About

Dr. Shelly Bonnah, Ph.D., RCC

Shelly’s experience and area of concentration includes working for victims of all ages who have experienced violence or other traumatic events, as well as for those who have chosen to use violence to harm others. Shelly also works on behalf of children, to do ‘Views of the Child Reports’ when they are required in Family Law disputes. Shelly is available to work for other professionals as a clinical supervisor, or consulting in the area of Organizational Development or Program Evaluation.

Shelly was raised in Northern BC and then Kamloops, and has been parenting her own children and foster children for more than 25 years.

Shelly’s experience includes over 20 years of direct counselling experience with children, youth, couples and families, consulting with a wide range of organizations, teaching in Universities, clinical supervision and organizational development in the social service sector. Shelly has also worked with the Centre for Response-Based Practice and her colleagues Allan Wade, Linda Coates & Cathy Richardson for approximately 10 years. Opening an interior office is an exciting opportunity to offer direct services in this area to individuals, families, and other professionals.

Shelly has been actively involved in the ongoing development of working with children and youth from a Response-Based perspective, and understanding how young people respond to, and resist experiences of violence and trauma. Shelly is a licensed Family Therapist, an author, and a graduate of the Doctoral Program at the TAOS Institute.

Robb Dolson, M.Ed., CCC, RCC

Robb’s area of concentration includes working with youth (and their caregivers) who are misusing substances in a way that always considers the context of their lives, and he works with young people from whatever place they are most comfortable starting from—without judgement or pressure. His work includes individual and/or family sessions. Alternative location sessions can be prearranged. Robb is also a Couple’s and Family counsellor. Robb was born and raised in Kamloops, BC, and together with his wife is raising two young daughters and a son. Robb has worked in this community as a teacher and a counsellor, and is highly respected for his energy and his ability to connect with young people. He has extensive experience working with children and youth, and a clear and direct approach to working with families and couples. Robb has been a teacher in the Kamloops/Thompson School District for 12 years and has taught both in Europe and locally. His experience includes working with youth and adults who have experienced multiple barriers and face situations of extreme oppression and risk. Dignity is the cornerstone of Robb’s counseling practice, and the understanding that we all do everything we can to preserve dignity when faced with oppression, violence or adversity. Robb views the challenges that people face in the context of their lives, rather than looking at an explanation that only includes the individual. Robb is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), studying for his Masters Degree both at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and internationally at Heidelberg University in Germany. He is a student in the Response-Based Practice Certificate program. Robb has a flexible schedule and is available for sessions afternoons, evenings, early mornings, weekends and holidays. For access to Robb’s online calendar to book an appointment please click here.

Cole Levitt, M.Ed., CCC

Cole’s prior practices consist of work with individuals, couples, and families dealing with a wide variety of issues including, but not limited to: anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, infidelity, and anger or violence. The foundation of Cole’s work is based on the assumption that when people are mistreated or experience suffering, it is common to feel overwhelmed, sad, or unsure about what to do. It is at this place that he can be useful, and engage in meaningful conversations. Cole’s area of concentration includes working with children & youth who experience a wide variety of social struggles (including an Autism diagnosis) and challenging behaviours. His work includes individual sessions, family therapy, and developing or implementing Behavioural Intervention Plans. Cole works with children and their families for a wide variety of challenges in a way that is systemic and honoring of everyone’s dignity. Alternative location sessions can be prearranged. Cole grew up in Williams Lake, BC. Currently, Cole, his wife, and their two young children live in Kamloops. Cole’s career has been as an educator and a counsellor. Specifically, he has experience as a behaviour specialist which has provided him with unique insight into young people who use their behaviour as language, sometimes instead of their words. Cole works from the perspective of understanding abilities rather than ‘disabilities’ as well as family systems, rather than individuals. Cole is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), a Response-Based Certificate Student, and he earned his Master’s Degree from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.

Shannon Ritchie, M.C., RCC

Shannon’s area of concentration includes Couple’s and Family counseling, and her approach is to help create understanding about the interactions between some of the most significant relationships that people can have. Within couples and/or families, the losses that can be experienced may be causing suffering or concern that is difficult to resolve alone. Shannon also concentrates on working for victims of violence or people who have offended against others, and Views of the Child reports. Shannon grew up in the small town of Clearwater, BC, and has lived in Kamloops for over 20 years. She and her partner have two children. Shannon believes that people do all types of things to preserve their dignity and respond to and resist the adversity that they face. She also believes that when individuals begin to understand their responses as signs of mental wellness, not mental deficit, they begin to feel better. Shannon understands that individuals, couples, and families experience a number of systemic challenges that get in the way of optimal family functioning. She believes that her role is to help families identify how each member is supporting each other and what patterns are contributing to the “problem”. Shannon is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). She has a Masters Degree in Counseling from City University of Seattle. In addition, she holds a Bachelor Degree with a major in Sociology, a Certificate in Child Abuse Prevention, a Diploma in Systemic Family Therapy, and she is a student in the Response-Based Practice Certificate program. Shannon has over 10 years’ experience directly supporting families. Shannon practices from a number of therapeutic modalities including Response-Based Practice, Narrative Therapy, Systemic Family Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Elyssa Krutop, M.Ed., RCC

Elyssa’s experience and area of concentration includes working with individuals and families who are struggling with substance use, grief, anxiety, depression, and traumatic experiences. Recognizing the connection between people and the environment in which they live is essential to Elyssa’s practice. Elyssa is available to work with individuals, couples and families, and she offers a flexible schedule when needed. Elyssa was raised on Vancouver Island and now considers Kamloops home after settling in 14 years ago. She began working in the social service sector in 2006 while completing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Elyssa now holds a Master’s degree and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and is a Certified Substance Use Counsellor with the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Elyssa is actively involved in research initiatives focusing on occupational stress in high risk occupations such as first responders, corrections staff, and hospital workers.  It is a priority for Elyssa to understand the unique challenges that are faced by people in these occupations and to implement these understandings into her practice. Elyssa uses a Response-based framework as a foundation for her work with people, which means that she is always considering their interactions, behaviours, social worlds and biology.  She believes that we are all social creatures and therefore we are responding  to the people and situations that are being presented to us. Elyssa believes that we all need support at times to recognize that even our most understandable thoughts and behaviours can, in some ways, be harming or hurting us.  Additionally, Elyssa provides a non-judgemental and caring style of counselling for every person that enters the office. Elyssa is also trained in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which includes practical skills and mindfulness as a platform for safely working through difficult experiences and situations.  

Jessica Ganton-Stanley RCAT DVATI

Jessica is a Registered Art Therapist whose area of concentration includes working for people of all ages who have experienced trauma and violence, grief and loss, anxiety and depression, and couples/individuals walking the path towards parenthood. Jessica’s approach understands that the Art Therapy process is individual for each person; that healing begins in a non-verbal place and requires containment as well as exploration; that healing comes from accessing the ways in which we have resisted and responded to trauma and violence; that we can re-tell our stories through acknowledging the strength we already possess. Jessica believes that art is an intrinsic and universal language, and that everyone is in fact an “artist.” For additional information about Art Therapy please visit: https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/what-is-art-therapy/ Jessica spent her early childhood in Northern BC on Lheidli T’enneh traditional territory, and was then raised in traditional Coast Salish territory on Vancouver Island, and has now been living in Secwepemc territory here in Kamloops for the past 10 years. Jessica and her partner are lovingly raising 2 young children. Empathy, authenticity, and dignity are foundational to Jessica’s practice. Jessica is consistently awed to be witness to the Art Therapy process, the honour to sit with a person who is engaged creatively, as the art presents a true sense of “who I am, where I’ve been, and where I am going.” Jessica works from Response Based, survivor-centred, feminist, holistic and individually honouring perspectives. Jessica is a Registered Art Therapist with the Canadian Art Therapy Association and has received her training through the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, and the University of Victoria where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts and additional studies in Psychology. Jessica offers Art Therapy to individuals, couples working towards and during parenthood, groups and professional workshops. Additionally, Jessica offers Clinical Supervision to Art Therapists.

Patrick McDonald, BSW, RSW

Patrick has lived most of his life in B.C., other than three working years in Australia, and is a Metis Citizen. He and his wife have raised their two ( now adult) children in Kamloops.

Patrick has spent much of his career working in the area of Youth substance use, and has extensive experience working for young people and their families. He is committed to assisting families, individuals and businesses who are directly or indirectly managing substance use and addictions issues. Patrick consults with employers regarding substance use situations in the workplace and provides counselling around the process of broadly-defined addictions (such as electronics, gambling, and other habitual behaviours).  Patrick understands addiction as a symptom of something that makes sense in the context of someone’s life experience.

Treating all people with dignity and respect is an essential part of the service that Patrick provides, and this includes meeting people where they are at in terms of their use of substances or other addictions…without judgement, shame or coercion. The idea of counselling is to address the challenges and difficulties that an individual has experienced. This includes before, during, and after substance use and addiction becomes part of one’s life.

This is a time like no other in substance use within our community, and our country. There are many journeys to ‘recovery’ and the way forward will be created together, with respect and mutual cooperation.

Patrick has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social work and is Registered Social Worker.  He studied at The University of Victoria and the remainder of his education has been from within the field itself, and from youth and families.  Patrick has a flexible schedule for appointments.

Kalie McIntosh

Kalie’s experience and area of concentration has been working for youth and young adults. Kalie’s background has enhanced her ability to connect with young people in their unique ways, and to work with their timing. Her experiences include working with youth and adults who have experienced a wide range of adversity, substance misuse along with other addictions, and traumatic events. At the core of Kalie’s work is the understanding that a person’s dignity must always be upheld, and she focuses on finding the different ways in which people work hard to maintain their dignity every day. Kalie is originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario and moved to British Columbia in 2008. She and her partner moved to Kamloops in 2015 to be closer to family. Kalie has a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University. Kalie is also a registered clinical counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. Kalie practices from a Response-Based Approach, and also incorporates other complimentary theories of practice.