About faith in therapy. Most likely, you already know your therapist won’t have the exact same values and views as you. However, if it’s important to you to see someone who is a person of faith or a Christian or Muslim counsellor, that’s understandable. Send us an email or call us and we can talk more about this.

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 leaders. Email or call us if you’d like to consult on an issue 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. Midtown Counselling hosts a local faith collaborative of clergy and other faith leaders in Kitchener-Waterloo’s midtown area. Together, Midtown Counselling alongside with 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 are promoting mental health awareness and wellness in our shared neighbourhoods. Let me know if you would like to join Midtown Churches & Mental Health Collaborative or would like more information.

About Ummehani’s Faith:

Faith, for many, can be a very sensitive topic. It’s often difficult to create a distinction between faiths as some are visible while others are not.

People of similar faiths sometimes find it easier to form a connection, a sense of belonging. The need to form spiritual bonds has existed over centuries and has been often culturally prioritized, evidenced from Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – ‘the need to belong’ being one of the fundamental needs to reach self-actualization.

I practice Islam, a faith with a great history, and identify as Muslim. As with other religions, Islam has many facets. But, the fundamental concepts remains the same: Belief in Allah, one God, and Mohammed (PBUH) as his messenger.

I believe every individual encompasses a sense of belief, consciously or subconsciously. This can be nurtured through life experiences, passed on by generations or simply self-explored. It is very important to draw from our beliefs in therapy; they play an important role in healing.

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

About Jamie’s Faith:

Psychotherapy touches on those things that matter most to people, and often in counselling we talk about what people believe, about themselves and about everything else. Everyone believes in something, whether religion is part of their beliefs or not. For some people, faith is an important, even central part of their lives. For others, faith may be a less comfortable concept, may be irrelevant to them, or may even be hurtful. Whatever someone’s beliefs, those beliefs surely matter, since they are the way we organize life and try to make sense out of the busy world around us.

Because of my training as a spiritual care practitioner as well as a psychotherapist, I have particular experience supporting people as they work out what they stand for and why. Often, a crisis can call someone’s beliefs into question or force them to reevaluate what their lives are about. This can be frightening and painful, but also potentially fruitful. Psychotherapy and spiritual care can be a safe place to talk about beliefs and come to new discoveries in a non-judgmental way.

Since my focus is always on you, the client, my own beliefs usually aren’t as relevant to the conversation. But I understand that it’s sometimes helpful for people to understand where I come from. I’m a layperson connected with the Lutheran Church (ELCIC). I have a Master of Theology in Pastoral Counselling, which gives me a familiarity with many different forms of Christianity as well as insight into the challenges and gifts of trying to live a faith-full life. Some of my highest values are respect, welcome, patience, and the importance of change as a way to foster hope.

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

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.

About Christi-an’s Faith:

My relationship with faith is complex. I was raised in a Catholic household, attended Catholic school, and never missed a Sunday at church. I was the kind of kid who’d go by herself when the rest of the family skipped a week. I cherished singing with community members and looked forward to the teachings in the weekly homily.

During my university years, my understanding of faith expanded as I interacted with people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs. On campus, I worked as a queer ally, striving to create safer and more inclusive spaces. Eventually, I embraced my own identity as a queer person and recognized the ways I had suppressed this part of myself to protect my younger self. I distinctly remember the day when my priest asked us to sign a letter against gay marriage. That experience marked a turning point, and I made the challenging decision to step away from the church.

However, my spiritual journey continued to evolve through yoga practices, Buddhist studies, and Reclaiming Tradition rituals. These experiences enriched my spiritual life and allowed me to embrace faith in a way that feels authentic and alive. I’ve retained the positive values instilled in me during my Catholic upbringing while challenging aspects that felt more about control than faith.

In our sessions, I encourage you to bring your faith, whatever it may be and however you relate to it, into the conversation. I’m deeply committed to meeting and honouring your whole self. Please let me know if you’re interested in including faith-related practices in your therapy journey.