Dianne Birt

Yoga:

I  completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Maritime Yoga College ( a Yoga Alliance Registered School) in May 2017, and have begun teaching basic Hatha Yoga in two rural communities in PEI - York (Tuesdays at 10 am), and Tracadie (Thursdays at 6:30 pm) . I am also registered with the international organization Yoga Alliance. I also facilitate mindfulness, meditation, stress management and wellness sessions either through Fundamental Yoga or my counselling therapy practice (see below).

Counselling and Wellness:

My counselling practice started as a part-time business in 2008 while working as a Career Counsellor for a local company. In 2014 I began focusing exclusively on my private practice. I’m passionate about the counselling profession, and about holistic health and wellness, particularly as it relates to mental health. My educational background includes a Master of Education in Counselling from the University of New Brunswick, a Bachelor of Science in Health Education from Dalhousie University as well as a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Prince Edward Island. Prior to counselling, I worked in health education and promotion for a local not-for-profit organization, and previous to that I managed a school-age child care centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to my academic education, I regularly pursue professional development training to enhance my knowledge and skills so I can continue providing high quality, professional counselling services to my clients. Some of my recent continuing education credits include conflict resolution, Trauma Training Seminars, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Narrative Therapy, Addictions and Mental Illness, The Biology of Loss, and to be completed in May 2017 - Yoga Teacher Training and Trauma Sensitive Yoga.

I take a holistic approach to my practice which emphasizes self-care and coping skills, and promotes the development and maintenance of healthier ways of being. My combined education and experience in health education and counselling provides me with a comprehensive background for working with clients from a holistic health and wellness philosophy. Current trends in mental health and wellness recognize the importance of the mind-body connection, which supports the holistic approach I use to help people reduce their symptoms and feel better. By holistic, I mean addressing all aspects of an individual’s life such as overall health, lifestyle, work, family and interpersonal relationships. In this way, I work with the whole person, realizing we are affected not only by our physical health, but also by our environments, relationships, and responses to stress. I help clients address their counselling issues and symptoms, as well as improve health, lifestyle, and coping skills so they are better able to manage life’s challenges.

Some of the orientations I use in my counselling approach include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution-focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Existential and other humanistic approaches, psycho-education and mindfulness practices. Whether it’s individual counselling, couple’s counselling, therapy for a child or a wellness workshop for the office, I look forward to helping you create healthier ways of being.