Why Comfy Chair?
Comfy Chairs…
You know the ones – that you sink into at the end of the day, to put up your feet and catch up on your favourite TV show. Or Sunday afternoon, with snacks in hand ready to watch a movie or the game. Big enough to cuddle in with a loved one, and/or warm-hug cozy enough to curl up under a blanket for a nap or to get lost in a good book. Comfortable and supportive enough to let go for even just a moment... of whatever it is that weighs you down.
This is the feeling I seek to create and offer at Comfy Chair Counselling. A comforting and safe space to reflect, to grow, to connect, to self-discover, and to start taking the steps towards the person you have the potential to be; towards the relationships and life experiences you desire to have.
The idea of Comfy Chair Counselling was inspired by the chairs I bought for my first therapy office years ago. I knew from the moment I sat in those chairs they were perfect. Comfortable and supportive. I sadly had to let them go due to limited storage space at the beginning of the COVID pandemic when I moved my practice to virtual/on-line support. I have since found a new comfy chair to accompany the comfy couch in my office at Realign Wellness Centre, and with these I continue to strive to keep the essence of those first chairs alive!
So, if you think it would be helpful to have a comfortable, supportive space to explore personal growth and/or relationship dynamics, then I invite you to reach out. We can connect via video-chat while in your own comfy chair, or we can meet in person and you can try out my comfy couch/chair. I look forward to hearing from you!
More About Beth Ann
Beth Ann grew up on a dairy farm in small town New Hamburg, Ontario; the only daughter with 3 brothers. She spent much of her teenage years and early 20s on an intentional journey of self-discovery, involved in many extra-curricular activities that reflected her interests in music, skating, and supporting her peers. After graduating high school, she attended the University of Waterloo where she completed an Honours BA in Music and Sociology. She continued at UW by starting an MA in Theological Studies while working part-time as a youth pastor. When that career didn't feel like quite the right fit, she took a leave from the academic world and spent much of the following 2 years travelling and working overseas; broadening the journey of self-discovery further than her small-town roots had ever been before!
After the light-bulb moment of realizing her interest and skills in personal growth and supporting others held deeper purpose and meaning, Beth Ann completed an MA in Counselling Psychology through Yorkville University and has been working as a Psychotherapist for 8+ years in the Peterborough community. She started out with Trent University Counselling Services, and fully launched her private practice, Comfy Chair Counselling, in 2021. Beth Ann is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO #007953), and the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP).
Early on in her career Beth Ann was drawn to and completed certificate training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for it’s focus on increasing awareness of ones own strengths & resources, and taking steps towards the life experience you want to be having. Over the years she has maintained this perspective while adding important skills from cognitive-behavioural and emotion-focused therapeutic approaches. This includes trainings in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and her current primary focus, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples and individuals. (Beth Ann is pursuing certification in EFT, with hopes of completing the training and supervision requirements by 2023.)
Each of the above therapeutic perspectives offer practical and important coping strategies; as well as opportunities to explore and understand deeper underlying emotions and needs. Beth Ann believes that once we begin to understand these things for ourselves, they can be easier to manage and, when appropriate, to share safely with others to foster meaningful, connected relationships.
Beth Ann moved to Peterborough, Ontario in the fall of 2012 while completing her MA, and it took less than a year of exploring the live music scene, near-by rivers, and colourful fall drives in the surrounding area to decide she wanted to stick around for awhile. It was here she met her partner, Al, giving her one more reason to stay. When not meeting with clients in the therapy room, Beth Ann enjoys a variety of activities such as singing and playing guitar, skating with the Peterborough Platinum Blades Synchro Team, reading, or watching crime dramas on TV. And of course, enjoying the backyard or walks through the park with Al and their rescue dog Koogle!
