NATHANIEL KHALEEL

Though counselling technique matters, research has supported that your relationship with your counsellor is more influential in the success of your treatment. To that end, it’s fair that you learn more about me as a person before seeing what I can provide to you as a counsellor.

I have been described by others as attentive, empathetic, understanding and deliberate (a nice way to say quiet). My Caribbean roots have made it impossible for me to sit still when music is playing. Stories of people pushing themselves to their physical limits are definitely a fascination of mine, likely from my appreciation for physical health and respect for the power of the mind. I read a lot, play music a little too loud, and talk to family/friends daily.

Foremost among my practice is an appreciation for the time that we spend together and the privilege I feel when clients share the details of their lives with me. Words fail to capture the significance I place in this opportunity. What I bring to your clinical treatment honours the trust you place in me as your counsellor.

Throughout the lessons gained from my education (MA in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from Wilfrid Laurier University and a BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Florida International University), my employment at Carizon Family and Community Services, and life lessons picked up along the way, I have been humbled by the consistent reminders of humanity’s resilience and capability to thrive through unbelievable life experiences. I rely on these as guiding principles in my practice and my personal life.

I work with individuals experiencing a variety of feelings and emotions. Specifically, I work with individuals wanting to work on emotional regulation (including anger management), interpersonal relationships (attachment styles and boundaries), self-esteem and self-worth, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, issues related to spirituality, racial esteem and issues related to race, grief and loss, and the effects of adverse childhood experiences (i.e. trauma) on adulthood.

Much of my practice will be tailored to you as the unique individual you are. I tend to focus on your emotional experience through approaches such as emotion-focused therapy (EFT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness to enhance your clinical treatment. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and I am currently focused on becoming certified in dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).