MEET OUR TEAM

CHRISTEL MITCHELL, M.C, R.C.C.

Clinical Counsellor/Owner

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I received a RCC designation in the year 2020 when leaving the Canadian public health care system to join the private sector.

I earned a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca University. During my studies I focused on acquiring the skills to support persons living with mental health and/or substance use disorders, and their affected family members. My field of focus has always been mental health and substance use, as throughout the entirety of my life persons from both my immediate and extended family units have struggled with such. However, through time I have also added to my primary areas of interest and became competent in such by pursuing continuing education.

I have several years of closely supervised experience in counselling youth, adults, couples, and families both in person and virtually. As well, I continue to seek supervision and consult with colleagues in order to remain current in psychological theory and practice, and to ensure the highest quality of service is provided.

Since 2014 I have been involved in the mental health and substance use field, however in varying capacities. I have worked for Interior Health as a community mental health worker and a mental health and substance use clinician, as well as ARC Programs as a child, youth, and family counsellor. Furthermore, prior to entering the private sector I spent several years working for Pathways Addictions Resource Centre, a small non-profit counselling agency, assisting both youth and adults develop, works towards, and achieve wellness goals and cope effectively with personal struggles.

Allow me the opportunity to support you in navigating your wild mountain of challenges and make the journey to the top where rewards are waiting for you.

With each client I strive to create a person-centered approach, grounded in trust, paralleled with congruency, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. I provide a safe and therapeutic environment for the exploration of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours which encourages clients to build self-awareness and gain insight into personal struggle. Empowering clients to manage their own lives as they discover personal strengths and capabilities, enhances well-being, builds resiliency, and embraces problem solving skills.

I utilize a combination of treatment modalities, including but not limited to cognitive behavioural therapy, solution focused therapy, and motivational interviewing. Additionally, I take a strength-based and trauma-informed approach to therapy, while incorporating positive psychology and mindfulness strategies and techniques into my practice. Furthermore, I am certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Mindful Eating, and currently working towards completing ATMA’s Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy introduction and advanced training courses to hopefully in the future offer this ground-breaking treatment to adult clients experiencing mental health challenges.

Each client receives a tailored approach to best meet their needs and support their movement towards change.

  • Problematic use of substances/substance use disorders
  • Substance affected family members
  • Process, also known as behavioural, addictions
  • Mood disorders: anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder
  • Family members affected by a loved one’s mental health
  • Couple’s counselling: conflict resolution, communication, and intimacy
  • Stress and worry, as well as crisis management
  • Adult ADHD
  • EMDR for the treatment of trauma survivors, post-traumatic stress, phobias, panic attacks, depression, anxiety disorders, stress, sexual and physical abuse, disturbing memories, complicated grief and chronic pain.
  • Eating disorders
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) to treat a wide range of mental health diagnoses, as well as non-clinical issues

MELANIE KONYNENBERG, M.C, R.C.C.

Clinical Counsellor

I hold a Masters degree in counselling psychology from Athabasca University and a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Alberta. I am a partner of 22 years and a mom to three teens. I appreciate the beauty of nature, the power of music, and the companionship of dogs and other furry creatures. In my life, I have experienced both joy and pain, and have arrived at the other side with increased resilience and hope. 

I have worked with youth and adults of all ages as a clinical counsellor in community-based clinics, including One Sky Community Resources and Foundry. I have experience as a behaviour interventionist in the autism intervention program with Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society. I have been teaching voice, piano, and musical theatre both privately and on faculty with Penticton Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts for many years. I have discovered and witnessed music, drama, and other art forms’ ability to evoke positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. 

I work in collaboration with clients to uncover strengths, abilities, resources, and meaning. I believe the experiencing of fulfillment and the discovery of purpose and hope can lead to increased wellness. Courage can allow us to daringly sit in vulnerability while experimenting with values-based actions and behaviours. I prioritize the creation of a safe, warm, and empathic therapeutic relationship in which the client is placed as the expert. 

I have experience working with solution-focused interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy, and strengths-based modalities. Furthermore, I have recently completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 1 and 2) and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (Level 1 and 2).

I have a deep interest in continued education of existentialism, nature-based therapies, self-compassion, counselling for couples, family therapy, trauma, animal-assisted therapy, music, drama, and other expressive arts interventions.

 

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Grief and Loss
  • Relationships
  • Parenting
  • Life transitions
  • Meaning and Purpose
  • Spirituality
  • Trauma
  • EMDR

KEITH BALISKY (He/Him) M.C., R.C.C, C.C.C

Clinical Counsellor

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Canadian Certified Counsellor. I hold a Masters of Counselling from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Alberta. My previous work before counselling includes clinical research in chronic pain. I consider myself a lifelong learner. I aim to grow both inside the counselling chair and as a person. Within the counselling world I grow by consulting, learning from other professionals, and continued training and education.

Outside of the clinical space, cooking and food, in general, are some of my biggest passions. If I am not in the kitchen you may find me outside running, hiking or enjoying the sun. Beyond that, I am a nerdy person with interests in board games, video games, and movies. If it’s nerdy, there is a good chance it’s for me!

I take an integrative approach to individual counselling. I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Therapy, Strength Based approaches, and Solution Focused approaches. I pay particular attention to the patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. I find it important to tailor the experience to the unique individual. My first step is to meet a client where they are at and to make a human to human connection. I strive to create a space where a client is safe and agency is held. I also strive to create a safe space for inclusivity of all people and all communities.

I believe that counselling is a journey of growth and understanding. I am lucky to be able to walk that path with people. I aim to create a space where people can let go of the weight they carry and explore it without judgement. I want to empower people to be the best version of themselves.

I also have Gottman level one training for couples counselling. It is a researched and evidenced based approach that focuses on communication, what is currently working, what needs to improve, and what is getting in the way of growth. I connect with this type of couples counselling because it takes an evidence based approach and focuses on ensuring that both members of the couple feel heard, valued, and loved by the other member for the majority of the time but allows space for people to be human as well. It also backed by research that indicates it provides similarly effective results across races, and heterosexual and homosexual couples.

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Life Stressors
  • Trauma
  • Intimate Relationships
  • Interpersonal Relationships
  • Communication
  • Emotion Work
  • Assertiveness Training
  • Strength Building
  • Life Transitions
  • LGBTQ2+ inclusivity
  • BIPOC inclusivity

Phone: 250-486-1868

Email: keith@wildmountaincounselling.ca

 

Khojesta Rajabi, M.C, R.C.C

Clinical Counsellor

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Alberta.

I was born in Afghanistan, and my family fled to Moscow as refugees when I was two years old because of war and ethnic genocide. My family immigrated to Canada when I was seven years old. I grew up in a Muslim family with strong religious beliefs, strict social norms, and ongoing intergenerational trauma. I felt confused by the differing cultural values, beliefs, and norms in my home and the outside world. I felt alienated, isolated, and alone because I did not feel like I belonged anywhere. I engaged in a personal healing journey with the help of numerous counsellors over the last decade to bring together the disjointed parts of myself into a holistic identity that is unique and authentic to me. This is an important part of my story that informs my therapeutic work.

I have almost 10 years of experience working in front-line crisis and mental health services across the developmental lifespan including children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. I worked in numerous roles that support the mental health of neurodivergent and gender-diverse individuals. I have worked with high-risk youth struggling with mental health and substance use. I have also supported high-risk families to manage mental health and substance use within a family system.

My experiences have led me to focus on working with people who feel alienated from themselves, their loved ones, and the world around them. I am passionate about supporting individuals to explore the multiple facets of their identity, such as the intersection between their gender and culture, and to feel confident expressing their authentic selves in all the spaces they occupy in their lives. I strive to create a nonjudgmental, accepting, positive, and warm therapeutic environment so that clients can feel safe and empowered to explore their unique identities and develop self-acceptance.

I use a variety of treatment modalities in my therapeutic work including cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focused therapy, and existential therapy. I also use techniques from motivational interviewing, mindfulness, positive psychology, strength-based, and trauma-informed therapeutic approaches. My counselling practice operates from an anti-oppressive, cooperative, and empowering therapeutic lens.

Each client is the expert in their own lives, and my work is focused on helping clients access their inner power and authenticity to build a life that is meaningful for them. I strive to create a tailored therapeutic approach that meets the needs of each individual client and supports their unique process of change.

  • Grief and loss
  • Trauma and abuse
  • Substance use and addiction
  • Depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation
  • Anxiety
  • Relationship and family counselling
  • Parenting concerns
  • Immigration
  • Neurodiversity
  • Non-normative identities and relationships
  • Meaning and purpose
  • Life transitions and stress
  • Crisis management
  • Exploring experiences of gender, sexuality, culture, and religion

Natalie Turpin, RSW, RCC, McPsych

Clinical Counsellor

I believe relationship is an antidote to suffering that fosters opportunities to recognize our potential and face our challenges with the secure hold of connection. I work to foster a trusting therapeutic relationship for a safe and supportive process to explore how beliefs, feelings, history, and experiences have brought you to where you are at. Individual experiences and needs are diverse and nuanced, and I enjoy learning about people from a place of curiosity, compassion, sometimes humour and colourful language (I’m a sailor’s daughter and my mom says I’m funny) to help identify obstacles and strengths, and to develop tools for connection and improved quality of life.

I have worked in the mental health and helping professions since 2005 when I completed my Bachelor of Social Work at University of Victoria. I have since completed my Master of Counselling Psychology with Athabasca University and I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the BC College of Social Workers and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

I have diverse experience in a wide range of therapeutic contexts, and I use an integrated therapeutic approach using evidence-based modalities for individualized and adaptive service planning. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and I glean from different therapeutic modalities and attend to the inextricable nature of the mind-body connection. I function relationally, non-judgmentally, and collaboratively from a trauma-informed, strengths-based, person-centred perspective, using sociology, neuroscience, attachment and systems theories, and anti-oppressive practice values. I love to work with individuals to better understand how the past can show up in their present to influence their worldview and relationship with themselves and others. The best part is discovering the opportunities that exist with deeper awareness and self-compassion.

I work with individual adults and mature minors with issues such as the following:

  • Trauma
  • Thought and Mood challenges
  • ADHD
  • Emotional Difficulties
  • Stress and Anxiety
  • Life Transitions
  • Relationship and Attachment Needs
  • Self Esteem
  • Substance Abuse
  • Meaning and Purpose
  • Oppression and Advocacy

Phone: 250-486-1868

Email: natalie@wildmountaincounselling.ca