Brooke Mathewes

Focus: Individual, couples, family, and group therapy addressing a range of concerns including mood disorders, eating disorders, complex trauma and substance use. Specialties include working with first responders (fire fighters, police, nurses, physicians), supporting lawyers and law students and related stresses, addressing substance use and problematic gambling, working with illness and chronic pain, grief and loss with a focus on cancer and the journey post treatment as well .

As a practicing counselor for over 10 years, I have had the opportunity to build unique and diverse counseling experiences, both in Canada and the United States. I have worked in a variety of community agency, hospital, residential and private practice settings, allowing the development of skills in variety of different areas. My counseling philosophy is tied to the belief that life has a way of throwing us all curve balls when we least expect it. For many people, the counseling process is about accessing professional guidance and support to tackle these challenges. From relationship conflicts, to understanding our own thoughts and feelings in a healthier way, to navigating through grief, loss, and sometimes addiction and mental health concerns, counselling has the potential to be beneficial for anyone.

My role as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) is to be an objective guide and source of support to the people I am working with; A voice to help clarify goals and make changes that have often feel out of reach or too challenging to face alone. Our brain processes information differently when we speak out loud. It is the therapists job to remain neutral, objective, and focused. Although I am guided by a variety of therapeutic approaches and perspectives (DBT, CBT, Narrative Therapy, Family Systems), each person‘s journey through counseling will be unique and tailored to their specific needs and concerns. To do this, I use Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT), a way of tracking whether or not counseling is actually helping session to session. This allows me to adjust and make changes in the moment to ensure that you are getting the best care possible and to create a space where changes can be made in real time. In addition, I am a Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) certified trainer. This allows me to work closely with the International Center for Clinical Excellence and offer consultation and guidance for agencies, health authorities and private clinicians implementing and using FIT in their practice.

If counselling is helping, you should notice a positive change in how you are feeling about the issues you are addressing. The problems themselves may not disappear but how you feel about them should improve relatively quickly. There should be a sense that life is getting better and you feel more equipped to tackle the stresses that in the past have gotten in the way, and maybe even led to destructive behaviors.