Susan is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT) and a Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). She followed her first degree in Health Education with a Certificate in Gerontology and then a Master's in Counselling. Following these, she earned a Certificate in Contextual Family Therapy and completed Level 2 training in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). 

She continues to study the clinical applications of attachment theory to both couple counselling and parent consulting. She has been invited to be a Faculty Intern (2008-2009) with Dr. Gordon Neufeld in the study of attachment and developmental psychology and their application to parenting and working with children. Susan is authorized by Dr. Neufeld to be a presenter of his work and to practice as a parent consultant.

Susan brings these skills together in unique ways to help parents to stay in charge of their relationships with their children. She also works with relationships which are under stress or breaking; post-traumatic stress and attachment difficulties. Many of her clients are children and students who are struggling with discipline or with the demands of school and university; and she also works with parents to provide them with the tools they need to reconnect with their children.

She is available for presentations, classes or work with small groups. For a list of presentation topics click here.

You can read some participants' reactions by clicking here.

Some of Susan's recent workshops (in November and December, 2008) included: "When Your Child Says:NO!", for the Guelph-Wellington Early Childhood Educators; "Understanding the Teenage Brain: Reconciling with our Teenagers" for the Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and "Making Sense of Kids: Relationship Matters" as part of the Children's Mental Health professional development day of the Wellington County Catholic School Board (WCCSB). Three additional workshops for the WCCSB were also presented to a group of Educational Assistants (When Children Say No: Counterwill and Resistance, January 17; Understanding Aggression, February 21; and Attachment and Teachability, March 7).

In January, 2009 she also did a community presentation, "Cultivating a Safe School" to the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Guelph, Ontario.

Another recent workshop presented to the Guelph community was "Facing the Dragon: Making Sense of Stressed Out Kids, Parents and Teachers" (April 4, 2009) and on April 17 she presented "Cultivating a Multi-Generational Community of Attachment" to a Wellington County community audience. On June 17 she addressed the Guelph community on the topic "Reclaiming Our Kids: Relationship Matters".

Here are some  future presentations:
August 22, 2009. "Facing the Dragon: the high cost of stress on our kids", for the Summit Learning Centre and Learning Disabilities Association.

September 16-November 14, 2009. 8-week "Parenting" Course.

September 17-November 5, 2009. "Power to Parent: 3"

September 26, 2009. "Secure Parents - Secure Children: Cultivating Adaptability"



Call 519-829-2232 or e-mail (susan@dafoe-abbey.com) for information concerning any of these presentations.

   


 
Susan is available for consultation at her office or by telephone or thru e-mail (susan@dafoe-abbey.com).

 Susan's new office is at the:
Gordon Street Chiropractic Centre
1460 Gordon St. South N1L 1C8
(519) 829-2232