
Debra (Debbie) Airth
CT, SSW
Registered Therapeutic Counsellor

Background
I’m a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor Candidate (RTCc) with a background shaped by both professional training and lived experience. My journey into this work began through navigating my own path with chronic illness, identity, and grief, experiences that deeply inform the care I offer today. I hold a diploma in counselling and continue to expand my learning through ongoing supervision, peer consultation, and specialized training in trauma, somatics, grief, and identity-affirming care. As an Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ therapist, I’m committed to inclusive, culturally attuned care, created for those who don’t always feel seen in traditional therapy spaces.
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 something lost, navigating identity, or learning to live in a body that carries pain, I’ll walk alongside you with curiosity, care, 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

Life Transitions

Queer

Personal Growth

Chronic Pain
I also provide skilled support in these additional areas and welcome clients seeking help with these concerns.

Chronic Illness

Anxiety

Depression

Burnout
Therapeutic approaches
These are my primary therapeutic approaches, backed by specialized training and extensive clinical experience.

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy
I use ACT to help clients make space for difficult thoughts and emotions without being overwhelmed by them. Together, we explore what truly matters to you-your values, identity, hopes-and support you in taking meaningful steps aligned with those values, even when life feels uncertain or painful. ACT helps clients build psychological flexibility, so instead of fighting inner experiences, they can begin to live more fully and authentically, right here, as they are.

Person-centered Therapy
Person-centred therapy is at the heart of how I work. I offer a space where you’re met with empathy, honesty, and unconditional positive regard, so you can show up just as you are. This approach trusts that you already hold the wisdom you need. My role is to walk alongside you, helping you reconnect with your inner voice, values, and capacity for growth, at your own pace.

Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy invites you to see your story from new perspectives. Together, we explore the stories you tell about yourself, especially the ones that may feel limiting or painful, and gently rewrite them in ways that honour your strengths and resilience. This approach helps you reclaim authorship of your life, making space for hope, meaning, and identity that feels authentic and empowering.

Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing helps you explore your own reasons for change in a non-judgmental, supportive way. Together, we uncover your values and goals, gently resolving any mixed feelings or doubts that might be holding you back. This approach meets you where you are, empowering you to find your own motivation and take meaningful steps forward, at your own pace.
I also incorporate these evidence-based approaches when clinically appropriate:

Somatic Approach

Mindfulness

IFS

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural 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

Chronically Ill People

Neurodivergent Clients

2SLGBTQIA Community
Cultural expertise

Indigenous Community
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