Hi! I'm Stuart, it's nice to meet you.
Stuart Cameron, MSW, RSW
Counselling and Therapy in St. Catharines
Finding the Right Therapist Can Take a Lot of Time
You probably started on Google, which eventually led to something like Psychology Today. After going through endless profiles and outdated websites, you may have thought it wasn’t worth it, or that therapy wasn’t right for you.
I get it. Searching for the right therapist can be overwhelming enough to make you quit entirely.
This page is to help you determine quickly if I am the right fit for you to start therapy in St. Catharines.
This is where I’m supposed to tell you about myself.
You’ll typically see this page being used by therapists to highlight their education, experience, and other relevant information.
I’ll get to that in a moment.
Let me first explain what types of clients typically have the most success with me so you can decide if we’ll have a good working relationship together.
After all, therapy should be more about you, not me.
The clients who have been most successful in therapy with me are ones who come ready to work. They understand that I’m not going to say or do any one thing that will magically fix them and make their mental health challenges disappear.
They take some initiative, follow through, and work hard to get to the root of what’s going on. This entails being ready to be honest, open, and vulnerable.
This can be difficult and can take some time and not everyone is ready for this, so, it’s ideal if you’re coming on your own accord, not because someone is “making” you.
They like my down-to-earth attitude and humour within therapy sessions and appreciate that I don’t force conversations they aren’t quite ready to have or offer generic advice (we get it; good sleep, nutrition, and exercising will all make us feel better).
And, yes, it’s no problem to swear in an appointment. I get asked this fairly often and it always surprises me, as you’ll sometimes find me letting out a few choice words as well.
My Views on Mental Health
I am a little bit critical of the mental health system, mostly the areas that obsess over pathologizing. This comes from what I’ve observed and from experiences clients have shared (I’m a fan of the podcast Very Bad Therapy).
I use an existential approach in therapy. This means I’m interested in hearing about your experience with the challanges you’re having.
And to sum up my more “critical views”, I’d like to quote Canadian Psychologist Brad Peters; (you can read Brad’s full post on the topic by clicking here)
“Many people are surprised to learn that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is an atheoretical method of categorization – meaning that its classification system does not claim to be supported by any particular theory of psychopathology, by scientific research, or by psychobiological evidence of any kind. One would also think that in order to determine what is “abnormal,” you would first need to define “normal.” However, you will find no such definition in the DSM.”
I believe the fundamentals to a person’s mental health include their ability to think, to act, and to feel in ways that are open and flexible. Meeting this criteria will help ensure they can adapt moving forward with life and the many challenges and changes that will be thrown at them.
My Credentials
Ok, now to the “nitty gritty” stuff. You want to know that I actually went to school for this stuff and that I’m legally allowed to do it.
Master of Social Work, University of Toronto
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, University of Guelph
Registered Social Worker with Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (Reg #831697)
Member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (ID #17258)
Clinical Supervisor: Mark Nixon, Registered Psychotherapist (#2331)
I have received additional trainings in therapeutic modalities such as Mindfulness-Integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. This involved supervision and training from experienced Psychologists.
My graduate studies were rigorous. University of Toronto is known for simulated learning and I conducted therapy sessions with actors in front of the class; I never want to do that again!
You’ll typically see Psychology as an undergraduate concentration in this field. I’ve had to defend studying Philosophy at University many times, so I’ll do it again here. My Philosophical studies focused on the nature of reality, the purpose of life, what it means to be human, and making sense of our experience.
Isn’t that what good therapy is all about?