Jean MacKinnon, MA
SENIOR ASSOCIATE COUNSELLOR/PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Adults
- Couples and individuals
- Parenting adult children
- Loss and grief
- Trauma
- Mood disorders
Children
- Play therapy
- Parenting support and family counselling…..
- Attachment assessment and treatment – Very useful for children who are adopted, in foster care or due to parental divorce or illness in the family
- Families of children with disabilities
Jean is a referral therapist for Child and Family Services
Jean has the life experience to match her professional skills. Her client-centred approach will invite you to take centre stage of your own recovery while she advocates for the best possible outcome. You will readily experience the depth of her knowledge combined with the warmth of her personality. She is a true therapist and a woman of integrity. Jean obtained her Master of Arts degree in Counselling at Gonzaga University, Washington, her Bachelor of Arts degree (social work) at Simpson College, California as well as Bachelor of Sacred Literature from Alberta Bible College. Jean is well experienced with a wide variety of client needs, and her personal life lessons have heightened the professional knowledge and expertise she brings to every session. She is also an experienced workshop presenter and support group leader. Jean is registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCC).
In 1991, Jean worked as a volunteer in Romanian orphanages. Since that time she has trained and become a trainer of attachment theory. She uses a specialized treatment approach called “Modified Interaction Guidance” (MIG). This is effective in healing attachment disruption due to adoption, foster care, early child hospitalizations or other factors.
When treating trauma, Jean uses specialized treatment called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). EMDR is extremely effective in targeting a particular traumatic memory and resolving the feelings (fear, anxiety or anger) related to it. In just a few counselling sessions, the traumatic memory no longer has any power to trigger the individual, but is stored properly in the brain like any other memory.
Jean offers neurological counselling as treatment to support adults and children with epilepsy, ADHD and other disabilities
Jean conducted a study (published in The Journal of Cognitive Rehabilitation, Sept-Oct/96 Vol 14, Issue 5: The Application of Behavioural and Psychological Methods in Controlling Seizures in Individuals With Epilepsy) on a treatment approach for brain symptoms such as seizures, anxiety attacks and hyperactivity. This cognitive-behavioural approach helps individuals learn to maintain a relaxed brainwave state and reduce brain symptoms as well as improve concentration, focus and overall quality of life.