Practice information:

Pardeep Atwal, CCC, RCC, holds a Master’s degree in counselling psychology. Pardeep continues her professional development and has recently acquired further trauma training acquiring her EMDR and Sensory Motor Affect Regulation certificate. She is determined and dedicated to furthering her knowledge and understanding of psychological sciences through research.Early on in my studies when I was interning in the mental health field while working with children and youth, I came across clients who showed anxiety like symptoms and or dissociative symptoms that could be traced back to a traumatic incident in their childhood.  A CBT approach at that time was recommended, yet I found that focusing just on the anxiety was similar to a Band-Aid solution.  I had great difficulty finding effective interventions in helping clients who exhibit anxiety like symptoms proceeding after a traumatic incident. This is when I decided to make this my thesis research topic. The purpose of my thesis is to establish a best practices protocol for counsellors working with traumatized youth who are presenting hyperarousal and or dissociative related symptoms and or related disorders.  My thesis titled, Neurobiological Guided Practices for Therapeutic Work with Childhood Trauma, has been published and is available on amazon.ca. From the findings of my thesis research I have realized the importance of trauma informed practice. I have acquired certificate in EMDR Level 1 and Sensory Motor Affect Regulation Level 1 both of which are trauma training meant to facilitate the processing out of trauma.

I come from the collaborative strength based approach. Each person is unique and from this person centered beginning I integrate many different techniques to find the best way to help each individual client. I attend the whole person, integrating psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being. I believe it is important to gain a thorough understanding of the client’s worldview to co-construct a meaningful problem and goal.

I am a registered clinical counselor working with children and youth as a Mental Health Clinician. I serve a variety of clients, children and adolescents, and their families with lots of “life experiences.” I work with some individuals who have had a long history of mental illness and who have been treated in hospital settings for their condition. I also work with people who have never been diagnosed with a mental illness or hospitalized, but who are looking to work on particular issues in their lives and set goals to improve their relationships with others.I do my best to inform my clients of the therapeutic process. Good counselling starts with basic counsellor qualities, which include respect for the client, genuiness, empathic understanding, and the ability to communicate empathy (Patterson, 2004). I believe the development of trust is fundamental to a healthy working relationship between client and therapist. It is very important that I work collaboratively with my clients, and remember that they are the experts in their own lives. And establishing a relationship based on respect and safety will help me to inspire hope in my clients.