Hello, my name is Amanda Youssef (she/her), Founder and Executive Director of Valley Connections Counselling. I am a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and a Certified Koru Teacher of Mindfulness and Meditation with the Centre for Koru Mindfulness in North Carolina.

I have a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology (M.Ed.) from the University of Toronto, and an Honours Degree in Psychology (Hons. BA) from York University. It is important to me to stay current with my education, and therefore I regularly participate in training and workshops. I have received clinical training in Trauma-informed Mindfulness, Emotion Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Imago Couples Therapy, The Gottman Couples Method, and Clinical Supervision. I am also a Certified Koru Teacher in Mindfulness and Meditation.

I offer individual, couples, and family therapy at Valley Connections Counselling virtually and at our office in Burlington. My areas of specialization centre around relationships. I believe that we are wounded in relationship, and that to grow and heal, this is often most effectively done within a relationship as well. I work primarily with women’s issues, including support for the perinatal period and/or traumatic birth experiences, eating disorders, emotion dysregulation, mood disorders, and anxiety. I am also trained in three models of couples therapy, and much of my research and client contact is with couples.

I have been working in the human services sector and mental health field since 2009 providing Psychotherapy and Counselling and have over 15,000 client contact hours. I have also been providing Clinical Supervision to Interns, RP’s and other Mental Health Professionals since 2016. In addition to my private practice at Valley Connections Counselling, I worked at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, in the Student Wellness Centre between 2010 and 2017, providing individual and couples therapy, as well as creating and running a number of groups including Building Healthy Relationships, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy/Emotion Regulation Skills, A Group for Every Body (Body Image and Disordered Eating), and Koru Mindfulness and Meditation.

I thrive on engaging in work I love. Being a Psychotherapist and Meditation instructor are integral components of who I am. I gravitate toward building connections. I too, have experience sitting in the client’s chair, seeking my own therapy and support throughout various stages of my life. I know the importance of a therapeutic connection. I strive to be the Counsellor and Psychotherapist that I seek for my own support, and I have modified my practice to build bridges in the gaps I have experienced when receiving counselling myself.

I am committed to making Valley Connections Counselling a safe and nurturing environment in which clients can heal and grow. I would be happy to hear from you regarding your experiences here or if you would like more information about our services.