Circleside Counselling

About Circleside Counselling

Circleside offers individual counselling with experienced practitioners who are experts in their fields, but group counselling is at the heart of what we do. When therapy happens in a small group with skilled facilitators, participants are inspired to find new ways of solving their old problems. When we hear others speak about things that mirror our own experiences, our troubles transform from individual ones that we bear alone, to ones that we shoulder collectively. Rather than seeing our problems as aberrations that we must make disappear, we can begin to see them as intrinsic parts of the common human experience. Group counselling allows the trees to see the forest, and oh, the forest is mighty. In 2022, Vanessa Melle and Sarah Rush started Circleside. Both have extensive experience facilitating groups and writing group curriculum — Vanessa from her work at the Complex Chronic Diseases Program and Sarah from her work in youth mental health and addictions. From working in the public health system, they know how difficult it can be to access timely, quality group counselling. So they formed Circleside, an umbrella under which other like-minded experts can offer group counselling and education to people across BC, without the long waitlists! We are also looking for group facilitators with lived or professional expertise in the fields of health, mental health, or substance use. Do you love facilitating groups? Do you have an idea that you want to develop into a process or education group? Are you certified in a specific group modality? Do you practice using a critical, client-centered, anti-oppressive approach? We can provide an online platform, admin, and marketing support to begin offering your group. We also provide training or consultation in group facilitation. Currently all of our groups are only available to BC residents but we are open to expanding to residents of other provinces.

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