Gabrielle Ferguson, BA, GC-C, RP-qualifying
A little about myself
Hi! My name is Gabrielle Ferguson.
I have my Psychology degree from the University of Western Ontario. I am a certified grief counsellor through the American Institute of Health Care Practitioners, and and am an intern registered psychotherapist doing my studies with Yorkville University University. Additionally, I am a member in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
I am certified in suicide intervention (ASIST) and crisis prevention and intervention (CPIT). I have also done training in trauma-informed counselling, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
My practice is based on the holistic nature of our makeup, and together, we look at your grief through a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual lens. When one part is hurting, the hurt will affect the rest, so for full support, we consider all aspects of your life.
Grief Support is my life’s passion. The first time I endured life shattering loss, I was not prepared for the mind-blowing pain and rage that would consume me for months on end. Plus, it seemed like very few people knew how to support me. Some people ignored me, and the others made ridiculous comments. My involuntary reaction was soul-sucking depression, and a deep need to hide from almost everyone.
My second encounter with devastating loss shook me to the core but had a different impact. This time, my grief manifested as extreme feelings of being unsafe, and I turned into a frantic workaholic and perfectionist. The tiniest mistake sent me into full body shakes and sleepless nights. It also made me desperate for the approval of others.
Thankfully, wrestling through those experiences led me to my love of grief support.
Telling you what to do is never my job. Providing the safe space so that together we can figure out how you can make the best choices you want to make is my job.
I’m so excited to meet you!!!
What I hold as true:
Grief is a natural and normal response to loss.
Grief does not need a “cure”, it needs support.
Sharing grief makes it more bearable.
Grief can be longer and harder than anyone anticipates.
Any loss can create a grief response, not just a death-loss.
Processing grief is hard work, and there are no shortcuts.
Everyone has the capacity to get through their grief if correctly supported.
The emotions created by grief need to be felt, but this does necessarily mean you have to cry.
No one has the right to tell you what your grief response should look like.
When it comes to grief, it’s best if we leave the “shoulds” behind.
My Main Treatment Modalities:
Mindfulness Based Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
Solution Focused Therapy
Client Centered Therapy
Art-Supported Therapy
Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Somatic Experiencing