Caring & Compassionate Connections with Breland Counselling Support
Supporting you to stand in your power so you may recognize and acknowledge your strengths and abilities to move forward in a way that promotes your overall wellness goals.
A Mindful Practice Rooted in Métis Ownership, Embracing Storytelling and Community
Our Métis Roots
Nurturing Healing From Cultural Heritage
At Breland Counselling, our founder Ashley, a proud member of the Red River Métis community, is on her own journey of reconnection. With roots bearing names like Arcand, Pichet, Boyer, McKay, and Wells, Ashley is rediscovering her Métis heritage, values, teachings, and ways of knowing.
Her personal journey deeply shapes our therapeutic approach, creating a space that honors and welcomes individuals from all backgrounds to explore their own paths to healing and growth.
- Honouring Tradition
Learning from the rich wisdom of her Métis ancestors, Ashley on a journey to integrate traditional Métis values, teachings, and healing practices into her own therapeutic approach.
Through this process of discovery and exploration, she seeks to honour her heritage and create a space where folks can begin to reconnect with their own stories and cultural identity, drawing strength from the roots of their own ancestry.
- Cultural Sensitivity
As a Métis-owned counselling practice, cultural sensitivity is at the core of everything we do. We recognize the importance of understanding and respecting the unique cultural backgrounds of our clients, and we strive to create a safe and welcoming space for individuals from all walks of life to explore their healing journey.
At Breland Counselling, we do things differently.
We proudly identify as Registered Social Workers because we are deeply committed to social justice. We believe that therapy is inherently political, as various injustices—such as systemic racism, sexism, economic inequality, ableism, and discrimination against LGBTQIA2S individuals—profoundly impact mental health. These systemic barriers not only hinder access to mental health care but also contribute to disparities in well-being. Our approach emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing these societal issues, ensuring that our therapeutic practices consider the broader context of oppression and inequality. Together, we can create a more equitable environment for healing and growth.
We offer complimentary 15 minute consultations to ensure you are working with the best therapist for your needs.
You Are
The Driver of your Journey
We’re dedicated to empowering individuals like you to recognize your strengths, stand in your power, and pursue your wellness goals with confidence and purpose.
You are the expert of your life and we are here to provide clarity and tools to guide your journey of healing and growth.
- Trauma Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Somatic Experiencing®
- Prenatal/Postpartum
- Accelerated Resolution Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We are committed to the following...
Fat acceptance in our space...
We will never claim to be experts, yet we can share that we are committed to exploring our own biases, educating ourselves on fat phobia & fat liberation, unlearning the harmful effects that white feminism has had on marginalized bodies, and referring any client to the appropriate anti diet health care professional as needed.
Fat acceptance acknowledges that all bodies, including large ones, deserve respect and have inherent worth. Fat acceptance has roots in social liberation, with a focus on dismantling the oppression that people face due to their size. In a society that’s filled with anti-fat rhetoric, fat acceptance is about feeling proud, loved, and cared for in one’s body.
Inclusivity is inherently important, and this applies to people of all races, religions, sizes, and physical appearances.
When we discriminate against someone for how they look, we automatically risk making false assumptions about their behavior or values. These implicit biases can have devastating consequences for individuals and our society at large. Fat acceptance allows for more compassion and respect for this marginalized population.
Body Neutrality...
In recent years, some people have shifted away from body positivity to a body neutrality approach. Body neutrality refers to acknowledging and accepting your body for what it is. The focus is on how your body functions rather than how it looks. This movement is also important, and is personal rather than political.
Our Values
Collectively, these values represent the core principles that guide Breland Counselling & Consulting in its mission to provide effective and compassionate mental health and emotional support.
Our therapeutic approaches prioritize creating a compassionate and empathetic environment. We believe in actively listening to your unique story, providing a space where you can feel seen and heard without judgment. We actively reject the idea of the therapist being the sole expert. Instead, we value your story as a vital part of the healing process. Together, we explore your experiences, working side-by-side to find new meaning and understanding, helping you shape your own path forward.
We believe that mental health is deeply connected to the systems we live within, and healing involves acknowledging and challenging those oppressive forces. Our trauma-informed approach recognizes the impact of systemic injustice on your well-being and respects your experiences. We work collaboratively to explore ways to live safely and authentically within these systems, and, when appropriate, support efforts to challenge and transform them. We understand that therapy is intertwined with social change, and our commitment to justice extends beyond the session to promote healing and equity for all.
- Professional Development: We are committed to continuous professional development through clinical supervision, ensuring that our counsellors receive guidance, support, and ongoing education to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
- Best Practices: Our clinical supervision practices adhere to the highest ethical standards, promoting best practices in counselling to provide quality care for our clients.
- Reflective Practice: Through regular clinical supervision, our counsellors engage in reflective practice, fostering a culture of learning, self-awareness, and growth.
- Quality Assurance: Clinical supervision serves as a means of quality assurance, contributing to the overall excellence of our counselling services.
- Ethical Oversight: We prioritize ethical oversight in all aspects of our counselling practice, and clinical supervision plays a crucial role in maintaining ethical standards.
We believe in supporting individuals to stand in their own power. We are committed to creating a safe and nurturing space where you can explore your strengths, build resilience, and develop self-compassion. Recognizing that you are the expert on your own life, we stand alongside you as you move forward in ways that promote your overall well-being and inner strength.
At Breland Counselling and Consulting, we are committed to challenging and dismantling systems of white supremacy, patriarchy, sexism, diet culture, fatphobia, ableism, healthism, genderphobia, and ageism. We understand that these harmful constructs are upheld by larger systems rather than individuals, and we hold those systems accountable for their negative impacts. Our goal is to create a space that recognizes and values the diversity of all identities and experiences, working toward justice and equity for everyone.
As advocates and providers, we are mindful of our positionality and the inherent power dynamics in our roles. We actively support efforts to change systems and institutions.
At Breland Counselling and Consulting, we believe in the power of collaboration. We understand that the changes we work for may extend beyond our lifetimes. We trust in each other’s work and prioritize collective well-being.
We recognize that scarcity and competition can erode trust and hinder meaningful collaboration, so we strive to create an environment where everyone’s needs are centered and supported.
At Breland Counselling and Consulting, we believe in building a community rooted in relationships, collective care, connection, and accountability. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces and events that honor and serve the diverse needs of everyone in our community. We see community as a form of resistance—standing together against systems of oppression and fostering solidarity in our shared pursuit of healing and growth. Instead of prioritizing competition, we value mutual support and collective strength, knowing that true liberation is rooted in coming together and supporting one another.
At Breland Counselling and Consulting, we prioritize centering the experiences of the most marginalized and targeted communities as a vital part of true liberation. Our work involves unlearning harmful narratives and shifting the focus away from societal oppression and internalized shame, toward understanding the impact of trauma and systemic injustice. We trust in the knowledge and lived experiences of those we work with, recognizing their resilience, resistance, and wisdom in navigating challenging circumstances. Our aim is to support ongoing resistance against systems of oppression and to foster healing and empowerment for all.