Each person experiences their life differently and each experience a person undergoes impacts and influences them, positive or negative, or somewhere in-between. Because of these experiences, we may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed or stuck in a place of pain or uncertainty. Counselling can be a supportive place in which to safely explore and process these experiences and the feelings, thoughts, and behaviours that go along with them.
I believe that everyone has the capacity to be strong and resilient, and that everyone has an innate ability to grow and heal and to overcome their scars and struggles but that they sometimes need support and guidance to find these qualities within themselves. I believe my role as a counsellor is to offer support and guidance in uncovering these qualities, and in experiencing the growth and change they desire.
Cynthia Smith
Approach
My personal counselling approach begins with an integrated approach that encompasses collaboration and strength-based methods. My approach is person-centered with interventions drawn from cognitive-behavior therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and Hakomi method. I have a strong passion in working with children, parents, and families, and work from a play-therapy approach with children. I work with children as young as 4, but when I work with children under age 6, parents are asked to be a part of the counselling process, and I may not even meet your child in our work together.
Cynthia’s approach integrates:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Hakomi Method
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
Play Therapy
Trauma-Informed
Background
Cynthia is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists, and a member of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta and the Canadian Association for Play Therapy. She has experience and training in providing counselling to children, teens, adults, and families. Cynthia has more than 20 years of experience working in a variety of contexts with school-aged children, adolescents, and their families, including not-for-profit, detox and addictions, and school settings.
Favorite Quote
“When a tree is cut down and reveals its naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole history in the luminous, inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness and prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years and the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured.”
– Herman Hesse
Wellness Matters Videos
See Cynthia’s talks below to get to know her and an area she often works with in therapy
How Cynthia works with…
Children
Play is a child's medium through which they best communicate, and through which they can express their inner thoughts and feelings. This expression is important to their healing and growth. As such, my work with children uses play-based therapy approaches. I have worked with children and their families for almost 20 years. I believe that my role in working with children and their families is to help families be a happier and healthier family unit. It is very important for parents to be part of the counselling journey with their children, as not only are they the experts on their own children, but they are also their child's main source of support and comfort. As such, I encourage a high level of involvement to help facilitate healing and growth, but to also ensure that parents also feel supported, and that they have the information and tools to support their child.
Adolescent / Teen
Whenever I work with teens, I am amazed by their abilities and potential. It amazes me how intelligent and talented teens are, and how it feels that they are so advanced compared to when I was a teen. Teens face many challenges and I feel that my role with teens in counselling is to support them in discovering these abilities and talents, and apply them to their emerging sense of self and identity. I believe that it can be hard for teens to "just talk," and as a result, I use a variety of creative approaches to engage teens in their counselling journey.Parent Consultations
I have a passion for working with parents with and without their children. Nobody prepares you for how hard parenting can be. And it can be really hard. ... read more
But it can also be an amazing time, full of moments of witnessing your children grow and develop, full of fun and laughter. Parenthood has a lot of ups and downs and for those times when things are hard, I view my role with parents as being to educate, support and problem solve alongside them, as well as to help them find those moments of enjoyment. I work from a starting place of gathering information about the family as a whole, and offer parents a place to discuss challenges they are experiencing, as well as to work on solutions to these things and hold space for those hard times.
Trauma/PTSD
Trauma, whether past or present, can have a profound impact on us physically, emotionally, and mentally. I believe trauma resides in our memories and our bodies and that past experiences shape our beliefs. Using mindfulness-based and body-centered techniques, I approach trauma work from a perspective that emphasizes safety, curiosity, and compassion. I support clients in gently turning toward their present-moment, inner experience, noticing thoughts, emotions, and body sensations as they arise. Together, we will work at a pace that feels right for you, ensuring that exploration feels manageable and grounded. Through this process, we will begin to access and transform these patterns, working towards greater integration, self-understanding, resilience, and connection to oneself and others.Grief
Grief can arise around many different losses and can take many forms, unfolding differently for each person. Each person has a unique process of loss and of healing. Together, we will hold space to gently meet your grief and go at a pace that feels supportive and manageable. Through a compassionate and nonjudgmental presence, I offer a safe space where your experience can emerge and be explored. Drawing on mindfulness-based and body-centered techniques, I support individuals to examine their inner experiences and explore how past experiences, beliefs and relational patterns shape their grief, working towards a more integrated understanding of oneself and one's experience of grief.
Our client care team works with each new client to ensure they are matched to the right therapist.
It’s essential to find a therapist who aligns with your unique needs and preferences. If you’re unsure where to begin, you don’t have to figure it out alone.