Connecting with those who want to make a difference – and have some fun along the way.
Connecting with those who want to make a difference – and have some fun along the way.
Connecting with those who want to make a difference – and have some fun along the way.
Spark Meaningful Connections. Ignite Creative Possibilities.
Counsellor Talk: Creative Resources for Counsellors, Educators, and Mental Health Professionals
What If Every Interaction Could Change a Life?
We believe the most profound growth emerges through creative and meaningful connections. This space is designed to empower you with the tools, resources, and inspiration you need to make every interaction with young people an opportunity to build trust, foster growth, and ignite real change.
Through our creative resources, engaging blog, professional development workshops, and our book, Counsellor Talk: Connecting Through Creative Counselling Techniques, we help you:
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Break Barriers: Build trust with strategies that deeply resonate with youth.
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Inspire Growth: Use creative tools to encourage reflection, healing, and progress.
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Empower Change: Transform challenges into opportunities for connection and growth.
Counsellor Talk is here to support you as you create the connections that transform lives—for the youth you serve and for yourself.
Pull Up a Chair: Where Connection Begins
Imagine sitting around a campfire, sharing stories and exchanging insights with trusted mentors. The warmth of the fire invites openness, and the shared moments spark connection and understanding.
With over 30 years of experience as psychologists and counsellors, we’ve seen firsthand how the empty chair technique can create powerful breakthroughs—not only in the lives of the young people we’ve had the privilege to support, but as a tool we’ve used in our own journeys of reflection and growth.
By imagining someone—or even a part of yourself—sitting in the chair, you open the door to exploring emotions and uncovering new perspectives.
Like the stories told around the campfire, the empty chair fosters clarity and connection, creating space for healing and meaningful change.
Our Story: Passion, Positivity, Possibility and Purpose
Helen MacKinnon
Registered Psychologist
Susan Spellman Cann
Registered Psychologist
We’re Helen MacKinnon and Susan Spellman Cann, psychologists and counsellors with over 30 years of experience, we’ve dedicated our lives to supporting youth and the professionals who guide them. At the heart of our work is a passion for helping young people feel seen, heard, and supported. Everything we do is driven by four core values: Passion, Positivity, Possibility and Purpose.
Over the years, we’ve learned that meaningful growth with youth starts with authentic connection, grows through trust, and is fuelled by creativity. It happens when practical tools and innovative approaches go beyond traditional theory and clinical methods.
We created Counsellor Talk because we wanted to offer something real—resources that empower counsellors, educators, and mental health professionals to make a genuine difference in the lives of young people.
Everything we share, from our book to our workshops and tools, are designed to be ready to use, grounded in creativity, and focused on building trust with youth so you can create the connections that truly transform lives.
COUNSELLOR TALK
The Book
COUNSELLOR TALK:
CONNECTING THROUGH CREATIVE COUNSELLING TECHNIQUES
What if every interaction with a young person sparked authentic connection, profound growth, and lasting trust?
Counsellor Talk: Connecting Through Creative Counselling Techniques is a unique, practical, and engaging guide designed to empower counsellors, educators, and mental health professionals to create meaningful relationships that cultivate opportunities for young people to thrive.
Written by psychologists and school counsellors with over 60 years of combined experience, this book serves as a masterclass in blending art, science, and heart to revolutionize your practice. When youth feel truly seen, heard, and supported, breakthroughs happen—for them and for you.
Discover how to reignite your passion for your work, deepen connections, and transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
Listen to a podcast of what the book is all about: It’s created using AI by NotebookLM, however it does give you a great overview of what our non AI generated book is all about.
If you’d like to purchase our book, check it out on Amazon
Susan and Helen are ready to share loads of ideas with you.
COUNSELLOR TALK
Workshops
Amplify your impact with dynamic, creativity-fueled workshops designed to inspire and empower educators. and those in the field of mental health working with youth.
Unlock innovative strategies, foster meaningful connections, and transform classrooms or your practice with practical tools that ignite growth and engagement.
COUNSELLOR TALK
Resources
For Counsellors, Educators and Mental Health Professionals
Explore tools and techniques designed to spark connection, build resilience, and navigate tough emotions. From guides to tips and exercises, our resources are here to support you.
COMING SOON - Stay tuned for a multitude of resources that you can download and use instantly in your practice or in your school.
COUNSELLOR TALK
The Blog
Explore our blog for thought-provoking content, innovative ideas, practical insights, and creative strategies to elevate your work with youth.
Each post offers something unique, from actionable tools to personal reflections, all designed to support your work and inspire meaningful connections.
