Ishtar beck,Rcc, cCC (she/her)
Ishtar’s holistic, social justice-oriented approach, mixed in with generous doses of quirky humour, inform her professional life as a counsellor and as a clinical supervisor. Inspired by the mentorship she received as a student and which she continues to seek out as a perpetual learner, Ishtar enjoys inviting students into a feminist, anti-oppression, and relational supervision space. Since founding Ciel Community Counselling in 2017, Ishtar has dedicated her practice to supporting student counsellors so that anti-oppression, trauma-informed, queer-positive, low-cost counselling can thrive on the Drive.
colette mrazek, rcc (she/her)
I’ve had the good fortune of being mentored by many skilled and insightful therapists and am delighted to be in the position of offering my experience, in turn, to student counsellors. I practice primarily from an emotion-focused lens, drawing on mindfulness-based and compassion-focused therapies. In supervision, I assist the intern counsellors to help their clients heal parts of themselves that are keeping them stuck in patterns and behaviours that no longer serve them.
valerie dolgin, rcc (she/her)
Valerie employs an eclectic, trauma-informed, person-centred, feminist and collaborative lens to her interactions with the clients and students with whom she works. Above all, she believes that in all areas of life kindness is the most important approach.
Valerie is passionate about making mental health care accessible to as many people as possible. Inspired by the Ciel Community Counselling model, in January 2022 she founded our sister organization Open Door Community Counselling.
elisabeth van assum, rcc (she/her)
I know how important it was to me in my development as a clinical counsellor to have the support of open-hearted, skilled mentors and collaborators. As such, I felt called to train and become a clinical supervisor so I could pass on the gifts of therapy to a fresh generation of practitioners. My clinical approach is Feminist, Gestalt, Existential and trauma-informed through a social justice lens. My clinical supervision style is informed by a combination of the Developmental, Feminist and Common Factors approaches. “Because you are alive, everything is possible.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
carmen ostrander, rtc (she/her)
Carmen, a queer Australian narrative and expressive arts therapist and supervisor, is proud to support emerging therapists in developing unique, ethical approaches to practice that reflect the communities they serve. Her collaborative approach is situated in a broader context of feminist and social constructionist recognitions of identity, oppression, and advantage.
pam van woerkom (she/her)
Pam sprinkles fairy dust and magic glitter on the administrative work needed to run Ciel Community Counselling smoothly. She also works at the yoga studio down the street, and is passionate about fostering kittens. Pam’s work behind the scenes supports the entire Ciel team.