When it comes to pursuing a career in mental health and counselling, the journey to working in the field can oftentimes be influenced by one’s own various life experiences.
While Melissa Malcolm, founder of Brantford’s NewCare Counselling, never quite had a set plan to become a registered psychotherapist in her youth, her lifelong reality of dealing with chronic illness is what ignited her desire to help people in some form or another.
“It’s kind of been a bit of an interesting path as far as how I got here,” she said. “I have a chronic illness and so I’ve been around hospitals and doctors non-stop since I was basically three-months-old and I always knew I wanted to support people the way I’ve been supported in my own life; I’ve always known, no matter what career I chose, I wanted to be in the helping profession.
Malcolm said that it actually wasn’t until she started taking psychology courses in school and working at Guelph’s Homewood Health that things started to click for her.
“It was probably around 2017 or 2018 when I started to really think about it,” she recalled. “That’s when I thought ‘I know I want to help people, maybe this is the capacity I want to do it in.”
Malcolm eventually went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Waterloo (graduating with distinction) before completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at New Brunswick’s Yorkville University in 2021.
After working as an independent contractor for several years at the practice she started her internship with, she was eventually inspired to take the next step and do something she always wanted to do.
In September of 2023, Malcolm officially opened the doors to NewCare Counselling in Brantford’s West Mall Business Centre, however she recently just moved her practice to a brand new space across the road at 330 West. St.
She said that when it came to starting her own practice, she knew she wanted to not only create a safe, permanent, space for her clients, but a place where other practitioners could feel supported and encouraged as well.
“Having received such great support through my internship and in starting my career, I really went into this knowing I wanted to create a nice, small, collaborative team for other therapists to also feel that same support and encouragement,” said Malcolm. “Running my own practice has taken everything to a whole new level but it’s nice because not only do I get to combine my love for providing therapy and my love for running my own business, but I’m also able to create a space for other people to also do their work and in doing so, I get to give back.”
Since starting NewCare Counselling, Malcolm has brought on other like-minded practitioners whose work is similar to hers, Amanda McFadyen, a Registered Social Worker, and Rachel Nadalin, Registered Psychotherapist (qualifying).
Between the three of them, they specialize in psychotherapy and counselling for relationships, and anxiety for children (ages six-plus to ten-plus), teens and adults. Much of their work surrounds generalized anxiety disorder, self-esteem and self-confidence, couples and marriage counselling, family conflict, chronic illness and pain, sports performance and life transitions, as well as PTSD, OCD, depression and grief counselling.
When it comes to her work specifically, Malcolm said her interest and passion lies in how people think and perceive things.
“The best way to describe what I do is, I work on the relationship with ourselves, others and the world at large,” she said. “It’s all about how we interact with ourselves, our own core beliefs and our own biases, as well as the kind of assumptions and perceptions that we have with others, and with the world around us. At the end of the day, who’s the most important person we have a relationship with? It’s with ourselves, right? And so the way we perceive ourselves and the world, that’s going to have a huge impact on every single aspect of our life.”
She added that another area of interest for her is helping people dealing with the extra limitations and challenges that come with chronic pain and illness.
“Because this is something I deal with myself, I find that when people who have chronic illness find me, it’s an ‘aha’ moment for them because I get it and I understand the grief and frustration that comes with it,” said Malcolm.
As far as why someone should pursue counselling in the first place (whether in crisis at the time or not), the psychotherapist said it all comes down to prioritizing yourself and gaining the tools you need to deal with day to day issues and communication long term.
“I think the more we can explore who we were in the past and who we are in the present, the more we can really tune in with ourselves and our values. We really have to carve out that time to do that kind of work because if we have a disconnect with ourselves, our values and what we want… it can really wreak havoc on our well being,” said Malcolm. “What’s more valuable than investing in yourself and investing in your well being? Think about how much impact that can have not only in your life, but on the life of the people around you too, it can make a huge difference. …I always say that the work you do here is a bit of the legacy that you’re leaving behind as well because any strategies or tools that you take from our work together, is something that will hopefully last long term and pass on to others.
Knowing that it can take a long time to even contemplate going to therapy, let alone taking action, Malcolm said that when someone’s finally ready to take the next step, it’s important to find the right fit.
“Therapeutic fit is so important for successful therapy so finding someone who’s a good fit for you can take a bit of research and consultation because you want someone who really understands what you need and meshes with your personality,” she said. “Especially because sometimes needs change during sessions too, you want someone who is going to understand those changes and can adapt, and support you along the way.”
“I always say, ‘if I’m not the right therapist for you, there’s lots of therapists out there and I’m more than happy to refer you out to someone else if I’m not the right fit,’ because that fit is so important and I really value the affect it has on the work,” she continued.
Malcolm said that for anyone who is interested in NewCare counselling, it’s important to know a couple of things.
“Whether it’s in person or virtual, we’re going to get you that support. No matter what we need to do for you, we’re going to do the best we can to accommodate it,” she said. “I also really value accessibility; therapy can be a very expensive endeavor and so a lot of what we do is we try to do as much direct billing as we possibly can. That way, the people who do have benefits don’t have to worry about having to pay out of pocket and then waiting to get reimbursed.”
She said the best way to get in touch and see if her or the other two practitioners are a good fit for you, is by reaching out to the office via phone or email and booking a 15-minute consultation.
“I try to get back to everyone right away, just because, if you are reaching out for help, I really want to be able to meet you where you’re at,” she said. “I want to get you that help as soon as possible because that’s why you’re reaching out, and I value that.”
Overall, Malcolm said that for anyone feeling nervous about seeking therapy, she said that’s totally customary.
“An important thing to know is, when it comes to therapy, you might come in and not feel comfortable right away. It’s going to take a while to open up and that’s okay, I know it takes time, especially when you’re not used to having the time and space to be heard and understood. I totally get that some people want to start right from the very beginning and unpack that, but I also know that some people feel terrified to dive into the past,” she said. “But that’s the great thing about therapy, you get to choose where you want to go and if something feels like it’s too much, that’s fine and we can leave it. You never know, maybe in ten sessions you’re ready to start getting into the past, but that’s what NewCare is all about, meeting you where you’re at, at that time.”
For more information about NewCare Counselling, visit: https://newcarecounselling.ca/
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
