Sarah MacDonell
Clinical Director, Founder
Clinical Counselling college instructor
MPCC Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling (CPCA)
RPC Registered Professional Counsellor (CPCA)
RST Registered Sandtray Therapist (WASTP)
MBSR-P Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Practitioner
AC-EPT Associate ~ Expressive Play Therapy
Member of: CCPA (Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association); BCPTA (BC Play Therapy Association); CAPT (Canadian Association for Play Therapy)
Specialized Areas of Focus:
Child & Youth Play-/Expressive-Play Therapies
Teen Expressive & Relational Therapy
Behavioural Challenges
ADHD
Self-Harm (NSSI) and / or Suicide
Aggressive Behaviours
Early Life Trauma / Developmental
PTSD / Trauma
Parent Coaching and Education
I believe that at our core, we are all striving for balance. My mission is to support and empower children, teens and parents to effectively achieve personal growth, and to acknowledge and bear witness to the experiences of their life. My treatment is grounded in interpersonal neurobiology, attachment and brain stage development that helps uncover the root of dysregulated, confusing behaviours.
I help child and teen clients learn to cope with life’s difficulties in a way that fosters confidence and builds trust in their own capabilities. I support caregivers with the necessary tools for effective communication, co-regulation and education to better connect with your child.
Specialized and trained by internationally renowned Marie-José Dhaese, Lisa Dion, and David Grand, I use a variety of modalities and techniques to suit the presenting concerns and goals for change. Play-, Expressive-, or Synergetic Therapies, Emotions-Focused therapy, Gestalt, CBT and DBT-informed therapy can allow your child to move through life’s challenges by promoting self-awareness and distress tolerance. I work from a trauma-informed lens, and creating connection and safety underlies the foundation of my practice.
For teens and adults coping with trauma (early life traumas, (C)PTSD, abuse, etc.) - or those who are not comfortable ‘speaking to a therapist’ about internal struggles - I offer Brainspotting, which is a brain-based treatment, rather than a psychological one. This approach works with stuck or unprocessed traumatic events stored in the lower brain and the body by directly accessing the central nervous system through mindful focus on areas in the visual field. Brainspotting can have immense psychological, emotional, and physical effects. This unique treatment offers the client the opportunity for rapid trauma healing without reliving or speaking about the trauma.
I also host Child & Youth Group Supervision through MFFS, and am a college instructor of Clinical Psychology/Counselling.
Specialized Professional Training
Associate Certificate: Expressive Play Therapy, Marie-José Dhaese/JIBC
Brainspotting: Neuroexperiential Model for Rapid Trauma Healing, David Grand PhD
2025 Canadian Association for Play Therapy (CAPT) Annual Conference, attendee
2024 Suicide Prevent Summit: Suicide in Schools, Prevention, Assessments, Neuroscience-based Treatment, Mental Health Academy
5th Annual Innovative Child Therapy Symposium with T. Kottman, L. Dion, L. Lowenstein, attendee
Synergetic Play Therapy: Revolutionize Play & Therapeutic Practice with Children; Healing Medical Trauma in Play Therapy
Parenting - Compassionate Discipline cert., Institute of Child Psychology
Therapeutic Play cert., Institute of Child Psychology
Brain Story: Child Brain Development & Neuroscience certification, University of Oxford & Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
Attachment-Based Play Therapy cert., BC Play Therapy Assoc.
SafeTALK Crisis cert., Canadian Mental Health Assoc.
Safe Zone Project ally & trained
Trauma Informed Care, Somatics cert.
Non-Violent Communication (NVC) cert.
DSM-5-TR-A, DSM-V Industry cert.
Stenberg College, Counselling Therapy Dipl. with Distinctions
Justice Institute of B.C
University of Waterloo
Queen’s University