Ready to move past anxiety or trauma?
You're not alone in this...
Meet Rebecca Steele, MA, MSW, Registered Social Worker, Canadian Certified Counsellor, Depth Therapist
she/her/hers
Ready to profoundly enhance your self-insight, and feel whole, enriched, and confident within?
You know that you are meant to have a meaningful, healthy, and fulfilled life
You may be struggling with loneliness, emptiness, lack of fulfillment in life, or feeling certain frustrations with different aspects of it. Your nervous system might need some support right now, because the last while (or even longer) been a lot to deal with and go through
This is a space for you…it’s time for things to be different
My values as a therapist
In my Depth Therapy approach I highly value empathy, emotional intelligence, insight and freedom. Beginning to heal from anxiety, depression, or really anything regarding mental health can lead to increased feelings of freedom. Free to: be and know yourself, and discover what you want from your life
No matter what we may be exploring in a session together, my aim is always first and foremost to support you in an empathic manner.
Experiencing empathy allows a person to feel heard and understood, and that helps with developing self-empathy, self-connection, and feelings of wholeness.
My Approach to Therapy
Therapy with me is a supportive, authentic space with an explorative process and experience.
Good for you for getting curious about therapists in your community, and visiting my page. It's the first step of making a profound, and meaningful healing shift in your life. As your therapist, I take your healing journey to heart, because there is nothing more important to me than healing, recovery, growth, and expansion. It's why I became a therapist.
I have a fairly conversational approach- my style is not to only sit there and nod my head. I'm also fairly direct, though non-judgemental, as I truly believe we are all inherently messy as human beings. In session I get very curious about your experience- how you are feeling or thinking about yourself, your friend/partner/parent, or a situation. I want to know how you feel, who you are, and what is important to you, because this is the root of what will allow you to determine your wants and needs, which is a huge key to your relationship with yourself and getting relief from your symptoms. I am always so honoured and touched that people let me into their lives and worlds to embark on a healing journey. I know the courage and vulnerability it requires to do such a thing- it's a hero's journey process, and not easy.
The therapy space is truly yours to fully express yourself. That means tears, swearing, things you feel you shouldn't say- it's all an important part of self-expression and the healing process.
One of my goals is for you to come to know who you are at an even deeper level, because this is absolutely necessary for healing for a variety of reasons. It is much more difficult to make lasting shifts without this piece. To do this, I have to first and foremost create a compassionate and safe space for you to process your thoughts and feelings, which is always my aim.
What therapy with me looks like...
A session together could look like discussing present day events, historical experiences, or even diving directly into the unconscious material of your dreams.
I believe insight and understanding are key to living a rich, meaningful, and fulfilling life. Depth therapy is about exploring both the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind, which allows us to address multiple layers and reaches one's profound past as well as works towards a desired future.
How is therapy with me different?
It's not CBT
One of the main differences I have with most other therapists is my Depth Therapy approach. Unfortunately, in North America, Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic/Jungian/Depth Therapies have really been dismissed and diminished in the wake of CBT. However, some people are looking for alternative therapy approaches to CBT, for common reasons such as:
- they felt CBT did not meet their therapy goals
- CBT did not go deep enough for them or they did not like the style of CBT
- They are curious about psychoanalytic approaches or personality considerations
- They want to get to the root of their issues
- They want to understand and explore their unconscious mind
I was lucky to have a psychoanalytically-oriented supervisor in the past, and then did a lot of additional trainings and certifications to be able to offer Depth Therapy to clients. In addition to these trainings I've done about 4+ years of my own personal dream analysis in this process as well, which has also taught me a lot. Not to mention I've spent the last 20+ years learning about personality systems and reading the books of Depth Therapists such as Thomas Moore and James Hillman.
Given my interest in depth and archetypal psychology, I also love to explore personality types with people too (if they're up for it!)- like the Enneagram especially, or the Myers-Briggs. I have tests and questionnaires for many things if you love tests, like myself- for example quizzes to determine your personality, attachment style, if you are an hsp, etc.
The other thing that I think is significant about me as a therapist is that I'm really interested in and passionate about my field and love to learn. Always doing another certification or training (or multiple) that I'm excited about and that means I am able to offer new and different types of therapies for those who are interested in trying them.
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Service Specialties
Anti-Oppressive Practice
I am passionate about therapy, healing, health, and empowerment. I aim to use an anti-oppressive approach with clients.
I endeavor to help clients reclaim their personal power in order to have the relationships with others and themself they’ve been hoping for.
I absolutely believe that you have wisdom of your own, and that is something that I will work toward drawing out in our sessions together. Tapping into this is empowering and can give you the ability to deal with anything that comes your way in life.
Treatment Areas
Areas I have extensive experience in working with include:
- Anxiety/depression/trauma
- Self-esteem
- Navigating relationship issues
- Women’s issues/experiences
Some of these above areas may include the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, phobias, ocd, and generalized anxiety. As well as working with anxious or insecure attachment styles in relationships, family stress, struggles at the workplace, internal feelings of emptiness, feelings of neglect, anger, personal boundary concerns, burnout, enhancing assertiveness, body image, low mood, self-soothing challenges, misuse of alcohol or substances, and low self esteem.
This is not a complete list but covers several of the areas I have supported individuals around. I provide a variety of different approaches to help clients face their challenges in their own unique way.
Scroll below for more information about my education and training, as well as my teaching experience.
Training & Background
Academic Background, Certifications, and Teaching Experience
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
PSYC73040 FROM TRAUMA TO RECOVERY, FALL OF 2020, CONESTOGA COLLEGE: An undergraduate course which Rebecca taught and co-created. The course focused on the nature and extent of traumatic experiences among populations involved in community justice and criminal justice. Theories of trauma and their application in treatment and support environments were explored, along with concepts and research related to resilience, social inclusion, hope, and recovery.
ACADEMIC EDUCATION
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK, Wilfrid Laurier University
MASTER OF ARTS, Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy, Wilfrid Laurier University
MASTERS DEGREE LEVEL/GRADUATE CLINICAL TRAINING IN:
Emotionally Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy Approaches, Trauma Treatment including Feminist Therapy and Jungian Therapy Approaches to Trauma, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy/Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Intro to Art Therapy, Couples Therapy, Gender in Therapy, Indigenous Knowledge in Social Work, Understanding Addiction and Shame, Anti-Oppressive Practice, Theories of Change
ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
Presently taking:
Soul Psychology Certificate Program, a 1-year long program that involves an intensive study of Archetypal Psychology, Jungian Psychology, Greek Mythology, the world’s spiritual traditions, and the arts. Taught by Thomas Moore, PhD., psychotherapist-author of Care of the Soul
Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Certification Training Program, for professionals working with Highly Sensitive People. Covers various mistaken conditions, health-related issues, and challenges with identity, relationships, and boundaries, as well as traditional and alternative therapies, Nickerson Institute
Completed Trainings and Certifications:
C.C.C., Canadian Certified Counsellor, Clinical Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Expansion Brainspotting, a specialty Brainspotting training that addresses the best practices of Expansion Brainspotting, and how it works to alleviate profound suffering as well as to strengthen self-worth and desired states of being, Pacific Brainspotting (Trauma-Informed Training)
Brainspotting Phase 1, addresses the theory, research, and best practices of Brainspotting, how it works to heal trauma and other mental health conditions, & the four techniques or 'frames' used to engage clients via a specific eye position or "Brainspot", Pacific Brainspotting (Trauma-Informed Training)
Emotion Focused Therapy Level 2, York University Psychology Clinic with Les Greenberg & Serine Warwar (Trauma-Informed Training)
Emotion Focused Therapy Level 1, York University Psychology Clinic with Les Greenberg & Serine Warwar (Trauma-Informed Training)
Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship Training Certificate, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
Depth Psychotherapy Masterclass Training Program, 1-year training, Daybreak Therapy and Training
Essentials of Psychoanalysis Certificate Program, 1-year training, Toronto Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis (TICP)
Coaching Mastery, a 9-month training program designed to teach mental health therapists how to integrate coaching techniques into counselling. Taught by Dr. Liz Lasky, PhD in Social Work
HeartHealing® Practitioner Mastery Certification, a 1-year advanced-hypnotherapy training program teaching unique hypnotherapy techniques to support inner child healing, School of Healing Mastery (Trauma-Informed Training)
Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (CHyp™), 100-hour certification program, Daybreak Therapy and Training (Trauma-Informed Training)
Annual Mind-Body-Spirit Conferences, Trainings in integrated psychotherapy methods, 2018, 2019, and 2020, Daybreak Therapy and Training
Becoming a Mindful Practitioner: The Art of Creating Space and ‘Being With Your Client’, March 22, 2019. Professional Workshop held through Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University
The Care of Souls: A Workshop for Professional Caretakers on Bringing the Depth of Soul to Their Work, October 26, 2018. Facilitated by Thomas Moore, PhD.