Counselling

We can all struggle from time to time. As part of supporting people to be well, I run a small private counselling practice. I see clients with a range of experiences that may be impacting their ability to currently flourish in their lives. This may include challenges with:

• Navigating impacts from the pandemic

• Stress - general, student & work-related

• Burnout - prevention & recovery

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Grief and loss (people, pets, relationships, where you imagined yourself to be, etc)

• Family & relationships

• Burnout & compassion fatigue

• Anger management (which I prefer to refer to as anxiety management)

• Life transitions (school, work, family, retirement, kids moving out)

• Self-worth (shame, identity & difficulty connecting)

• Eating disorders (disordered eating, emotional eating, binge eating)

• Body image and chronic dieting

• Perfectionism

  * I also offer coaching for leaders on taking care of their own well-being while supporting others to do the same.

The Counselling Relationship

There is strong evidence to support the importance of a good therapeutic relationship as integral to positive treatment outcomes. It’s natural to wonder about what is a good fit and if you will feel comfortable working with someone new. I want clients to feel good about their decision prior to investing in our work together. Please don’t hesitate to book a free telephone consultation to get a sense of how I work, your comfort level and whether you want to take the next step of booking an initial consultation.

Access to Counselling: In-person, Online (virtual) & by Telephone

I want to make counselling accessible for everyone and therefore in addition to in-person sessions, I offer counselling both online and by telephone. This combination has helped clients get the support they need who either don’t live in Winnipeg (I see clients globally) or they find telephone or online counselling sessions more convenient for their lifestyle. Evening sessions are available to accommodate busy daytime schedules.

There is no minimum number of sessions that a client needs to commit to. While one client might want to contract for a number of sessions because they prefer this commitment, another client may prefer committing to one session at a time. I have had clients for years that do not need regular counselling sessions; they call me on an as-per-needed basis. I believe that clients know themselves well and I will collaborate with you to suit your needs.

If you are having difficulty and are wondering about how counselling might help you, please contact me. I am well-connected in the counselling community and if your concern is not within my scope of practice, I am happy to share resource information to help you find the support you are seeking.

Background - how I have come to work in the counselling field

I finished my first degree in university which was very much focused on physical health. After spending a few years working with clients to improve their physical well-being it became obvious that if I wanted to help people more fully, I needed to go deeper into what it means to be well. I went on to train in applied and clinical counselling, worked as an associate for several years with the Assiniboine Psychological Group providing individual, couple and family counselling. I then opened a private clinic focused on eating disorder prevention, intervention and treatment; a significant gap in the mental health system at the time. My counselling career then took me to working in community mental health for almost a decade where I specialized in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, past history of trauma and struggling in their relationships. Working with individuals and facilitating treatment groups is an on-going passion.

A significant amount of my early training was been in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for treating anxiety and eating disorders. Over the years, I have trained more extensively in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for regulating emotions, Trauma (and Neuroscience), Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. One of my delights is to run a self-compassion retreat.

Office Location for In-Person Sessions:

I offer counselling out of Assiniboine Family Therapy located at 201-1311 Portage Avenue (near Polo Park)

Feel free to email directly to: shannongander@lifeworkwellness.ca or call (204) 794-5874. I look forward to hearing from you.