Angela received a Bachelor of Human Ecology degree with a major in family studies from Mount Saint Vincent University and a Master of Social Work degree from Dalhousie University. She has over 15 years experience working with adolescents, adults, and families in various outpatient mental health settings, providing assessments, crisis counselling, and intervention. Areas of practice include emotional regulation, parent/child relationships, anxiety, mood, adjustment, trauma, and eating disorders; she also has extensive experience in the field of substance abuse. Her therapeutic approach draws on evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Trauma-Focused (TF)-CBT, CBT-T/Family Therapy (for eating disorders), Motivational Interviewing, Solution focused Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

As a clinical social worker, she places a strong focus on the importance of attachment and relationships. She takes a psychosocial approach to overall physical and emotional well-being to empower individuals to reach their optimal growth. Angela’s strengths lie in her ability to genuinely connect with clients and work collaboratively with them to help each unique individual achieve their own optimal growth and development.

License # 1846

Colette Poirier obtained a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from Dalhousie University and the Master of Arts from St. Mary’s University. She has worked in the social service sector for over 30 years with half of her career in a clinical counselling capacity. She has helped clients resolve concerns surrounding anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, addictions, anger, stress, grief and loss, adjustment, parenting, relationship stress, separation and divorce.

Colette works with adults, teens (15 +), couples and families. She engages clients in a collaborative process to develop a deeper and compassionate awareness of the sources of distress and to restructure painful patterns of thoughts, emotions, behaviors and interactions. She fosters a posture of kindness and compassion toward self and others as a foundation for change.

Colette favors an integrative approach, drawing from Emotionally Focused Therapies, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Mindfulness-based therapies, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral strategies to best meet the client’s needs or situation. Her work with couples and families is influenced by attachment theory as she endeavors to help build, repair and strengthen interpersonal bonds. She is continuously acquiring new methods and strategies to bring to the therapeutic encounter. With all clients she is motivated by the conviction that a better relationship with self and others is both possible and doable.

 License #2056

Jon Sebesta completed a Masters of Arts Degree in School Psychology from Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax NS in 2002. Since then, he has worked with children, adolescents and young adults within the school systems in Nova Scotia and Arizona, USA. Jon specializes in conducting psychoeducational assessments to help shed light on an individual’s learning style by highlighting their strengths and challenges.

Jon also spends time in schools consulting with parents, students and school personnel on a wide array of learning, behavioural and social-emotional issues that affect students and families. Jon has also worked in private practice previously and is one of the school board psychologists who works at the ADHD clinic in Truro, NS.

Jon believes in the importance of developmental and environmental factors in determining a child’s learning needs and strengths, and that any assessment should be viewed as only “one piece of the puzzle”.

Reg # R685

Jen Cantley has a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and a Master of Social Work degree from Dalhousie University. She has been practicing clinical social work for close to 25 years in  Nova Scotia Health’s Community Mental Health and Addictions Programs.  Over her career, she has enjoyed working with adults to help them understand and improve a variety of mental health issues. These issues include low mood, anxiety, stress and trauma, poor sleep, painful emotions such as anger, and self-harming behaviors, such as substance overuse. She supports people in creating meaning and strengthening activities that foster personal growth and vitality, self-acceptance & self – worth, improve relationships and navigate life’s difficult challenges, transitions, and losses.

Jen has studied, trained, and provided many therapeutic modalities in one-to-one and group settings including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy( ACT), Strength-based and Solution Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy  (MBCT). She has been a student of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga for 20 years, and these practices, and the values that underpin them, ground her clinical work. She interweaves and customizes these approaches to best compliment her client’s knowledge, strengths, personality and facilitate their unique direction for growth and wellness.

Jen strives to create a curious, compassionate and respectful space that encourages people to honour their experiences, explore difficult issues and make changes that increase wellness and move closer towards their vision of a rich and meaningful life. 

License # R1526

Hiral Brahmkshatriya holds a Ph.D. in Psychology (equivalent to a Canadian doctorate), along with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in psychology, and a Diploma in Yoga Education from Gujarat, India. She is a Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) with the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists.

Hiral supports adult clients and older adolescents (18+) who are experiencing challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma (including PTSD), low self-esteem, relationship concerns, addiction, and life transitions.

She uses evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), along with mindfulness and body-based practices. Hiral focuses on creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel understood. She works collaboratively with clients to build coping skills, gain insight, and move toward their personal goals.

Hiral speaks English, Hindi, and Gujarati, and works with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, including BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

RCT-C24-047

Dr. Christiane Whitehouse (she/her) is passionate about helping people work through the mental health challenges of living with chronic physical health conditions. She works with adults managing chronic issues like insomnia, pain, organ transplants, or COPD, as well as those affected by neurologic conditions such as stroke, brain injury, or epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis or dementia. Her therapy focuses on helping people understand and cope with anxiety, depression, grief, and the loss of identity or purpose that can often accompany these chronic health conditions.

Dr. Whitehouse conducts therapy using two evidence-based approaches: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT). She is trained in the specific treatment of CBT for insomnia.

Dr. Whitehouse is a white, cis-gender female. She aims to provide a safe environment for all her clients.

Reg # R1093

Marcus is a graduate student in their second year of the Master of Science Program in Clinical Psychology at Acadia University. As a practicum student at Dartmouth Psychological Services, Marcus provides clinical services under the supervision of a registered psychologist, working primarily with adults experiencing conditions such as anxiety and depression. Marcus has received training in cognitive-behavioural therapy and is currently expanding their clinical knowledge to incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches into their clinical practice. Marcus’ research areas of interest include 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health and sexuality, and Marcus is passionate about assisting clients in navigating related topics, such as shame, coming out, marginalization, and self-discovery. Marcus welcomes working with sexual and gender diverse individuals in their clinical practice.