"ACTUALLY, I CAN.
AND I WILL.
WATCH ME."
GEORGIA MCCUSKER
Georgia McCusker is a registered therapist who has been in the field for almost fifteen years. She has her Bachelor of Social Work, her Master’s of Psychology, and is a fierce feminist, social advocate, and overall bad bitch. She focuses on anger, anxiety, emotional intelligence, motherhood, relationships, confidence, self-expression, and an overall movement towards “feeling like yourself again”. Georgia uses several therapeutic models but focuses heavily on person-centered/internal family systems work through a feminist lens. Following her dreams, she moved to the West Coast where she lives life with an immense amount of audacity, does telehealth from her home office filled with plants and T-Rex skulls, and hangs out with her partner, kiddo, dog, and cat. She spends her free time hiking in the mountains, reading horror novels, and eating snacks.
MY CREDENTIALS
Education
MASTER'S OF PSYCHOLOGY
October 2018
University of Liverpool
BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK
May 2014
University of Regina
BACHELOR OF ARTS
May 2011
University of British Columbia
SPECIALITIES & CERTIFICATES
CYBERCOUNSELLING: TEXT BASED THERAPY
2022
Enhancing the therapeutic alliance in text
Clinical questioning techniques
Ethical and practical issues in text-chat
Clinical Activity: Live text-chat role play with clinical feedback
BODY-ORIENTED TRAUMA COUNSELLING STRATEGIES
2021
Body-Oriented Counselling Approaches
How Trauma Is Stored in the Body
The Role of the Helper as Guide and Co-Explorer
Four Components of Body-Oriented Trauma Therapy
Mutual Learning: Deep Listening and Psychoeducation
Stabilization and Restoring Connection to the Present
Tracking Body Sensations and Movement
Strategies for Transforming Trauma
Integration and Meaning Making
Integrating Body-Based Counselling Into Existing Approach
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY: TOOLS FOR THINKING DIFFERENTLY
2021
The Theory Behind CBT
CBT Guiding Principles
Who Tends to Respond Well to CBT
Case Conceptualization and CBT
How to Structure the Counselling Process
Skills for Restructuring Cognitive Distortions
Strategies and Tools for Thinking Differently
Strategies and Tools for Behaving Differently
The Role of “Homework” in CBT
APPLIED SUICIDE INTERVENTION SKILLS TRAINING
2019
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop—anyone 18 or older can learn and use the ASIST model.
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
2019
Increase their knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental health problems
Decrease the social distance between themselves and someone with a mental health problem
Increase their confidence to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis
Can identify professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental health problem
Show increased mental wellness themselves
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING LEVEL 1 & 2
2017/2018
Motivational Interviewing Principles
Understanding your Client’s Motivation
Listening to your Client
Foundational Skills: OARS (Open Questions, Affirming, Reflecting, Summarizing)
Recognizing and Supporting Change Talk
Four Processes of MI (Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning)
Common Traps to Avoid
Reflective Listening
Roadblocks to Listening
Approaching Ambivalence and Resistance
When to use Motivational Interviewing
Readiness to Change
VIOLENT THREAT RISK ASSESSMENT
2016
VTRA is a comprehensive three-stage violence prevention model that addresses all forms of violence. It allows trained teams of professionals to identify early risk indicators in persons of concern and guides these multi-disciplinary teams through high-end threat assessment cases from data collection to data-driven interventions.
IMPORTANT
The Raging Therapist Counselling Services is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. This is an anti-racist space and members of all marginalized communities are welcome, supported, and uplifted. This is a feminist, pro BLM, LGBTQIA2S+ and neurodivergence affirming practice with a commitment to addressing social justice issues and dismantling oppressive ideologies that hinder growth, freedom and equality. With shedding the stigma of struggle as it’s mission, TRTCS strives to to de-pathologize human suffering while celebrating and empowering the diversity in our selves and our communities.