ABOUT MICHELE GARDINER:
Michele Gardiner is a humanistic, client-centered therapist who works from an attachment and trauma-informed lens and focuses on working collaboratively to create a therapy experience that feels safe and inclusive, builds on your personal strengths and capacities, and allows you to develop new meanings, resources and an awareness that fosters healthier coping, connection, and confidence in your ability to manage problems in ways that align with your values and achieve your therapy goals.

Michele’s perspective comes from 15-years' of direct experience counseling individuals, couples, families, and groups within the public, private and not-for-profit sectors around general and complex mental health including behavioral and substance addictions, eating disorders, personality disorders, domestic violence/abuse, suicide and trauma in children, youth, adults.

Michele’s experience is further informed through her own personal recovery from anorexia and compulsive over-exercise, which resulted from the collision of two traumatizing events in her 20s, as a way of coping with intense emotions of loss, anger, and fear - pains that she was unable to express at the time. Recovery gave Michele tools for self-expression and compassion and coping skills and with these more empowering and freeing perspectives in life.

Recovery led Michele to volunteer experiences with organizations dedicated to promoting awareness and prevention around eating disorders and mental health and fueled a desire to give back by taking on community roles around the education, prevention, and treatment of these lonely, generally misunderstood and sometimes deadly issues. These valued volunteer roles include acting as a peer counselor with the BCEDA, community prevention educator with ANAD, as a Member of the Board of Directors with ANAD and Jessie's Hope, a consultancy role with MCFD's Eating Disorder Team, as an external editor with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s esteemed BC Mental Health Journal, Visions, as a Member of the National Review Committee for the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association, and as a public speaker and community educator on the topic of eating disorders, disordered eating and body image for more since 2005.

In addition to volunteer roles, Michele’s education includes a Masters Degree in counseling, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in (SS) psychology from the University of Victoria with a focus on Behavioral Neuroscience and Para-Linguistics, with post-graduate training and certifications directed to her areas of professional practice (you can view her training and education here).

Michele’s training in the assessment and treatment of Eating Disorders extends to working with children, youth, adults, families and athletes and encompasses completion of the Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy Certification (EDIT)™ and the CEDS Curriculum (2015 and 2017) with the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp)™.

As a Certified Therapist (CCC), Michele participates in on-going Consultation and Professional Supervision and hold Professional Certifications and Memberships in "good standing" with: The Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp™), the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED), the Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC), the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP), and the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH).

Michele is the founder of ELEMENTAL Psychotherapy & Support Services , a private practice located in Summerland, BC, Canada. Honoring each client as a unique and capable individual is a core principle reflected in Michele’s work at ELEMENTAL through the perspective that, as human beings, their unique thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences provide them with a wisdom that is empowering and elemental ​to their process of creating new hopes and change.

Michele’s love of counseling and psychology is enhanced by the belief that a solid foundation of education, training, and supervision provides the knowledge and skills to guide safe, informed practices and promote healthy, sustainable recovery for each individual, couple, and family that she works with.

Outside of counseling, Michele enjoys reading, photography, and being in the beautiful outdoors. Wind, rain, snow, and shine, she feels most inspired, centered, and authentic when she is in Nature and takes it in by hiking, skiing, snow-shoeing, and paddling with her family and Canine Co-therapist, Ash. Whenever possible, Michele encourages clients to develop a relationship with nature to improve coping, confidence and to develop a healthier, more holistic connection to their bodies and sense of self.

CONNECT WITH MICHELE GARDINER:

• Visit ELEMENTAL Psychotherapy & Support Services online to learn more about Michele’s private practice.
• Click here learn more about the link between pets and positive mental health
• Follow ELEMENTAL Psychotherapy on Facebook
• Book a free consultation by contacting Michele at [email protected]
• Register for Michele’s Break The Binge: Intensive Therapy Group Fall 2020, an intensive, 4-week BED therapy group is for people struggling with Binge and 'Emotional'/Compulsive Overeating problems. The deadline to register for the Fall 2020 group is August 30th.

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. To learn more about Karin and her center’s services, please visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center. You can connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

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