Felicity Aldan

Hello!

     I’m Felicity (she/they). As your therapist, I am honoured to walk alongside you.

     You might be wondering if you can have the relationships with the people in your life that you dream of. Perhaps you aren’t convinced that if someone saw the entirety of you, they wouldn’t shrink away. It may be that you want to understand yourself or your loved ones better and possibly even find some peace or genuine connection.

     My office is a space to freely express yourself. I prioritize unconditional positive regard in my work. This means you will be provided with radical acceptance, regardless of what is said. I see people as separate from their problems. Even if there are parts of you that you would like to change, your struggles deserve empathy and respect. My goal in every session is to have you leave feeling heard.

     I strive to be an accomplice as you bravely take on the challenge of counselling. Together, we will use trust, collaboration, and shared respect to build a genuine and meaningful therapeutic relationship. With you as the expert in your life, we can foster a meaningful and fruitful partnership, even if it doesn’t feel like you know yourself at all (don’t worry, we can work on that too!)

     In my work with individuals, I ensure that the conversation revolves around your selected topic. As a believer in person-centred therapy, sessions can be unstructured and a space for you to talk and be heard. If you’d prefer more structured sessions, we can devise a plan together that helps you reach your goals. The therapeutic space is whatever you need it to be to best feel safe enough to do the hard and uncomfortable work that is therapy.

     I work with relationships and families to discover what you really need to move forward. I see individuals, couples, families, and other forms of relationships as full of untapped potential to create their preferred lives, despite obstacles and difficulties. With a deep belief in the sustaining power of connection, I will collaborate with you to discover the skills and knowledge you already have while exploring new ways of communicating or discovering each other.

     People are multistoried and complex, influenced by their various lived experiences and the dynamic social systems around them. I will encourage you to develop an understanding of yourself by examining the narratives you use to define your identity, experiences, and external environment.

     I have been a part of the helping profession for over 10 years, including, among others, leading groups on outdoor expeditions, working with 2SLGBTQAI+ individuals and groups, addressing the mental health needs of men, women, and gender non-conforming individuals, and supporting complex-care mental health clients. My degrees from Dalhousie University (B.A., Sociology and Gender Studies) and Yorkville University (M.A., Counselling Psychology) greatly inform how I view individuals and the social systems they exist in, as do my non-academic educational pursuits.

     I use an integrative approach, largely drawing from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Person-Centred Therapy. I also use creativity in the space, with the use of metaphors and language, psychodrama, and occasionally drawing or painting. Selection of used techniques is done on an individual basis, in collaboration with you.

I look forward to connecting with you,

Felicity