Individual Counselling
Why see a counsellor?
You may come to counselling to relieve worry, overwhelm, uncertainty, anxiety, low mood, burn out, or depression. Contributing factors may include workplace pressures, interpersonal conflicts, breakdown of romantic relationships, self doubt, equity issues, family conflicts, health issues, grief and loss, sexual identity, body image/disordered eating, substance use, or the legacy of childhood trauma.
What happens in counselling?
You will be deeply listened to by your counsellor and actively responded to. Together, you will sort through confusions and uncertainties and discover options for resolving your mental health concerns. Solutions may involve identifying unhelpful thoughts and developing mindsets that support your goals, increase your well being, and grow strong emotional resilience skills and self confidence. You can explore practical and action oriented solutions, such as improving communication skills and gathering more information to help inform any decisions you are trying to make.
Our Team
Melanie Banka Goela
Melanie is a lawyer turned psychotherapist who merges her education and experience to support lawyers and law students with stress and anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, substance use, illness, grief and loss, and relationship/family difficulties. Before private practice, she spent five years developing the wellness program and providing therapy for the JD program at Osgoode Hall Law School. She has a Masters in Counselling Psychology from University of Toronto and a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School. She is a Registered Psychotherapist, Registered Social Worker, and Canadian Certified Counsellor.
Ellen Schlesinger
Ellen attended law school out west and was called to the Bar of British Columbia after articling at a national firm. She transitioned careers by completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University (Vancouver, BC) where she investigated the emotional experiences of lawyers for her graduate thesis. She began her career in mental health by working in public health supporting clients experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar, psychosis, and/or substance misuse. She moved to Toronto in 2015 to work as an onsite mental health counsellor and counselling supervisor at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is a Registered Psychotherapist (Ontario), Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC), and Canadian Certified Counsellor.
Julia Viskov
Julia assists clients in coping with anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns using a warm, compassionate and insight-oriented approach. Informed by mindfulness, psychodynamic theory, and cognitive behavioural therapy, Julia currently supports a variety of clients within a private counselling practice, including many lawyers and law students. Previously, Julia worked as an embedded mental health counsellor at Osgoode Hall Law School, trained legal volunteers at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and volunteered as a crisis counsellor at the Toronto Distress Centre.