Counselling

The decision to seek counselling is a courageous one. But many people find that once they’ve made it, they are already on their way to a welcome change in their circumstance or perspective.

You might seek counselling if:

• An event has happened in your family or relationship – and you need support and solutions
• You’re experiencing a personal crisis that you are not able to manage with current coping strategies
• Your ambivalence is rising and your motivation is low
• You feel stuck in a relationship or situation – and you feel you need support to bring about a change
• You feel hopeless or anxious, overwhelmed
• You feel isolated
• You get panicky for no apparent reason
• You’re dissatisfied in your relationship or marriage
• You become angry and over-react in an area of your life
• You’re worried about your loved one’s misuse of alcohol or drugs

Counselling can offer:

• Support
• A fresh perspective and hopeful insight into crisis or conflict
• Constructive strategies to bring about change
• Increased connection with your partner or family member
• Increased resiliency to address and prevent stress and burnout
• Increased meaning in your faith

General Counselling Program

Individual, couple and family counselling. We work though a spectrum of issues, with children and adults of all ages, including communication difficulties, parenting, self-esteem, grief, depression, anxiety, sexuality issues, separation/divorce, trauma and abuse.

Linking Lives/Building Attachment for Children and Youth

Attachment therapy(Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) is designed to rebuild and repair connections within families after trauma or distress. Often used by foster and adoptive families, attachment therapy brings relief to distressed children, and guidance to adults, on how to address the broken bonds of relationship.

Couples Counselling

Whether you are in a new relationship or together for many years, our couple counsellors would welcome conversations with you, focused on enriching your relationship or addressing painful situations. Our couple work uses a model called Emotionally Focused Therapy, or “EFT”. It focuses on identifying negative patterns in relationships, getting to the heart of the matter, creating new ways of connecting, and strengthening your bond. This link explains the research and approach of EFT, helping you to decide if this model is the best fit for you.

Art Therapy

Art therapy offers a creative way to express and articulate emotional experiences that may be difficult to put into words. This type of therapy can be a comfortable way for children and teens to begin talking about problems.

Restorative Families

Shalem is pioneering the blending of restorative practice and family therapy with a clinical program called “Restorative Families”. “Restorative Families” offers two services: Family Group Decision-Making (helping an extended family to make a large decision) and Restorative Family Therapy.

For more information or to make an appointment:

• Call 905.528.0353 or 1.866.347.0041
• Fax 905.528.3562
• Email [email protected]

We do caution that email communication is not the best way of communicating in the event of a crisis. There are limits to confidentiality when using email and please always use caution when you are sending personal information by email. If you are at all concerned please use the alternative forms of communication above.

BROCHURE

More information, please view our brochure.

HOURS OF OPERATION

For your convenience, we offer a variety of daytime and evening appointments.

FEES

We are fee-for-service agency, but strive for payment to be fair and equitable, taking into account challenges that may make payment difficult. Please ask about our sliding scale fee schedule when you call.

For those unable to use the sliding scale, we offer assistance through the Counselling Assistance Fund. We are grateful to the many donors who contribute to that Fund. Funding for the Counselling Assistance Fund is provided in part by: The Edith H Turner Foundation through Hamilton Community Foundation and the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Employee Donations Fund.

LENGTH OF COUNSELLING

The average number of sessions is between 6 to 10, with some clients finding one or two helpful, and others needing more.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All of Shalem’s Counselling Services are strictly confidential.

CLIENT’S RIGHTS

For information on Client’s rights, please refer to this document.

Shalem has partnered with the Drew Marshall Show, the Counsel of Many in the past.

Here are some of the archived episodes:

• Drew Marshall and Gord Hope speak about addiction
• Jennifer Bowen and Drew discuss internet dating
• Drew Marshall interviewed Mark Vander Vennen about how a family member can support someone in an abusive relationship
• Marg Smit-Vandezande and Drew tackle the topic of supporting aging parents and supporting parents with young children with ADHD

UNDERSTANDING OUR APPROACH TO THERAPY

Shalem’s counselling clinic has been deeply influenced by attachment and relationship theory. All of our couple therapists are trained in the attachment-focused Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy by Dr. Sue Johnson. All of our therapists belong to a professional practice College that enables them to practice “the controlled act of psychotherapy” in Ontario.

Several of our team members are part of the AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy) community. The video below, prepared by AAMFT, explains how relationships are interwoven into so many of our individual stories. This will give you a glimpse of how we approach our work with individuals, couples and families.