Our Story
At Laura Gatien & Associates, we believe that nobody should have to work through their challenges alone.
When Laura first opened the doors in 2018 as a one-person therapy practice, her goal was to create a new system where mental health was seen and prioritized as health. She wanted to move away from the idea of diagnoses, and see people in the context of their environment. By viewing individuals in this way, she felt she could better appreciate their strengths, challenges and unique factors that shaped their well-being.
Laura quickly realized that showing up to counselling sessions authentically ultimately led to stronger connections with her clients. Clients told her that she was relatable and that it felt easier to open up and trust her because she was “real”. Her approach reduced the power imbalance that traditionally existed between therapists and their clients.
Today, the entire team at Laura Gatien & Associates lives by this approach. It’s why our slogan is “We are real so you can be too.” Every day, we show up as our true, authentic, vulnerable selves ready to help others.
We Are Real So You Can Be Too
As therapists, we know that everyone struggles, ourselves included. It’s a fact that if you are human, you will struggle at one point or another, and there is nothing wrong with you.
Our mental health exists on a continuum. We move up and down and will be at different places on this continuum throughout our lives. Everyone struggles with their mental health at some point. You are not inherently flawed.
Our goal as a practice is to raise awareness of the fact that everyone struggles with mental health, including ourselves, and to change the culture around treating mental health. We believe that no one should have to work through their challenges alone. Everyone deserves to feel seen and heard.
Breaking Down Barriers
Laura Gatien & Associates doesn’t just exist to provide counselling services – we strive to make change. We are committed to changing the culture around mental health by reducing stigma, removing barriers, and increasing access to proactive services. It’s the reason we launched a charity, Just Us Inc., which provides free and low-cost counselling across New Brunswick.
Our Approach
At Laura Gatien & Associates, we take a collaborative approach to mental health treatment, offering clients access to a team of professionals with diverse experience and specialties who learn from and can refer to one another. This helps us provide you with the best care for your individual needs so you can make progress sooner.
Quality care is very important to us as a team. We ensure this is upheld through regular clinical meetings, ongoing professional development and training opportunities, as well as practicing from multiple humanistic-based approaches rooted in attachment theory.
Our clients benefit from shared resources that exist within a team and the peace of mind that they are not just working with an individual, but are part of a broader mental health community learning and growing together. We will regularly ask for feedback on your experience here so we can continue to improve, while holding ourselves accountable to the highest standard of care.
Vision, Mission & Values
VISION
Our vision is that mental health care is valued, understood, accepted and accessible to all people.
MISSION
Our mission is to enhance the health and lives of all individuals, couples, and families through barrier-free and proactive mental health care services.
CORE VALUES
Warmth
We pride ourselves on making you feel comfortable, at ease, and understood.
DEDICATION
We go above and beyond to meet your needs. If we can’t help you, we will connect you with someone else who may be able to.
EQUALITY
We honour the fundamental value of equality and fairness for all.
VULNERABILITY
We model openness, honesty and genuineness in our approach as therapists. Genuine connection is our priority.
Let’s reduce the stigma together.
We encourage everyone to own and embrace their mental health struggles by talking about them. Be brave and comfortable in opening up. We need to recognize that you can’t always tell by looking at someone that they are struggling. We must share our experiences and stories to help heal ourselves and heal others.
Here are a few things you can do to help reduce the stigma:
Talk openly about your struggles to normalize the discussion around mental health.
Work on recognizing someone who is struggling and lend an ear.
Be proactive. Seek out help before your struggles become catastrophic.
Together, we can change the mental health game and create a movement!
