About Me
Hi there.
I help adults change the way they see and respond to their problems.
My name is Steve Gates and I have been working in mental health for 15 years with 7 years working as a counsellor with the Nova Scotia Health Authority. In my work, I try to blend my training with your expertise about you. Using this approach, I have seen people make progress through situations that truly seemed impossible. In my experience, once people accept where they are and make realistic goals, they tend to make progress. The “feel better” part does seem to take time, but it tends to follow the changes.
My garden office space.
My office offers peace and privacy.
Why choose to work with me?
It is important to find a counsellor who is a good fit for you. Sometimes that means that people need to try a few counsellors before they find the person they will work best with. I offer a kind and structured treatment environment for people who are looking to make changes in their life. If we are a good fit together, I have training and experience in lots of areas. I have helped people address complex mental health problems and challenging situations. I am also knowledgable about local resources and I know when to refer to someone/somewhere else.
Each session with me starts with a brief check in where we set an agenda together to make sure you get what you need from therapy. This structure helps us maintain focus on your goals whether they be treating Social Anxiety, Depression, substance use or self harm. This way, we don’t get lost in the “crisis of the day” and when we finish working together, you feel a sense of accomplishment at having overcome something that has bothered you for a long time.
“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
— Epictetus
Professional Background
Masters of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University
Licensure as Registered Social Worker #6252
I worked for years as a youth care worker with the IWK in their mental health and addictions inpatient settings. Following this, I worked as a crisis worker in Guelph, ON and then worked as a Clinical Therapist for the past 7 years with Nova Scotia Health Authority.
I am trained in the following treatments: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Trauma, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for Trauma, Emotion Focused Family Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety and psychosis.
I started my career working with children and families, however my work as a therapist has been with adults (18 years and older).
