-poverty advocacy through her work with Campaign 2000, and has considerable experience in the legal aspects of social work and child welfare advocacy. She have contributed several articles to the book “Adoptionparenting and provides post-adoption services to clients of all ages. lsherwood@thecounsellinggroup.com
Congratulations to Lynn Sherwood, this year’s recipient of the Bessie Touzel Award!
Counsellor
With a gentle and compassionate approach, Stephanie seeks to help individuals and couples explore their experience to facilitate change in their lives. She works collaboratively with her clients as they build a stronger sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Stephanie works with clients with a wide range of struggles, including anxiety; stress; fearfulness; depression or a feeling of despair and disharmony in life; postpartum difficulties; disordered eating and body image confusion; loss and grief; relationship and interpersonal difficulties; sexuality; LGBTTIQQ issues; separation and divorce; and domestic violence.
A central theme in Stephanie’s work and training has been helping trauma survivors.
Stephanie utilizes a model that begins through the creation of a secure counselling relationship. She works with adults and youth who experienced childhood trauma and sexual abuse as well as people struggling to overcome family of origin issues.
In her work with couples, Stephanie supports partners to explore what happens in their interactions with each other. Through the process of establishing trust and communication, partners can move from protective reactions to connecting responses, from defended positions and insecurity to the freedom, fulfillment and sense of security that comes from feeling able to truly access and show themselves to each other.
A graduate of St. Paul University and a Canadian Certified Counsellor, Stephanie has a Master of Arts in Counselling and has trained in both individual and couples counselling. . sdugdale@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Mego has many years of experience working with individual adults and couples who are facing a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, stress, anger management, self-esteem, and trauma. In his practice, Mego provides opportunities for his clients to explore their personal strengths, and helps them to bring about positive transformation in their lives. His nurturing and compassionate approach to counselling helps him create a positive and trusting relationship with clients. Mego draws from many theoretical models; the focus of therapy will remain on clients’ needs and what works for them.
Currently, Mego is in the process of completing sex therapy training and is a member at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). He works with individuals and couples, who experience intimacy or/and sexual difficulties such as erectile problems, low sexual desire, rapid ejaculation and difficulties with orgasm or pain that occur during sexual activities. Mego provides opportunities for his clients to develop new skills and tools to enhance sexual expression.
Mego also works with the Rainbow (LGBTTIQQ2SA*) community and provides a safe environment for queer/queergender identified clients to facilitate and to explore various obstacles in their lives. Mego is a member of the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH).
Additionally, Mego works with newcomers to Canada. He provides a supportive environment in which clients can explore issues such as culture shock, pre and post migration issues, and issues related to identity. Mego provides counselling in three languages, English, Arabic and Armenian.
Mego holds a Master degree in Educational Counselling from the University of Ottawa and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor. mnerses@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Monika works with clients of all ages in both individual and group therapy settings. With over ten years experience working with children and adolescents, Monika’s primary interest is working with at-risk youth and families. Monika runs the Social Skills and Anger Management groups for children and adolescents, and has experience with the “Transformations” anger management group for adults.
Through a compassionate and accepting approach, Monika seeks to understand her clients so that she can help them discover and use their personal strengths to overcome obstacles. She is familiar working with client concerns that include: self-esteem, abuse, sexual assault, relationships, family-of-origin, cultural identity, stress management, anxiety, depression, mental illness and learning disabilities.
Monika’s approach to counselling uses elements of emotion-focused therapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy and gestalt therapy in ways that best fit the client and his or her need(s). Monika holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Education in Educational Counselling degrees from the University of Ottawa. Monika is a Certified Canadian Counsellor.
mgal@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Yoshie is warm and understanding. She uses cognitive behaviour therapy, mindfulness, schema therapy and solution focused therapy to help her clients explore the changes they want to make in their lives. Yoshie’s style is empathetic and direct at times. She believes in empowering clients in a supportive environment and safely walking with them towards the path they know is best for them.
Yoshie holds a Masters of Education in Counselling, from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelors in Psychology, from Carleton University. Yoshie is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in good standing, and she participates regularly in continuing education programs to ensure that she is providing the best service she can to her clients. Yoshie provides counselling in Spanish, French and English and is LGBTTQ positive. ymartinez@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Gisèle Lamontagne has been a social worker/counsellor for the last 14 years. During that time she has specialized in grief and trauma work as well as working with children. She also provides counselling to people facing a variety of other difficulties, including depression, anxiety, parenting, childhood sexual abuse, and separation and divorce.
For nearly nine years, a majority of Gisèle’s work has involved working with adults and children who had experienced a traumatic incident or were facing the loss of a loved one. During this period she has also offered training to other professionals to enhance their skills when working with victims of trauma.
Gisèle Lamontagne has been working with the Counselling Group at Jewish Family Services for 10 years. She has worked providing counselling to seniors, adults, teens and children. She has also facilitated support groups for women who have been victims of violence, as well as for grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Gisele works together collaboratively with her clients to help them (re)discover their inner strengths and even discover some new ones. With the understanding that it is perfectly normal to feel completely off balance after having experienced a traumatic life event, Gisele works together with her clients to find a “new normal”.
Gisèle works in both official languages and holds a BA(Psych), MA(Social Work), DCH. She is a member of the OPTSQ, OASW, and PACCC. glamontagne@thecounsellinggroup.com
Counsellor
Using a strengths/feminist-based perspective, Sarah works exclusively with Jewish women who are or have been in abusive relationships. Sarah’s specialties include relationships, eating disorders, sexuality, bereavement, sexual abuse, gender issues and depression/anxiety. Sarah is the coordinator of Shalom Bayit, a program for abused Jewish women, as well as coordinating the StreetSmarts Program (a street outreach program to homeless people). Sarah has experience working with multicultural, interfaith and LGBTTQ clients. scaspi@jfsottawa.com .
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