Neal believes that people are doing the best they can with what they have. Ideally, he provides additional skills to manage life’s challenges in a more effective manner. Neal takes the counselling approach of “leading from behind”, meaning that the client is the expert in their life situation.
Neal has worked in the human services field (both public and private) for over 30 years, including: in adult rehabilitation settings; at adult, children and youth small options homes; with the Halifax Regional School Board (Educational Program Assistant and Student Support Worker); as a foster parent through Department of Community Services; at an adolescent secure care facility with Department of Community Services; with IWK Mental Health & Addictions programs; as an instructor for Adult Education diploma program (child and youth studies); and most recently with the Nova Scotia Health within the Mental Health & Addictions programs.
Neal is member in good standing with as Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), a Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT-C) with the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapist (NSCCT), and a registered Social Worker with the Nova Scotia College of Social Worker.
His approach utilizes a holistic approach to counselling and wellness. He has received training in Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Structured Relapse Prevention (SRP), Behavioural Family Therapy (BFT), and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). He has counselled clients experiencing symptoms of adjustment, depression, emotion dysregulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal relations, anxiety, and other mental health and addictions concerns. His passion is group work and he has facilitated/co-facilitated groups for psycho- educational, depression, SRP, family matters, and DBT skills.
