About Alida van Dijk
Executive Director
Alida is a Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapist and Certified Supervisor-Educator (PCE) with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP).
Alida believes that whatever situation you find yourself in, there is always hope for a better future. She is committed to journeying with you to discover the strengths and resources you already have to move towards growth and wellness.
Alida practices spiritually-integrated psychotherapy, using strength-based narrative therapy and solution-focused brief therapy interventions.
Alida believes that we are holistic people whose body, mind and spirit are integrated. Alida helps people to connect with their strengths and welcomes spirituality as a part of counselling.
Alida has experience providing loss and bereavement support, exploring lack of meaning and purpose in life, addressing moral injury and other effects of trauma-related experiences, particularly with veterans.
Alida completed a PhD in Human Relationships in the field of Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. Her dissertation is entitled “Not Sinking with the Titanic: Personal Agency as Key Factor in Transforming Trauma into Posttraumatic Growth.”
Among her epic adventures in life, Alida completed two cross-country Sea to Sea bicycle rides during the summers 2005 (Vancouver to Halifax) and 2008 (Seattle, WA to Jersey City,NJ).
About Patricia Berendsen
Clinical Director
With over 25 years of experience in the counseling field, Patricia is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT), Registered Social Worker (RSW), Registered Psychotherapist (RP), and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP).
“I specialize in trauma and the body, attachment issues, relationship challenges, and wellness in the workplace.”
Her experience has encompassed issues such as abuse, addictions, relationships (individual, couple and family), anger management, anxiety, grief, homosexuality, codependency, terminal illness and chronic pain, stress management, self-esteem, domestic violence, depression, parenting skills, eating disorders and body image.
“The therapeutic relationship is a process of learning and unfolding for both the client as well as the therapist,” Patricia believes.
Patricia provides consultation and training to agencies and organizations seeking to incorporate trauma-informed practices. “To support their efforts to ‘keep the soul in their work,’ I employ therapeutic tools and skills to uniquely meet the needs of each person,” she explains. She says that she uses” “the strengths that clients have but don’t know they have” and works collaboratively with clients in a gentle, productive way.
Patricia is an Adjunct Faculty of Graduate Studies at Western University and has supervised interns in the MSW, M.Ed. and M.Sc. programs. As an Approved Supervisor with OAMFT/AAMFT, she offers clinical supervision to other practitioners who wish to deepen and enrich their clinical practice and improve the quality of service and accountability to their clients. In addition, Patricia has studied with Peter Levine, the developer of Somatic Experiencing and she is an Advanced Individual and Group Case Consultant with the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.
“I am proud to say that I am the only psychotherapist in Canada with my specific qualifications to work with trauma, attachment and the body.”
Patricia’s experience and achievements, including over 30 publications in peer-reviewed and professional journals, as well as individual chapters in three edited books in Canada and the United States, has earned her the reputation as an expert in the field. She has presented at several national conferences and teaches and consults throughout Canada and in the United States. She is also an editor of Psychotherapy: Cure of the Soul published (2014) and Thriving on the Edge: Integrating Spiritual Practice, Theory and Research (2016)