Natalie Besmehn
Having the opportunity to do meaningful work has always been a motivating element for Natalie. As a trauma-informed counsellor, Natalie guides clients in a direction of understanding and compassion through a process of reconfiguration of the self, helping clients discover core values and explore new ways to connect with life and relationships after trauma.
Natalie’s approach to counselling involves considering the many factors that contribute to a person’s well-being. This includes exploring where thoughts, emotions, and behaviours come from, and examining social conditions and cultural factors that play a major role in health and disease.
Natalie has been trained in the field of complex trauma and has experience working with a diverse range of clients. Natalie believes in taking a holistic biopsychosocial approach to counselling and incorporates psychodynamic elements into her practice.
Natalie believes trust and relational safety are two key components of creating a therapeutic alliance. Natalie carefully curates the therapeutic setting by creating and establishing relational safety and being empathic and sensitive towards the client’s needs, giving the support to assist clients in creating a more joyful and fulfilling life.
Her therapeutic philosophy is aligned with the Rogerian approach to humanistic counselling, in that the positive conditions of the therapeutic relationship will be the most important in establishing a working foundation with the client to target the issues and concerns they have and want to work on. Natalie believes therapy is a collaborative experience and empowers her clients to dive deeper into varying aspects of themselves.
Natalie works with helping clients attune to their own relational needs, how to begin to set effective boundaries with others, how to prioritize the self, navigate difficult relational situations, increase self-esteem, while integrating self-compassion and self-care into daily life.
Client Focus: Adults, Teens, Pre-teens, Children, Couples
Issues:
Throughout her training and onwards into practice, Natalie has seen clients with a number of complex issues including and not limited to Trauma and Dissociation, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Complex Relational Trauma (PTSD/C-PTSD), and has worked with domestic and interpersonal violence, how to recognize and deal with narcissistic abuse, complex family dynamics, navigating life purpose/existential issues, eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, self-esteem issues, career guidance, emotional regulation, substance use and addiction issues, family conflict, abuse, grief/loss, navigating relational dynamics, emotional disturbances, LGBTQ+ and Sex worker friendly, self-harm, difficult life transitions, ADHD, suicidal ideation, sexual abuse/assault, and attachment issues.
Natalie also has training in emotion-focused therapy, ego-state therapy, and ART.
Natalie also offers a free 20-minute phone or video consultation, to support you in finding the most suitable fit as you embark on your therapy journey.
Natalie is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists.