Coming Alongside You …

The problems of life can be solved in many ways – counselling/therapy (psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy) can be a path to wellness and wellbeing. Counselling is a caring relationship in which one person tries to help another deal more effectively with the stresses of life.

Paraklesis comes alongside you in providing accessible and affordable counselling options.

Many clients find going for counselling to be a major life decision. Apart from the fact that mainstream society tends to associate personal problems with weakness or inadequacy, the process of finding a counsellor/therapist who is trustworthy, confidence inspiring, and professionally competent is a daunting challenge. For the most part, clients are ill informed about counselling. Only one in three people suffering with major depression goes for therapy – this is indicative of a general resistance to go for therapy. This resistance, coupled with the lack of adequately qualified and available counsellors (especially in rural areas), emphasize and highlight the need for professional counselling being available and accessible.

Being situated in Calgary, Macleod Trail SW, close to downtown and within driving distance from North and South, makes Paraklesis accessible for traditional face-to-face counselling. Paraklesis further extends its ease of use by offering an internet service by making online e-counselling (e-mail, chat & video) available in addition to traditional face-to-face counselling. Dr Mervin is a psycho-pharmacologist and specializes in medication related counselling issues. As pharmacist and psychotherapist he is able to come alongside you in dealing with all your medication and mental health problems.

Accessible care-giving is further extended by the training of lay counsellors and community workers and the supervision of counsellors/therapists. In addition, self-enrichment and psycho-educational lectures and courses offer enrichment, personal growth and wellbeing opportunities.