A Conversation with Maddy Battiste

We are so proud to have Maddy Battiste on staff at Lynn Valley Counselling, where she practices as a junior counsellor. Maddy was born and raised in Lynn Valley, and she’s happy to give back to the community where she grew up. Maddy is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BCACC and has additional certificates in areas such as child advocacy, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. 

When Maddy’s not at the counselling centre working collaboratively with clients, she’s spending time with her family, close friends and her dog George. Listen in on our chat with Maddy:

Tell us a little bit about your personal interests – what brings you joy?

I’ve recently gotten into bouldering and enjoy hiking on the weekends. I’m a bookworm as well, and typically will have about three on the go at a time. 

You are a newly practicing counsellor. What are some advantages of seeing a counsellor who has recently begun receiving clients?

Including my practicum, I have been practicing for 10 months now. As a new counsellor I have the advantage of being up to date on all the latest studies and best practices, while also being eager to learn about what best suits each individual client. 

What areas do you find most rewarding in your practice?

I have especially enjoyed working with survivors of sexual abuse/assault in my practice. I find this area to be personally rewarding. There’s such a need for counsellors in this field. Every individual processes trauma in their own way. Making each session safe and personalized is my top priority when working with clients. 

How do you help clients reach their therapy goals? Tell us about your counselling approach.

My general philosophy to helping is harnessing adversity into positive change for all my clients. I use a person-centred narrative approach in my work, meaning you as the client are the expert, and we explore how you interpret various events and situations. While the narratives we tell ourselves can be helpful or not at times, we unpack the root of these thought processes and replace them to create positive outcomes.

I find that clients will come to me with a good understanding of what they’re feeling, and from there they want a more direct approach as to what will help them feel better. When a client is struggling to understand what the root of their problem is, we can do more exploring as well. There is no set way in which I conduct sessions, and tend to collaborate with the client on what suits them best. 

Should I do anything to prepare for my first session?

Be comfortable and just come as you are. There are no expectations on my end for where the session will take us. 

Book a complimentary 20-minute consultation with Maddy today to experience the benefits of her person-centred approach.