A little about Sylvie

My desire to help people learn how to get through tough times in their lives as well as create a sense of mental health wellness started with my journey of struggles. I learned many years ago that when we have a hard time trying to move forward, asking for outside help is a brave and sometimes necessary process despite our reservations about being vulnerable. At times, we just need an outside listening ear that can help us amplify what is in our hearts and identify what is blocking the way to achieving our goals.

I have worked in various substance use, addiction, and mental health agencies for over twenty years. I have worked in inpatient treatment settings and, over a decade ago, returned to a community outpatient setting providing individual and group counselling. The clientele I have been supporting are referred for their struggles with their use of substances, problematic gambling and technology overuse (such as video gaming, excessive use of various online sites and /or compulsive shopping). As part of this work, I have also supported loving family members to establish a sense of wellness with a focus on taking care of themselves and learning how to support their loved ones in a healthy way. 

Throughout my career, I have enjoyed presenting education sessions to clients, the community and other health professionals. Including instructing a course named Addiction in the Family yearly, on-campus and online at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Addiction Certificate Program.

I also enjoy mentoring those who have chosen the same career path. This mentoring helps me remember that I am forever a student and must continue learning the best helping tools for my clients.

As for my credentials, here they are:

• Registered Psychotherapist, with the CRPO.

• Diploma in Social Service Work and diploma in Drug and Alcohol Counselling

• BA in Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo

• Master of Education in Adult Education, Yorkville Univeristy

• Member of The Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals

My therapeutic approaches and training:

• Client-centered Therapy

• Solution-Focused Therapy

• Strength-Based Therapy

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Beck Institute (CBT)

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, (DBT)

• Motivational Interviewing (MI)

• Trauma-Informed Therapy

• Compassion Focused Therapy

• Mindfulness-Based Therapy

• Training in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Outside of my work life, I love spending time with my husband, two children, dog and cat. We enjoy being active and spending time outside. My goal is one day to return to triathlon training to spend more time outside and for my mental health wellness. Well, now I’ve said it out loud, so I guess I am accountable!