Laura Shay
Hello, my name is Laura (she/her) and I’m so pleased to be joining Couch of Hope as a Counselling Therapist Intern. Originally from a small rural community outside of Dartmouth, I lived in several countries before settling in Halifax. I received a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Science in international development studies from the University of Amsterdam. I am currently completing my Master of Art in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University.
Upon graduating with my MSc, I founded and served as co-executive director of Trace Uganda, an organization empowering street connected children and youth in Kampala, Uganda. Once the organization was made independent of international donors, I moved into education where I worked as a high school and university level instructor and tutor. Both jobs were rewarding but I discovered that genuinely connecting with and supporting my students emotionally was where my heart was, leading me towards a career in counselling. For the past two years, I have worked as a residential counsellor in a group home, supporting clients living with various mental illnesses.
Through my educational, work, and personal experiences, I have developed a therapeutic stance that is client-centered, nonjudgmental, culturally responsive, and socially-just. I believe that clients are the experts in their own lives and experiences and my role is to help them discover their strengths, develop better coping strategies, gain insight, and construct new understandings about their lives. My areas of therapeutic interest include anxiety, self-esteem, grief, trauma, relationship issues, and culture/identity struggles.
I would be honored to hear your story and to see how we can work together to meet your needs.