Wellwood Counselling

Freely Being  •  Responsibly Becoming 

Our vision is to encourage an openness in others and to be with them as they move freely from a place of being to one of becoming, to being once again.

How do we do this? 
We meet them at the Well, and we walk with them in the Wood. 
This is being. This is becoming.

| To the Well |  There are times in our lives when we are thirsty, hungry, longing, depleted, exhausted, burdened, and broken down.   We need a place we can go and retreat. We need a sanctuary where we can taste life again.  This is what we aim to provide in therapy.  We invite you to meet us in the space created in the relationship between you and your therapist, and together, we hope that you can drink once more from the wellspring of life within you. 

|To the Wood |  There are other times in our lives when we need to move, or we feel called. Perhaps we are in the midst of a transition, change, or a time of great discomfort.  These times can feel lonely, dark, terrifying, disorienting, and overwhelming.  In these times, we need a companion, a guide, a fellow traveller.  We are committed to walking with you through the dark wood of your life or your suffering.  We hope you allow us to come alongside you as you find your path and move toward a new way of being.

Meet the Wellwood Team

Wellwood Counselling is co-owned by good friends, Ben Bentum and Janelle Drisner. Ben and Janelle met in graduate school in BC and discovered that they both shared therapeutic interests such as existentialism, grief, and bereavement. After returning to Edmonton, they decided to open a private practice together to serve the mental health needs of those in Alberta and Nunavut.

Ben Bentum

MA, Registered Psychologist

approach

My approach to therapy is built on the understanding that change is possible and that healing takes place in authentic relationship. Carl Jung is often given credit for a phrase, though it may have originated elsewhere, which reads, “it is the privilege of a lifetime to become who you truly are.” Sometimes, though, there are barriers on our journey to becoming. These barriers can be external events such as the death of someone close to us, the loss of a relationship or job, or a traumatic event(s). The barriers may also include our reactions to negative events such as anxiety, depression or addictive processes. Sometimes the way we have learned to survive in the world is no longer working for us. In each of these areas I endeavor to walk alongside you in discovering who you are in relation to your barriers and the change you are pursuing. My training has given me a variety of tools to help bring awareness, to process negative events, and to experiment with changes that match with who you are, and who you are becoming. 

Please feel free to contact me to discuss if I am, and this approach is, a good fit for you.

All the best,
Ben

qualifications

• Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University

• Certified as an OEI therapist for processing trauma.

Janelle Drisner

MA, CCC, Provisional Registered Psychologist

approach

I deeply value accompanying individuals on their personal journeys through suffering, transformation, and healing. I believe that we all want to be understood and given permission to be who we authentically are - both by others and ourselves. I am committed to approaching you with an attitude of openness and wonder, to really understand you and your life. Often times we are not fully sure what we are suffering from, so we try to make sense of our symptoms and then we give it a name like anxiety or depression. And this may be it, but sometimes it is more than that, and it can take much open minded exploration to really identify the source of our suffering. This is hard to do alone, which why I am dedicated to supporting you in this process. No matter who you are or where you are coming from, I am committed to seeing you in a radically open way, accepting you as you are. 

If you want to learn more, contact me. I'd love to have a conversation about my approach to counselling and we can discuss whether we are a good fit!

I look forward to building a supportive therapeutic relationship, together, so we can help you live a fulfilled life.

Warmly,
Janelle

qualifications

| Provisional Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists

| Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)

| Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Trinity Western University

| Existential Analytic Counsellor with the International Society for Logotherapy and Existential Analysis (GLE-I)

If you wish to know more about me, please feel free to contact me!  I am exclusively doing remote, online sessions.  I truly believe that regardless of how we are meeting, we find meaningful connections beyond space and time.  If you are interested in this process, I am excited to meet you!

With kindness,
Jennifer

qualifications

| Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists

| Master of Counselling Psychology from Adler University

| Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner with Somatic Experiencing® International

I have particular interests in the areas of relationship dynamics, personal growth, life transitions, anxiety, grief, and spiritual/faith concerns. I am also a certified enneagram instructor, so if this personality tool interests you, we can make use of it in our work together.

Personally, I enjoy long-distance running, wood working, and painting with oils (when I have time!). I previously worked as a campus minister for more than a decade, and this offered the invaluable experience of working closely with individuals from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.

Please contact me if you have any questions about me or my approach!

Tim