Sam Hafeli - MSW, RCSW

Mental Health Therapist - Practice Owner

Accepting
New Clients

Sam Hafeli (they/them) has a Masters in Clinical Social Work (MSW) and is a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW) with the Alberta College of Social Workers. Their services are covered by a majority of healthcare benefit plans.

Sam has 15+ years of experience in the mental health and community services field. Their services are covered by the majority of health benefit plans. Sam specializes in trauma and neurodivergency. Sam is a member of the LGBTQQ2+ community and is a queer and trans affirming therapist.

Sam is currently accepting new clients.

If you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen.

I will always meet you with compassion and kindness. During our sessions you will have my full attention and intention.

Specializations

I work from a phase based model of trauma that includes first developing a safe therapeutic relationship, learning about trauma, and growing your ability to cope.

When needed, I can support you to process past events in an intentional, contained, and healing way.

I treat trauma using Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral skills, Response Based Therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy.

Trauma

I support individuals to explore their identities in a compassionate, supportive, trans and queer affirming space.

I support individuals who are transitioning, coming out, and/or re-defining their relationships.

I also support parents of LGBTQQ2+ children.

(Please note I am not a trained sex therapist.)

Gender & Sexual Diversity

I provide psychoeducation about Neurodiverse brain function and help individuals develop strategies to meet their goals.

I care about treating executive function concerns, as well as the emotional struggles of ADHD and Autism.

I support my clients to embrace neurodiversity, and I create a space for you to develop a positive relationship with your mind.

ADHD & Autism

I help my clients learn about anxiety and depression within their relational and social contexts.

I view anxiety and depression as responses that we can work on having a better relationship with.

I support my clients to identify and develop their own unique coping skills to feel more in the drivers seat of their lives.

Anxiety & Depression

I help people of all genders and body sizes heal their relationships with food and their bodies in the face of diet culture, sizism and fatphobia.

I help address restriction, binging, and purging concerns.

I am passionate about providing effective treatment of eating disorders for people whose experiences have often been invalidated due to their body size.

Eating Disorders

I am also experienced in supporting individuals with concerns such as:

  • Self esteem

  • Relationship Concerns (though I do not provide couples therapy at this time)

  • Work and School Stress

Feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about how I can help you with a specific problem not listed here.

Sam’s Approach

Narrative Therapy

  • 0ur problems do not define us, it is how we respond to them and overcome them that does.

  • I work with my clients to externalize their problems to better understand their issues within their own context.

  • I ask questions that help you reclaim the story of your life in a way that honors your values, skills, and intentions.

  • Together we co-author a new story that speaks to your preferred self.

  • Learn more about Narrative Therapy here

Solution Focused Therapy

  • I know I am not meeting you at the very first step on your journey.

  • I will ask you questions to highlight the solutions to your problem you have already found. Let’s build off of that.

  • I support my clients to regularly look for what’s changing for the better, while also holding space to further explore what the problems that persist.

  • Learn more about Solution Focused Therapy here

Additional Therapy Models

  • Response Based Practice

  • Mindfulness Counselling

  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

  • Feminist Therapy