ANTHONY LAVENDER

Hard doesn’t have to mean bad, and it never means hopeless. In the middle of everything we face we can discover meaning in our lives and find a reason and the strength to push through difficult times. I know the way hardship and suffering shapes our lives; life is hard and there is no secret weapon and no magic bullet. Life cannot be lived in isolation, and our struggles can’t be resolved without human interaction. My purpose is to walk with you through the hard work of determining your own purpose and face your struggles. I would be honored to support you as you further identify your own purpose and meaning.

I earned my BA in philosophy at the University of Waterloo and my Master’s degree through Martin Luther University College at Wilfrid Laurier University. I have worked with people struggling with food insecurity and homelessness, relationship breakdowns, addictions, traumatic experiences, and many folks working to pick up the pieces of their lives and to move forward into a healthier way of living.

I believe that human beings are always spiritual, but I don’t think that spirituality and religion are the same thing. Our spirituality is sometimes expressed in religion, but also in art and music, in love and language, in reason and imagination. I work from an existential perspective, which means that I am focused on the search for meaning and purpose we are each engaged in, and I think that many of our psychological struggles are a reflection of that larger search. I blend influences from several psychotherapeutic approaches including CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Logotherapy, Person-Centered and Psychodynamic therapy.