Counselling is a collaborative and confidential process in which a trained mental health professional, such as a counsellor, psychologist, or therapist, works with clients to address emotional, psychological, behavioural, or interpersonal challenges. The primary goal of counselling is to provide support, guidance, and interventions that help clients explore and understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and develop coping strategies and solutions to improve their mental and emotional well-being. Counselling can help with a wide range of mental health issues, help people navigate change, improve communication, enhance self-awareness and simply nurture one’s overall wellness.
Our Registered Psychologist, Nathalie Mercier, is a well-educated, skilled professional who works with each client to determine session goals specific to their needs. Whether you're seeking help for a specific issue or aiming to enhance your overall well-being, Counselling can be a valuable addition to your healthcare routine.
Our Registered Psychologist, Nathalie Mercier, is a well-educated, skilled professional who works with each client to determine session goals specific to their needs. Whether you're seeking help for a specific issue or aiming to enhance your overall well-being, Counselling can be a valuable addition to your healthcare routine.
- INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING -A collaboration between you and our psychologist to address personal issues and concerns. Individual therapy sessions can help if you:
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- COUPLE/RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING -For intimate partners seeking:
** Prestation disponible en français. MORE iNFO
Through the Gottman Method integrated with Emotion-Focused Therapy and additional approaches, the focus is on emotion and skill building for managing conflict, enhancing connection, and helping you as a couple or within your partnerships to create a system of shared meaning together. With Nathalie's guidance you will seek dialogue through practical and systematic interventions. Therapy work is tailored according to your strengths, and Nathalie will help address the challenges experienced by each of you. Together you will discover and identify the relationship's specific needs, where it ruptures, and explore the foundations for it to work well. Through Couple Counselling you will learn to practice healthy strategies towards meaning and purpose in being together. Nathalie welcomes working with folks in polyamorous relationships and acknowledges the many facets making up the uniqueness of your relationship. In your sessions, she will seek to learn and understand the specific intricacies of your relationship. |
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Elevate your holistic wellness with Counselling at Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective.
Book an Initial Session online or call us at 780-466-0027 |
HOW COUNSELLING CAN HELP
Counselling offers a range of benefits that contribute to one's emotional, mental, and overall well-being. Here are some key advantages:
- Emotional Support: Counselling provides a safe and supportive space where individuals can express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. The therapeutic relationship offers emotional validation and understanding.
- Improved Coping Skills: Counsellors help individuals develop effective coping strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and other challenges. Learning healthy coping mechanisms can enhance resilience and adaptability in the face of life's difficulties.
- Enhanced Self-Awareness: Counselling encourages self-reflection, helping individuals gain insight into their thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. Increased self-awareness can lead to personal growth and a better understanding of one's own needs and goals.
- Effective Communication: Therapy can improve communication skills, both in expressing oneself and in understanding others. This is particularly valuable for building healthier relationships, both personal and professional.
- Behavioural Changes: Counsellors assist individuals in identifying and changing unhealthy patterns of behaviour. This can lead to positive behavioural changes, such as breaking harmful habits or adopting healthier lifestyle choices.
- Stress Reduction: Counselling provides tools and techniques to manage stress effectively. This can result in reduced feelings of overwhelm, improved resilience, and a greater sense of control over life's challenges.
- Improved Mental Health: Counselling is an effective intervention for addressing various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and more. It can be a crucial component of mental health treatment plans.
- Conflict Resolution: For individuals facing relationship issues, counselling offers a neutral space for open communication and conflict resolution. Couples therapy can be particularly helpful in improving relationship dynamics.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Counsellors work with individuals to identify goals and aspirations, providing guidance on how to achieve them. This process fosters motivation and a sense of purpose.
- Increased Self-Esteem: Counselling helps individuals challenge negative self-perceptions and build a healthier self-esteem. Positive affirmations and a supportive therapeutic environment contribute to a more positive self-image.
- Better Decision-Making: Therapy assists individuals in making informed and thoughtful decisions. It provides a structured process for exploring options, weighing pros and cons, and considering the potential outcomes of decisions.
THERAPY APPROACHES
Guided by your goals, belief systems, background, and way of being in the world, our Registered Psychologist, Nathalie Mercier will work with you to optimize your mental health and wellness.
You are the utmost expert on yourself. Nathalie values cultural safety and is interested in knowing about your connections with yourself, your relations and family, your community, and what you know and how you experience situations and transitions in life. She works collaboratively with you to find the connection with your inner wisdom and expertise, and helps you achieve positive change, healing, adaptability, life satisfaction, and transformation. Nathalie's aim is to help you connect with yourself and others through knowledge and strategies which will help you flourish in your personal life, social life, and professional life.
Nathalie's Integrated Approach includes:
You are the utmost expert on yourself. Nathalie values cultural safety and is interested in knowing about your connections with yourself, your relations and family, your community, and what you know and how you experience situations and transitions in life. She works collaboratively with you to find the connection with your inner wisdom and expertise, and helps you achieve positive change, healing, adaptability, life satisfaction, and transformation. Nathalie's aim is to help you connect with yourself and others through knowledge and strategies which will help you flourish in your personal life, social life, and professional life.
Nathalie's Integrated Approach includes:
- Emotion-Focused
- Mindfulness
- Positive Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioural
- Dialectical Behavioural
- Body-Mind
- Solution-focused
- Internal Family Systems
- Buddhist psychology
- Spirituality and Faith-based
- Feminist
- Existential
- Humanistic
- Coaching
- Fanfiction and Gaming
- Narrative
- Creative expression (art, writing, bibliotherapy)
FEes
Individual Counselling: Initial (60min) - $220
Individual Counselling: Follow-up (60min) - $220
Individual Counselling: Follow-up (90min) - $290
Couple Counselling: Initial (90min) - $330
Couple Counselling: Follow-up (60min) - $220
Couple Counselling: Follow-up (90min) - $290
Counselling services are GST exempt.
Individual Counselling: Follow-up (60min) - $220
Individual Counselling: Follow-up (90min) - $290
Couple Counselling: Initial (90min) - $330
Couple Counselling: Follow-up (60min) - $220
Couple Counselling: Follow-up (90min) - $290
Counselling services are GST exempt.
FAQS
▪️ I'D LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION. CAN I TALK WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST BEFORE BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT?
Absolutely! If you have questions about our Counselling services and would like to learn more about how we can help, you can book a free Discovery Call (by phone or video) with Nathalie Mercier, our Registered Psychologist. Once your consult appointment is booked, Nathalie will call you at the scheduled time to discuss your questions, concerns, needs, and options available. Nathalie has extensive experience helping people with complex mental health, relationship, work related, and social challenges. If you haven’t done counselling before or you’re not sure what to expect, a phone/video chat may help ease your concerns and start you on the path to what you are hoping for.
▪️ IS COUNSELLING COVERED BY MY HEALTH BENEFITS?
The majority of health insurance plans cover Counselling treatments. Direct billing to your insurance company is also available for the majority of insurers, but may vary by policy. It is recommended that you check with your insurance provider to determine coverage levels and whether direct billing is permitted. Please note, direct billing for Counselling is not permitted by the following insurers: Empire Life, Johnson, or Sun Life and we do not offer direct billing to Medavie at this time.
▪️ DO YOU OFFER VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS FOR COUNSELLING?
In addition to in-office services, we also offer telehealth appointments for Alberta Residents located in Alberta.
▪️ WHAT TECHNIQUES DOES YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST USE?
Nathalie believes effective therapy is a combination of the therapist's training, experience and intuition weaved in with care and understanding, alongside having a good fit and relationship with the client. The therapeutic alliance (the relationship between therapist and client) has been researched and shown to be a significant factor in a client's feeling when they find therapy helpful or not. With over 20 years of continuing competence training and experience in therapeutic counselling, Nathalie uses an Integrated Approach using methods tailored to the client's needs and issues, along with consistent measurable client feedback to ensure a working relationship and progression towards her client's goals.
▪️ HOW LONG WILL THERAPY TAKE?
For each person the length of time they spend in therapy is different. Some attend one or two sessions, others may have ongoing sessions, and some come when they need it throughout their lifetime. Every individual has different needs, and there is no right, wrong or prescribed length of time. People come with a variety of issues, backgrounds, personalities and mindsets which are all part of the complexity of being human. All are carefully, professionally considered and addressed during the course of therapy.
▪️ HOW DO FEES WORK?
Fees are based on the type of session you need. Mental health and psychological services provided by a licensed psychologist are a healthcare service, and rates are set based on the Recommended Fee Schedule by the Psychologists' Association of Alberta. Clients with personal or employer provided health benefit insurance and/or health spending accounts are normally eligible to receive reimbursement. Contact your employer or employee assistance program or your insurance provider to find out about your coverage.
Advocacy for accessible mental health services is recognized as important and vital. Advocacy happens in multiple arenas. Visibility of mental health, especially during the pandemic time, has instilled hope for progress. Visit the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Commission of Canada to learn more.
▪️ HOW IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTED?
All personal information gathered by Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective is collected, used, stored and disclosed in accordance with the Personal Information Privacy Act (PIPA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other laws when applicable. The information collected by Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective is for the provision of treatment, facilitation of payment for service, administration of insurance benefits and follow-up on service and its collection, use, storage, and disclosure is in accordance with Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective’s Privacy Statement. You may review this policy here.
We use every reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of client data. Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective uses secure, PIPEDA/HIPAA compliant client management systems to book/invoice appointments, facilitate intake forms/consents, store demographic data and complete electronic chart notes. Further information can be found in our Privacy Statement.
Protecting your privacy is of the utmost importance and in keeping with best standards of ethical practice. Back be Nimble Wellness Collective is a multidisciplinary clinic where client information is shared by multiple authorized staff and practitioners, including your name, contact information, demographics, appointments and insurance information as part of administering streamlined treatment. If you are receiving Counselling services at our clinic, permissions for your psychological records (chart) will be restricted and accessible only by Nathalie Mercier, MA, Registered Psychologist.
Absolutely! If you have questions about our Counselling services and would like to learn more about how we can help, you can book a free Discovery Call (by phone or video) with Nathalie Mercier, our Registered Psychologist. Once your consult appointment is booked, Nathalie will call you at the scheduled time to discuss your questions, concerns, needs, and options available. Nathalie has extensive experience helping people with complex mental health, relationship, work related, and social challenges. If you haven’t done counselling before or you’re not sure what to expect, a phone/video chat may help ease your concerns and start you on the path to what you are hoping for.
▪️ IS COUNSELLING COVERED BY MY HEALTH BENEFITS?
The majority of health insurance plans cover Counselling treatments. Direct billing to your insurance company is also available for the majority of insurers, but may vary by policy. It is recommended that you check with your insurance provider to determine coverage levels and whether direct billing is permitted. Please note, direct billing for Counselling is not permitted by the following insurers: Empire Life, Johnson, or Sun Life and we do not offer direct billing to Medavie at this time.
▪️ DO YOU OFFER VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS FOR COUNSELLING?
In addition to in-office services, we also offer telehealth appointments for Alberta Residents located in Alberta.
▪️ WHAT TECHNIQUES DOES YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST USE?
Nathalie believes effective therapy is a combination of the therapist's training, experience and intuition weaved in with care and understanding, alongside having a good fit and relationship with the client. The therapeutic alliance (the relationship between therapist and client) has been researched and shown to be a significant factor in a client's feeling when they find therapy helpful or not. With over 20 years of continuing competence training and experience in therapeutic counselling, Nathalie uses an Integrated Approach using methods tailored to the client's needs and issues, along with consistent measurable client feedback to ensure a working relationship and progression towards her client's goals.
▪️ HOW LONG WILL THERAPY TAKE?
For each person the length of time they spend in therapy is different. Some attend one or two sessions, others may have ongoing sessions, and some come when they need it throughout their lifetime. Every individual has different needs, and there is no right, wrong or prescribed length of time. People come with a variety of issues, backgrounds, personalities and mindsets which are all part of the complexity of being human. All are carefully, professionally considered and addressed during the course of therapy.
▪️ HOW DO FEES WORK?
Fees are based on the type of session you need. Mental health and psychological services provided by a licensed psychologist are a healthcare service, and rates are set based on the Recommended Fee Schedule by the Psychologists' Association of Alberta. Clients with personal or employer provided health benefit insurance and/or health spending accounts are normally eligible to receive reimbursement. Contact your employer or employee assistance program or your insurance provider to find out about your coverage.
Advocacy for accessible mental health services is recognized as important and vital. Advocacy happens in multiple arenas. Visibility of mental health, especially during the pandemic time, has instilled hope for progress. Visit the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Commission of Canada to learn more.
▪️ HOW IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTED?
All personal information gathered by Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective is collected, used, stored and disclosed in accordance with the Personal Information Privacy Act (PIPA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other laws when applicable. The information collected by Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective is for the provision of treatment, facilitation of payment for service, administration of insurance benefits and follow-up on service and its collection, use, storage, and disclosure is in accordance with Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective’s Privacy Statement. You may review this policy here.
We use every reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of client data. Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective uses secure, PIPEDA/HIPAA compliant client management systems to book/invoice appointments, facilitate intake forms/consents, store demographic data and complete electronic chart notes. Further information can be found in our Privacy Statement.
Protecting your privacy is of the utmost importance and in keeping with best standards of ethical practice. Back be Nimble Wellness Collective is a multidisciplinary clinic where client information is shared by multiple authorized staff and practitioners, including your name, contact information, demographics, appointments and insurance information as part of administering streamlined treatment. If you are receiving Counselling services at our clinic, permissions for your psychological records (chart) will be restricted and accessible only by Nathalie Mercier, MA, Registered Psychologist.
CRISIS RESOURCES
Services through Back Be Nimble Wellness Collective are not for crisis intervention or emergencies which are times of danger when immediate assistance is required.
Most crisis services are offered 24/7 by phone, online chat and in many different languages. Please refer to the list below for resources you may access in a crisis situation.
CALL 911
CALL 211
CALL 811
ADDITIONAL NUMBERS which can be called if you or someone you know is in crisis:
24-Hour Distress Line 780-482-HELP (4357)
Mental Health Help Line (Alberta) 1-877-303-2642
Family | In-home | Child | Persons in Care Abuse (Alberta) 310-1818
Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868
HELPFUL WEBSITES
MyHealth.Alberta.ca for health information, supports and tools
Talk Suicide Canada to connect with a crisis responder
Free Telephone Counselling Hotlines in Canada
Culturally focused crisis supports - provided by LifeVoice. These contain supports for the general public. However, they also include specialized pages for Indigenous peoples, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Additional pages focus on youth, those experiencing a postpartum mood disorder, and those experiencing a pregnancy or infant loss.
Most crisis services are offered 24/7 by phone, online chat and in many different languages. Please refer to the list below for resources you may access in a crisis situation.
CALL 911
- if you or someone else is in immediate danger
CALL 211
- 211 Alberta is a 24/7 helpline and online database of Alberta’s community and social services. 211 is answered and updated by highly-trained specialists.
CALL 811
- 811 is Alberta Health Services Health Link, a 24/7 helpline for medical and physical health along with mental health related concerns, such as finding a family physician or when experiencing concerning symptoms.
ADDITIONAL NUMBERS which can be called if you or someone you know is in crisis:
24-Hour Distress Line 780-482-HELP (4357)
Mental Health Help Line (Alberta) 1-877-303-2642
Family | In-home | Child | Persons in Care Abuse (Alberta) 310-1818
Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868
HELPFUL WEBSITES
MyHealth.Alberta.ca for health information, supports and tools
Talk Suicide Canada to connect with a crisis responder
Free Telephone Counselling Hotlines in Canada
Culturally focused crisis supports - provided by LifeVoice. These contain supports for the general public. However, they also include specialized pages for Indigenous peoples, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Additional pages focus on youth, those experiencing a postpartum mood disorder, and those experiencing a pregnancy or infant loss.
