About faith in therapy. Most likely, you already know your therapist won’t have the exact same values and views as you. That said, we fully respect that some clients prefer to work with a therapist who has an active faith practice or who comes from a particular religious background, Christian, Catholic, Easter-Orthodox, Hindu, or otherwise. If your therapist’s faith or religion is important to you, great. The descriptions below are for you.

We’d love to talk more with you about this. You can message any of us specifically or send your questions via email or phone. We’d be happy to talk more about faith and counselling.

About faith in community. We believe in the healing power of local faith communities and support collaborative initiatives of prayer and care. Many faith groups are now championing mental health awareness and advocacy. That’s great. We help where we can, speaking to small groups and congregations and offering individual consultation to pastors and other spiritual leaders.

We invite you to email or call if you’d like to consult on issues pertaining to your congregation, have an event in mind, or would like to partner together toward community resilience.

About Shelly’s Faith:

Faith is an important part of my life and as such, part of me and everything I do. I believe God is good, gracious and able; I believe humans are just as much spiritual beings as physical beings; I believe justice, truth and love are real and to be cherished and pursued.

I worship and serve in ministry at Highland Church in Kitchener-Waterloo, have theological training at both bachelor and master’s levels, and am involved in various faith ministries in Kitchener-Waterloo. But, that doesn’t tell the whole story. To do that, would take more than a webpage.

Your beliefs are your beliefs and I’m just as committed to respecting them as I am to respecting you.

I’m excited to see faith groups working together toward mental wellness. I support these initiatives through church and clergy speaking engagements, and by offering free consultation with local faith leaders related to individual and group needs within their congregations. I represent Midtown Counselling at The Canadian Interfaith Conversation (Our Whole Society) and Interfaith Grand River. Specifically, I’ve worked with leaders from Glen Acres Baptist Church, Northside Community Church, Elevation Church, Trillium Lutheran Church, Calvary Memorial United Church, Parkminister United Church, Grace Lutheran Church and Dr. Larry Kelly toward promoting mental health awareness and wellness in our shared neighbourhoods.

If you would like to join in this work, would like support for yourself or your congregation, or would like more information about our work with local faith groups, please reach out. I’d be pleased to talk with you.

About Krishna’s Faith:

My fundamental values — faith, family, friendships, health, writing, work, and creativity —define my identity and influence my approach to life. These values often intersect, serving as a guide to focus on what is truly meaningful rather than succumbing to the relentless pace of life, which can lead to exhaustion.

I’ve found that living in alignment with one’s values fosters balance and ensures that priorities reflect personal beliefs and aspirations.

I draw inspiration from individuals who embody the essence of faith through acts of love, meaningful relationships, and grace. They understand human imperfection and extend compassion generously. Their humility is evident as they attribute the achievements in their lives to a higher power, remaining steadfast in their values.

As a practitioner of Hinduism, I deeply resonate with its holistic philosophy of healing, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. This perspective views well-being as a state of harmony and balance, encouraging peace and resilience beyond the physical to encompass psychological and spiritual dimensions. If you are interested in incorporating faith or values-based practices into your therapeutic experience, I would be pleased to support you in exploring these approaches to foster alignment with your core principles and life’s purpose.

Please let me know if you have any questions about how my beliefs interact with my clinical work.

About Sandra’s Faith:

Faith can be viewed in so many different ways, either religiously, or from a moral perspective. When I think of faith, I often reflect on my own values and beliefs, and tend to use them to guide my behaviour, personally and professionally. I use my values as a guide, helping me create humble and genuine connections with others.

In session, I often find that when we start discussing faith and values, clients tend to catastrophize less, and it helps them to feel more grounded. After all, our belief system can often become a form of manifestation. Our body really does NOT know the difference between a thought and reality, which is why it is so easy for some people to experience past events as if they are happening now. Similarly, when we use our faith to create more positive thoughts, our body keeps count, and makes all the necessary changes internally, as if we are really experiencing these thoughts. It is quite fascinating I find.

I am a member of the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, an Eastern Orthodox Christian church, where we believe that God has revealed himself through Jesus Christ and that God is a singular being with three manifestations as the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit.

Please let me know if you are interested in including faith-related practices in your therapy journey.

About Paula’s Faith:

Coming shortly. Stay tuned.

Please let me know if you’re interested in including faith-related practices in your therapy journey or in talking about mental health support for members of your church or faith based group.

Paula is Midtown’s primary contact for local churches and other faith groups looking for mental health support and resources. She’s also the primary contact for members of the Waterloo Unit of Ontario English Catholic Teacher’s Association (OECTA)