Sarah MacDonell

SARAH MACDONELL, MPCC, RST, AC-EPT
Founder & Clinical Director | Child & Youth Specialist
College Instructor | Child & Youth Group Clinical Supervision Host

MPCC Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling (CPCA)
RST Registered Sandtray Therapist (WASTP)
AC-EPT Associate’s Certificate in Expressive Play Therapy

Clinical Experience

  • 12+ years in mental health

  • 4,200+ direct client hours

  • College instructor in Clinical Psychology & Counselling

  • Child & Youth Group Supervision Host through MFFS

About My Approach
I believe that at our core, we are all striving for balance. My work focuses on supporting children, teens and parents as they navigate challenges, build confidence and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and one another.

Grounded in attachment, interpersonal neurobiology and child development, I look beyond behaviour to understand what may be contributing to a child's emotional or behavioural struggles. I help children and teens develop coping skills and confidence, while supporting caregivers with practical tools for communication, co-regulation and understanding their child's needs. I also work with teens experiencing emotional distress, including non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), helping them develop safer coping strategies and improve emotional regulation.

Specialized Training & Approaches

My specialized training includes working directly with internationally recognized clinicians and trainers Marie-José Dhaese, Lisa Dion and David Grand.

My training and clinical approaches include:

  • Play Therapy, Expressive Play Therapy and Synergetic Play Therapy

  • Registered Sandtray Therapy

  • Attachment-based and child-centred approaches

  • Emotion-Focused Therapy and Gestalt

  • CBT- and DBT-informed approaches

  • Brainspotting

  • Child development, neuroscience and ADHD-informed strategies

I am completing specialized training and certification in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based approach for children ages 2–7 that involves live coaching while parents play with their child. PCIT helps strengthen the parent-child relationship, build positive parenting skills and address challenging behaviours.

Bright Minds Counselling plans to offer PCIT once the necessary training and certification requirements are complete. Contact us to ask about availability or express your interest.

Brainspotting

For teens and adults working through trauma or difficult experiences, I also offer Brainspotting. This approach may be helpful for clients who find it difficult to talk in detail about their experiences or prefer a less verbally focused way of working.

Areas of Focus

Teaching & Professional Roles

Alongside my clinical work, I host Child & Youth Group Supervision through MFFS and teach Clinical Psychology and Counselling at the college and graduate levels.

Featured Specialized Training

  • Expressive Play Therapy — Marie-José Dhaese / JIBC

  • Synergetic Play Therapy — Lisa Dion

  • Brainspotting — David Grand, PhD

  • Attachment-Based & Child-Centred Approaches — Advanced clinical training

  • Child Development & Neuroscience — Brain Story / developmental neuroscience

  • ADHD & Neurodevelopment — Evidence-informed assessment and intervention strategies

  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) — Training and certification in progress

  • Additional professional development includes training in trauma and developmental trauma, CBT- and DBT-informed approaches, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gestalt, mindfulness, clinical risk assessment, suicide prevention, child and adolescent mental health, parenting and behaviour support, and other specialized child and youth counselling approaches.

    Associate Certificate: Expressive Play Therapy, Marie-José Dhaese/JIBC

    Certified ADHD Professional: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD Across the Lifespan; PESI

    PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy): Play and Behavioural Therapy for Children with Parents in Session

    Clinical Supervision: Providing Effective Supervision, Navigating Ethical Issues and Managing Risk, G. Haarman

    Brain Story: Child Brain Development & Neuroscience cert., University of Oxford & Alberta Family Wellness Initiative

    Attachment-Based Play Therapy cert., BC Play Therapy Assoc.

    Brainspotting: Neuroexperiential Model, 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

    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, DSM-V Industry cert.

    Stenberg College, Counselling Therapy Dipl. with Distinctions

    Justice Institute of B.C

    University of Waterloo

    Queen’s University

  • CPCA (Canadian Professional Counsellors Association)
    CCPA (Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Assoc.)
    BCPTA (BC Play Therapy Association)
    CAPT (Canadian Association for Play Therapy)

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