Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time to view my profile! My name is Matthew, I am a Yorkville University student completing my practicum placement for my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. I believe in using a tailored approach when working with an individual and their own unique experiences. While working towards developing skills that can benefit you in future situations, I believe it is beneficial to work together to explore your past experiences in order to gain a better understanding of how those events have made an impact on your life. The use of a nonjudgmental and respectful environment to promote the therapeutic relationship is a crucial part of my method. It is important to provide a safe place for all individuals to pursue counselling in their own space and time. It is my goal that each person feels seen, heard, and respected throughout their mental health journey to set them up for the most successful experience. 

Throughout my education, I have found myself drawn towards evidence-based practices including Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy. The tools and skills from these types of approaches will be tailored to help guide you through the exploration of your experience, as you are the expert on your life. As I further develop my skills, a personal goal of mine is to incorporate assessment tools into my counselling practices and I look forward to expanding my knowledge on the assessment practices used in counselling settings. Working with diverse populations is important to me as I believe everyone should have access to mental health resources; as I work to find what area I would like to specialize in, it would also be providing me opportunities to help more people and develop more diverse skills.