Shelley McInroy, RTC, MPCC-Provisionalshe/her

My Approach to Counselling

People often come to counselling because something in life has become difficult to carry alone. You may be dealing with anxiety or grief, facing a significant change, struggling in a relationship, or simply realising that the way you have been coping isn't working as well as it once did.

I don't believe there is one right way to do counselling. We begin with where you are, what has brought you here, and what you hope might be different.

My approach is warm, practical and collaborative. I will listen, but I won't only listen. I may ask questions that help us look at something differently, notice patterns that keep appearing, or explore what happens for you when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, shut down or stuck. At times, I may offer information about how our minds and bodies respond to stress, grief and difficult experiences. We may also explore practical strategies that you can use outside our sessions.

You won't be expected to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about. Sometimes people come in with a very clear concern. Other times, the first thing they can say is, “I don't really know where to start.” We can start there.

The Approaches I Draw From

My work is client-centred, trauma-informed and strengths-based. Depending on what you need, I may draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, parts-informed work, and somatic and nervous-system-informed approaches.

Those are the names of the approaches, but they aren't what I expect you to learn in order to come to counselling.

What matters is finding what is useful for you.

Sometimes that means understanding why your body reacts so strongly even when your mind knows you are safe. Sometimes it means learning ways to settle anxiety or manage overwhelming emotions. Sometimes we need to look at an old story you have carried about yourself and ask whether it still belongs to you.

And sometimes you simply need a place where something difficult can finally be said out loud.

Who I Work With

I work with adults experiencing anxiety, grief and loss, overwhelm, relationship changes, caregiver stress, and significant life transitions.

You may be grieving someone who died, but grief can also follow the end of a relationship, changes in health, retirement, children leaving home, caregiving, changes within a family, or the loss of a future you thought you were going to have.

I also work with people who have spent a long time taking care of everyone else and have reached a point where they are beginning to wonder where they fit into their own lives.

You don't need to have a diagnosis or know exactly what kind of counselling you need before contacting me.

We can begin with what is happening now.

What You Can Expect From Me

You can expect me to listen carefully and to take what you tell me seriously. You can also expect me to be genuine with you.

Counselling with me isn't about being told how you should live your life. My role is to help you understand what is happening, recognise choices that may be difficult to see when you're in the middle of things, and find ways of moving forward that make sense for you.

There may be difficult conversations. There will probably also be humour. Both belong in counselling.

You are allowed to ask questions, disagree with me, tell me something isn't helping, or say that you aren't ready to talk about something. This is your counselling, and we work together.

You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin.

Sometimes finding your way starts simply by having somewhere to begin.