Therapy That Meets You Where You Are

Every person is different, which is why our counsellors draw from a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Together, we'll find the methods that best support your goals, your experiences, and your way of healing.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a structured, evidence-based talk therapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It's typically short-term (6–20 sessions) and goal-oriented, helping clients identify and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and other difficulties. At New Ground Wellness, our counsellors use CBT to help clients build practical coping skills they can apply in daily life, not just insights they explore in session.

Offered by: Don Huston, Brittany Rust, Cheryl Jaggers, Christy McLeod, Nannette Hill, Sheridan Clifford, Tyler Janzen, Maddy Maxinuk, Sarah Krehel, Lucinda Bibbs

  • Yes. CBT is one of the most well-researched, effective treatments for anxiety disorders. It helps you identify anxious thought patterns, understand how they drive avoidance and worry, and build practical strategies to respond differently.

  • CBT is usually short-term, often between 6 and 20 sessions, though this varies depending on what you're working through and your individual goals.

  • No. CBT isn't about forcing positive thoughts, it's about noticing unhelpful thinking patterns, examining whether they're accurate, and developing more balanced, realistic ways of interpreting situations.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT combines mindfulness with behavioural strategies, helping clients accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fight them, while committing to actions aligned with their personal values. Instead of aiming to eliminate anxiety or sadness, ACT focuses on building a meaningful life alongside whatever emotions show up.

Offered by: Brittany Rust, Amy Thain, Sarah Krehel, Gabrielle Krilow, Tina Stasuik, Sheridan Clifford

  • While CBT often focuses on changing the content of unhelpful thoughts, ACT focuses on changing your relationship to those thoughts, accepting them without letting them control your actions, while moving toward what matters most to you.

  • ACT is effective for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and stress, and is especially helpful for people who feel stuck fighting their own thoughts and emotions.

CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia)

CBT-I is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia. Rather than relying on medication, CBT-I addresses the thoughts, habits, and behavioural patterns that keep the body caught in a cycle of poor sleep, restructuring the relationship between mind, body, and bed.

Offered by: Amy Thain

  • Research shows CBT-I produces better long-term sleep quality outcomes than medication, since it addresses the underlying patterns driving insomnia rather than just masking symptoms temporarily.

  • CBT-I typically requires only 3–6 sessions and works for over 70% of people who complete it, making it one of the more efficient evidence-based treatments available.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR is a structured psychotherapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge. Using bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements), EMDR mimics the natural memory-processing that happens during REM sleep, helping "stuck" memories become less overwhelming. It's widely used for trauma and PTSD, but is also effective for anxiety, phobias, and panic disorders.

Offered by: Don Huston, Christy McLeod, Nannette Hill, Tina Stasuik

  • EMDR is most commonly used to treat trauma and PTSD, but it's also effective for anxiety, phobias, panic disorders, grief, and other distressing memories that continue to affect daily life.

  • No. One of the benefits of EMDR is that it doesn't require you to describe the traumatic event in detail, the focus is on reprocessing the memory, not retelling it.

  • This varies by person and the complexity of what's being processed, but many clients begin to notice shifts within several sessions, following an eight-phase structured approach.

Somatic Therapy (Somatic-Attachment Therapy)

Somatic therapy works with the connection between mind and body, recognizing that stress, trauma, and emotion are stored physically, not just mentally. Rather than relying on talk alone, somatic approaches help clients notice bodily sensations, release stored tension, and regulate the nervous system, supporting deeper and more lasting change.

Offered by: Brittany Rust, Amy Thain, Maddy Maxinuk, Lucinda Bibbs

  • Sessions typically involve noticing and describing physical sensations as they relate to your thoughts and emotions, sometimes paired with breathing or grounding techniques, to help release “stuck” stress patterns in the body.

  • Not typically. Most somatic therapists, including our team, do not incorporate physical touch into sessions, the focus is on body awareness, not bodywork.

  • Yes. Somatic approaches are particularly effective for trauma because traumatic stress is often held in the body's nervous system responses, which talk therapy alone may not fully address.

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

Emotion-Focused Therapy (used with individuals, couples, and families) helps clients identify, understand, and transform difficult emotions rather than avoid them. EFT is grounded in the belief that emotions carry important information, and that lasting change happens by processing feelings fully, not simply managing or reasoning them away.

Offered by: Brittany Rust, Cheryl Jaggers, Nannette Hill, Natalie Maxson, Sarah Krehel

  • The core principles are the same, but the application differs. Individual EFT focuses on a client's internal emotional world, while EFT for couples (sometimes called Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy) focuses on emotional patterns within the relationship.

  • EFT is well-supported for depression, anxiety, relationship distress, and grief, particularly when emotional avoidance or disconnection is part of the pattern.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness-based approaches teach clients to observe thoughts, emotions, and body sensations in the present moment without judgment. Rather than emptying the mind, mindfulness practice builds the capacity to notice when you've drifted into worry or rumination and gently return attention to the here and now, reducing stress reactivity over time.

Offered by: Don Huston, Christy McLeod, Nannette Hill, Elisabetta Risso, Amy Thain, Maddy Maxinuk, Gabrielle Krilow, Sheridan Clifford

  • They're related but not identical. Meditation is one tool used within mindfulness-based therapy, but the approach also includes practical strategies for bringing present-moment awareness into daily life, conversations, and decision-making.

  • Yes. Mindfulness has strong research support for reducing anxiety by helping people notice anxious thoughts without becoming overwhelmed by them, breaking the cycle of escalating worry.

Person-Centred Therapy

Person-centred therapy (sometimes called client-centred therapy) is built on the belief that clients are the true experts on their own lives. The therapist's role is to provide unconditional positive regard, empathy, and a non-judgmental space, trusting that clients have the internal capacity for growth and self-understanding when given the right conditions.

Offered by: Brittany Rust, Christy McLeod, Amy Thain, Gabrielle Krilow, Maddy Maxinuk, Tyler Janzen, Elisabetta Risso

  • Rather than directing the conversation or offering solutions, a person-centred therapist listens deeply, reflects back what they hear, and creates a safe, accepting space for clients to explore their own thoughts and feelings at their own pace.

  • Yes, though many therapists blend person-centred principles with other modalities (like CBT or somatic therapy) to combine a supportive relationship with more structured tools.

Gottman Method (Couples Therapy)

The Gottman Method is a structured, research-based approach to couples counselling developed from decades of studying what makes relationships succeed or fail. It focuses on building friendship, managing conflict constructively, and creating shared meaning, using specific tools and exercises rather than open-ended conversation alone.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner, Nannette Hill, Tina Stasuik

  • The Gottman Method is grounded in extensive research on real couples, including the specific patterns (like criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling) that predict relationship breakdown, and gives couples concrete tools to shift those patterns.

  • No. It's used both for couples working through significant conflict and for couples who want to strengthen an already-healthy relationship.

Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy is based on the idea that people are not defined by their problems, they have relationships with them. This approach helps clients externalize difficulties (“the anxiety,” rather than “I am anxious”), examine the stories they've been told about themselves, and author a new, more empowering narrative about who they are.

Offered by: Christy McLeod, Nannette Hill, Elisabetta Risso, Christopher Kinman, Lucinda Bibbs

  • Narrative therapy is often used for identity concerns, family conflict, grief, and situations where someone feels defined or limited by a diagnosis, label, or past experience.

  • Rather than analyzing a client's problems from a clinical lens, narrative therapy centres the client's own language and stories, helping them separate their identity from the problem they're facing.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS is based on the idea that the mind is made up of different “parts” such as a protective part, a wounded part, or a critical inner voice, each with its own role. Therapy focuses on understanding and befriending these parts rather than suppressing them, helping clients access their core “Self” and create internal harmony.

Offered by: Nannette Hill, Maddy Maxinuk, Tina Stasuik, Sheridan Clifford

  • “Parts” refer to different internal experiences or subpersonalities, such as an anxious part, a part that avoids conflict, or a part that's highly self-critical. IFS helps clients understand what each part is trying to protect them from.

  • Yes, IFS is widely used for trauma because it helps clients approach painful or protective parts of themselves with curiosity and compassion rather than shame, which supports deeper healing.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT combines cognitive-behavioural techniques with mindfulness and skills training in four key areas: emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. Originally developed for intense, hard-to-manage emotions, DBT is now used broadly for anxiety, mood difficulties, and relationship struggles.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner, Don Huston, Elisabetta Risso, Nannette Hill, Gabrielle Krilow, Tyler Janzen, Sheridan Clifford

  • DBT was originally developed for people experiencing intense or difficult-to-manage emotions, but its skills, especially distress tolerance and emotional regulation are helpful for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety and relationship conflict.

  • DBT focuses on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, giving clients concrete tools to use both in and outside of session.

Solution-Focused Therapy

Solution-Focused Therapy is a brief, goal-oriented approach that centres on what's already working in a client's life rather than dwelling extensively on the problem itself. By identifying existing strengths and small, achievable steps forward, this approach helps clients build momentum toward meaningful change relatively quickly.

Offered by: Don Huston, Brittany Rust, Cheryl Jaggers, Nannette Hill, Natalie Maxson, Tyler Janzen

  • Rather than focusing primarily on analyzing the origins of a problem, solution-focused therapy centers on identifying concrete goals and the steps needed to reach them, often in a shorter timeframe.

  • Yes, it's particularly well-suited for clients looking for practical, goal-oriented support for a specific concern, rather than longer-term exploratory work.

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment designed specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder. Over roughly 12 sessions, CPT helps clients examine and shift "stuck points" unhelpful beliefs that develop after trauma, such as self-blame or a loss of safety so the traumatic memory no longer dominates daily life. It carries the strongest level of research support of any PTSD treatment in clinical practice guidelines worldwide.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner

  • No. Both are trauma-focused, evidence-based treatments for PTSD, but they work differently. CPT focuses on identifying and challenging unhelpful trauma-related beliefs through structured writing and discussion, while EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. Your counsellor can help you decide which approach fits you best.

  • Often, yes a brief written account of the traumatic event is a core part of many CPT protocols, though some versions can be adapted without it. This is done gradually and with full support from your counsellor.

  • CPT has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, and often co-occurring depression, in a relatively short number of sessions, and is one of the most strongly recommended treatments for PTSD available.

Grief-Informed Care

Grief-informed care means approaching therapy with a clear understanding of how loss of a person, relationship, identity, health, or future shows up in the body and mind, and how it differs from clinical depression. Rather than treating grief as something to "get over" on a fixed timeline, grief-informed counsellors help clients understand their own grief process, honour what's been lost, and find ways to carry it while still moving forward in life.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner

  • Grief-informed counsellors are specifically trained to recognize that grief doesn't follow a straight line or a set timeline, and that it isn't the same as depression, even though the two can overlap. This shapes how sessions are paced and what “progress” looks like.

  • No. It also supports people through other significant losses, such as divorce, job loss, a health diagnosis, infertility, or estrangement from family.

Occupational Culture Awareness

Occupational culture awareness refers to a counsellor's understanding of the specific pressures, identity, and culture tied to a client's profession, particularly high-stress or high-stakes occupations like emergency services, healthcare, and first response. Rather than approaching therapy generically, counsellors with this training understand how shift work, chronic exposure to crisis, and professional identity shape mental health, and adjust their approach accordingly.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner

  • Certain professions, especially first responders and healthcare workers, carry a distinct culture around stoicism, stigma, and repeated exposure to crisis. A counsellor who understands this context can build trust more quickly and avoid generic advice that doesn't fit your lived reality.

  • It's related but more specific: occupational culture awareness refers to a counsellor's competence around a particular profession, while workplace wellness programs are broader services aimed at organizations and teams.

Socratic Dialogue

Socratic dialogue is a guided questioning technique, most often used within CBT, where the counsellor asks thoughtful, open-ended questions rather than offering direct advice or interpretations. The goal is to help clients examine their own beliefs, notice inconsistencies or assumptions, and arrive at new insights themselves building lasting self-awareness rather than simply being told what to think.

Offered by: Deanna Buckner

  • Not on its own, it's a technique used within other approaches, most commonly CBT, rather than a standalone modality. It's often described as “guided discovery.”

  • Instead of telling you what to believe, your counsellor might ask questions like “What evidence supports that thought?” or “Is there another way to look at this situation?”, helping you reach your own conclusions.

Family Systems Therapy

Family Systems Therapy views individuals as part of an interconnected family unit, where each person's behaviour, emotions, and role influence and are influenced by everyone else in the system. Rather than treating one person's difficulty in isolation, this approach looks at patterns, roles, and communication dynamics across the whole family to create lasting change.

Offered by: Don Huston, Christopher Kinman

  • Not necessarily. While some sessions may include multiple family members, an individual can also work with a Family Systems lens on their own, exploring how family patterns and roles continue to shape their thoughts and behaviour today.

  • It's commonly used for family conflict, parenting challenges, blended family dynamics, and understanding how patterns from one's family of origin show up in current relationships.

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Compassion Focused Therapy was developed specifically to help people who struggle with high levels of shame and self-criticism. Grounded in an understanding of how the brain's threat, drive, and soothing systems work, CFT teaches clients to intentionally activate self-compassion and calm the nervous system, rather than relying on harsh self-judgment as a (usually ineffective) motivator for change.

Offered by: Brittany Rust

  • CFT is particularly effective for people with high self-criticism, shame, or a harsh inner critic, often related to depression, anxiety, trauma, or perfectionism especially when other approaches haven't fully addressed the emotional weight of shame.

  • No. CFT distinguishes self-compassion from self-indulgence: it's about creating enough internal safety to face difficulties honestly, rather than avoiding them out of fear or shame.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure Therapy is a structured, evidence-based approach for anxiety, phobias, and OCD, based on the idea that avoidance keeps fear alive. By gradually and safely facing feared situations, memories, or sensations rather than avoiding them, clients learn that anxiety naturally decreases over time and that the feared outcome is far less likely (or severe) than it feels.

Offered by: Tyler Janzen

  • No. Exposure is almost always done gradually, using a step-by-step hierarchy built collaboratively with your counsellor, starting with less distressing situations and building up at a pace that feels manageable.

  • It's most established for specific phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, and PTSD, and is often combined with CBT.

  • No. You and your counsellor move at a pace you agree to together, and you always retain control over how quickly the process moves.

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt Therapy focuses on present-moment awareness, helping clients notice what they're thinking, feeling, and experiencing in their body right now, rather than primarily analyzing the past. Techniques often include role-play, noticing unfinished emotional business, and paying close attention to how something is being said, not just what is said to build greater self-awareness and authentic self-expression.

Offered by: Elisabetta Risso

  • Gestalt places heavy emphasis on the here-and-now: what you're noticing in your body, tone of voice, or posture in the current moment, rather than focusing mainly on analyzing past events.

  • Sessions may include creative or experiential techniques, like role-play or “empty chair” exercises, alongside conversation, all aimed at increasing awareness of present-moment experience.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Attachment-based therapy is grounded in the understanding that our earliest relationships shape how we form bonds, manage emotions, and experience trust and safety throughout life. This approach helps clients recognize their own attachment patterns whether anxious, avoidant, or secure and work toward healthier, more secure ways of relating to themselves and others.

Offered by: Amy Thain, Sheridan Clifford

  • Attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized) describe patterns in how we relate to others, often formed in early childhood, that continue to influence adult relationships, self-worth, and how we handle conflict or closeness.

  • Yes. While early experiences shape our starting point, research shows attachment patterns can shift over time, especially through consistent, secure relationships including the therapeutic relationship itself.

FBT-AN (Family-Based Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa)

FBT-AN, also known as the Maudsley Method, is a leading evidence-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Rather than treating the young person in isolation, FBT-AN actively involves parents and caregivers as the primary agents of change, empowering the family to support re-nourishment and recovery at home, with the therapist guiding the family through each stage of the process.

Offered by: Sarah Krehel

  • Research shows that for adolescents, family involvement significantly improves outcomes, parents are uniquely positioned to support consistent renourishment and daily support in a way that individual therapy alone often can't achieve, especially in the earlier, most medically urgent phase.

  • FBT-AN typically unfolds in three phases over roughly 6 to 12 months: full parental support of eating, gradually returning control to the adolescent, and finally addressing broader adolescent development and identity concerns.

  • FBT-AN was specifically developed and researched for adolescent anorexia nervosa, though similar family-based principles have been adapted for other eating disorders like bulimia nervosa.

Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB)

Interpersonal Neurobiology is a framework, developed by Dr. Dan Siegel, that draws on neuroscience, attachment theory, and developmental psychology to understand how relationships literally shape the structure and function of the brain. In therapy, IPNB principles help clients understand their own nervous system responses, regulate emotion, and build the kind of safe, attuned relationships that support ongoing brain health and resilience.

Offered by: Tina Stasuik

  • It's broader, IPNB is an integrative framework that informs how a counsellor understands the mind, brain, and relationships, rather than a single set of techniques. It's often woven into other approaches like attachment-based or somatic therapy.

  • Understanding concepts like the nervous system's stress response or how early relationships shape brain development can help clients feel less shame about their reactions and more empowered to build new patterns going forward.

Autism Play Therapy & Parent Training

Autism Play Therapy adapts play-based therapeutic techniques specifically for autistic children, using play as a natural way to build communication, emotional regulation, and connection on the child's own terms rather than forcing neurotypical expectations. Parent training runs alongside this work, equipping caregivers with practical strategies to support their child's regulation, communication, and development at home.

Offered by: Tina Stasuik

  • It's adapted specifically to how autistic children process the world, often incorporating sensory considerations, special interests, and the child's own communication style, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach to play-based therapy.

  • Parent training usually includes practical strategies for supporting emotional regulation, communication, and daily routines at home, helping caregivers reinforce the same approaches used in session.