Debra (Debbie) Airth
RTCc, SSW
Registered Therapeutic Counsellor
English
Debbie's
Warm video welcome
Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here. Reaching out for support can feel like a big step, and it takes courage to even begin. In this space, you don’t have to have it all figured out or know the “right” words, just come as you are. My role is to walk alongside you with care, curiosity, and respect, so you can explore at your own pace. Whatever brings you here, identity, grief, trauma, chronic illness, or simply the weight of being human, you don’t have to face it alone.
Background
I’m a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor Candidate (RTCc), and my path into this work is rooted in both professional training and lived experience. My journey through chronic illness, identity, and grief deeply informs how I support others navigating trauma, anxiety, life transitions, and relationship challenges. As an Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ therapist, I offer identity-affirming, trauma-informed, and grief-literate counselling that centres safety, connection, and authenticity. If you’ve ever felt unseen or misunderstood in therapy, this is a space built to meet you exactly where you are.
Your therapeutic experience with me
Therapy with me is about meeting you exactly where you are, without judgment, pressure, or the need to have it all figured out. I bring gentle guidance, collaborative exploration, and a trauma-informed lens to help you feel safe enough to be real. Whether you’re unravelling old patterns, grieving a loss, navigating anxiety or depression, or learning to live in a body that carries pain, I’ll walk alongside you with curiosity and deep respect for your pace. You set the tone; I help you stay connected to yourself along the way. My goal is not to “fix” you, but to support you in reclaiming your voice, reconnecting with your strength, and finding new ways of being that feel more true to you.
Areas of expertise
These represent my core areas of expertise, backed by specialized training and extensive clinical experience.
2SLGBTQIA+
Grief, Loss, And Bereavement
Life Transitions
Grief (non Death)
Chronic Pain
Identity Exploration
I also provide skilled support in these additional areas and welcome clients seeking help with these concerns.
Chronic Illness
Anxiety & Worry
Depression
Burnout
Life Transitions And Identity Shifts
Mindfulness
Work/life Balance
Self-harm
Recovery
Substance Use/misuse
Grief Over Health Losses
Self-esteem & Self-worth
Coping Skills
Stress
Therapeutic approaches
These are my primary therapeutic approaches, backed by specialized training and extensive clinical experience.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
I use ACT to help clients make space for difficult thoughts and emotions without being overwhelmed. Together, we explore your values, identity, and hopes, building psychological flexibility to take meaningful steps and live more fully, authentically, and in alignment with what matters.
Person-centered Therapy
Person-centred therapy is at the heart of my work. I offer a space of empathy, honesty, and unconditional support, helping you reconnect with your inner voice, values, and capacity for growth at your own pace, so you can show up fully as yourself.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy helps you see your story from new perspectives. Together, we explore and gently reframe limiting or painful narratives, honouring your strengths and resilience. This approach supports reclaiming authorship, hope, meaning, and an authentic identity.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing helps you explore your own reasons for change in a supportive, non-judgmental way. Together, we clarify your values and goals, address doubts, and empower you to take meaningful steps forward at your own pace.
I also incorporate these evidence-based approaches when clinically appropriate:
Somatic Therapy
Mindfulness
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Emotion-focused Therapy (EFT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Attachment Focused Therapy
Trauma-informed Therapy
Existential Therapy
Integrative
Collaborative Therapy
Client communities & cultural expertise
These are the client communities and cultural backgrounds I have specialized experience supporting.
Client populations I serve
Youth And Young Adults
Adults
People Facing Chronic Illness Or Pain
Neurodivergent Clients
2SLGBTQIA Community
Cultural expertise
Indigenous Community
BIPOC
2SLGBTQ+
Professional credentials
Registered Therapeutic Counsellor
- No.3664
Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada
Educational background
Counselling Therapist Private Practice with Academic Distinction
Focus: Counselling Therapist
Stenberg College, Canada
Social Service Worker Professional With Honours
Focus: Addiction and Youth
CDI College, Canada
Specialized training
Trauma-Focused ACT
Psychwire
ACT for Beginners
Psychwire
Motivational Interviewing Foundations
Psychwire
Motivational Interviewing for Addiction
Psychwire
Practice locations & services
FAQ
Did you know?
I believe you are not broken, you’re becoming. Healing means reconnecting with your strength and truth, not fixing who you are.
I’m a lifelong learner, always growing my skills in trauma, grief, and identity-affirming care to better support those I work with.
Nature is my reset. You’ll often find me by the water or in the forest, reconnecting with the land, my breath, and what matters.
Therapy with me is human, not clinical. You don’t have to be perfect, just real. I’ll meet you there.
I started this work because I couldn’t find the kind of support I needed. My own experiences with chronic illness, grief, and identity shaped my path.
Immediate crisis support available
If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available right now:
- 🚨 Call 911 for immediate emergency assistance
- 💬 Call or text 988 for mental health crisis support and suicide prevention