“You are the universe expressing itself as a human for a little while.” - Eckhart Tolle

The story of Cosmos Counselling

My name is Michelle Meier and I am the founder of Cosmos Counselling. I am a Registered Social Worker with the College of Social Workers. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Development studies with a minor in religion, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Social Work all from the University of Waterloo.  

I view counselling as an opportunity to help people cope with the normal and extraordinary challenges of life, lessen suffering, and settle more comfortably within the present moment. I believe in forming a connection where people feel accepted and challenged to grow in new and meaningful ways. I consider it to be a great privilege to be a part of the brave and vulnerable experience of unpacking struggles and working together to build new and lighter ways forward. I enjoy working with individuals with concerns that include anxiety, women’s issues, depression, self-esteem, and relationships.  

I was born and raised in Ontario and have been working in the social services field since 2015. I am passionate about health and fitness. I have a Yoga instructor certification and love weight lifting. I also enjoy cooking, learning about other cultures, being in nature, and caring for animals. I am an avid learner and appreciate staying up to date on new research and making lots of time for continuing education.

Our Approaches to Mental Health Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    Cognitive behavioural therapy, often just called CBT, is an evidence-based approach for a wide range of mental health concerns. CBT is the most well researched therapy approach, as it is typically highly structured with exercises and homework assignments. CBT is based on the premise that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours all influence one another. That is, we can change our thought patterns as a means of also changing our feelings and behaviours. 

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT, is a behavioural therapy with a heavy dose of mindfulness. ACT believes that many psychological concerns share the same feature of psychological inflexibility. ACT places importance on clarifying your own values and taking actionable steps to live in line with your personal values to build a rich and meaningful life. 

  • Narrative Therapy

    Narrative Therapy is a method of therapy that separates a person from their problem. It opens up conversations, which enable us to move away from problem stories and discover alternative, preferred stories of self, relationship, and future possibilities. It creates an opportunity for the stories to be rewritten in ways that are more empowering or more facilitative of well-being. Individuals can address their problems and stories based on their own values, rather than those that have been inflicted on them. Giving the individual the ownership to decide and re-live experience can be extremely powerful to their healing journey.

  • Solution Focused Therapy

    Solution Focused Therapy does not dwell on the details of why or how things came to be, but addresses the here-and-now, concentrating on present-day solutions. This approach identifies and builds on the strengths and capabilities that the individual already has. Solution Focused Therapy follows the thinking that nearly everyone can be motivated to find solutions. By helping people focus on what is working, it theorizes that small, positive changes could produce a ripple effect.The act of identifying strengths, resources, personal qualities, and networks around them is empowering, in and of itself. Additionally, it reinforces the idea that the future is something that we can create and that individuals are not determined by their pasts

  • Understanding Anxiety

    Anxiety is a normal human experience, such as feeling anxious about an upcoming event that has the potential to end unfavourably. Having the experience of anxiety does not mean that you have an anxiety disorder, rather, anxiety disorders are generally diagnosed when anxiety is ongoing, when it doesn’t seem to match the situation, and when it is creating difficulty in your day-to-day life. It can include worrying thoughts or body sensations that tend to be future-oriented. Anxiety could include symptoms such as shortness of breath and racing heart rate, or it could present such as “what if” worry thoughts. There are a number of great free resources available to help you cope with anxiety including the Anxiety Canada website and MindShift App with interactive tools. If you are questioning if you may have an anxiety disorder, it is always a good idea to talk with a medical professional about this concern.

  • Understanding Trauma

    Traumatic experiences are those that are deeply painful or distressing and overwhelms your ability to cope. They can be isolated incidents or ongoing situation that occur over time. Sometimes trauma is referenced as “big T” and “little t” trauma. Big T trauma could be events such as those commonly seen in people diagnosed with PTSD such as being severely injured or witnessing a serious accident, an assault or near death experience. Little t traumas could be events such as the loss of a pet, a divorce or end of a relationship, or the loss of a job. It is important to note however, that the type of trauma is not proportional to the severity of your response. Some people can experience severe injuries and experience minimal psychological repercussions, and likewise, someone may experience an event commonly part of the human experience and have significant difficulties with recovery.

  • Coping with Stress

    Everyone experiences stress and it is not necessarily a “bad” thing.  The definition of stress is to “exert pressure or tension”. As humans, we experience both physical and mental stress that varies depending on the circumstances. Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist and researcher, encourages us to Make Stress Your Friend in her popular Ted Talk. Stressful events can also be rewarding, such as moving, planning a wedding, or starting at a new school. Stress also places demands on us which can help to achieve our goals. Being under too much pressure or for too long can wear us out and have negative results if we have difficulty keeping up or coping. Sometimes it is useful to change what remains in our control in a stressful situation, sometimes we need to change how we cope with stress, and perhaps most commonly a combination of both. 

Book Appointment

Please note:

All appointments must be booked in advance, walk-in services are not available.

At this time Cosmos counselling is strictly online. We will provide an update when in-person sessions are available.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please urgently seek care through HERE 24/7 at 1-844-437-3247 

 FAQs

 

  • Finding a good match between you and your therapist is important. If you are considering booking with a therapist at Cosmos Counselling you are invited to schedule a 15-minute free phone consult to discuss what you are looking for help with and how we might be able to help or suggest an alternate referral.

  • Therapy has been found to be most beneficial when clients see their therapist every week or every other week. However, it’s important to tailor therapy to your own needs and availability. This may mean attending therapy every third week or once a month.

  • During the first counselling session, we will explore the basics of how therapy works and important considerations such as confidentiality. Most importantly, we discuss what brings you to therapy, learn more about you, your mental health, and your history, and figure out what you would like to get out of attending therapy. 

  • Confidentiality is an essential element of counselling; it is the foundation upon which you can feel secure in opening up and being vulnerable with your therapist. There are, however, some limits to confidentiality and it is your right as a client to know and understand them. Firstly, if you discuss that you are at risk of imminently harming yourself or someone else, your therapist is obligated by law to appropriately report this in order to help keep everyone safe. Secondly, if you discuss that a child (someone under the age of eighteen) or a vulnerable /or elderly person is being abused or neglected, everyone in Ontario is obligated by law to report this. Finally, if a therapist is subpoenaed by the courts, the therapist must provide documents or testimony which are court-ordered.

  • Sessions are typically scheduled for 50-60 minutes in length. Generally, the appointment time is 50 minutes and the last ten minutes is used for scheduling future appointments, taking payment, and time spent by your therapist documenting the details of the appointment.  We also offer 30 minute sessions.

  • The time for each appointment is set aside for you and only you. Should you miss a scheduled appointment, the regular session fee will be charged. If you need to cancel an appointment,  24 hours notice is required in order to fill the appointment spot and avoid being charged a late cancellation / no show fee. We do realize there may be unaccounted emergencies that may cause you to not attend your appointment. Please inform your therapist and considerations may be made to waive the fee.

  • Check with your insurance company to clarify your coverage prior to treatment. 

  • We do not provide direct billing to insurance providers. However, we do provide receipts with all of the relevant information for you to submit to your insurance provider.  

  • Payment is due at the end of each session and can be made by e-transfer or online credit card processing through the Jane app. 

Contact us.

michellemeier@cosmoscounselling.com

(226) 778-4510