What we do
Winnipeg Narrative Therapy was founded by Mariana Sussi MFT CCC RSW. She got her degree as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been recognized in Canada as a Masters in Family Therapy, a Canadian Certified Counsellor and a Registered Social Worker.
Mariana’s therapeutic experience includes work with individuals, couples, children and groups struggling with different problems that have been shaping and restricting their lives.
It’s in the core of her work to believe that people that seek counselling come to the therapeutic setting with a number of skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments and abilities. By uncovering, discussing, and appreciating them, clients will be assisted in the process of changing their relationship with the problem in their lives.
Her work has been informed by a number of different therapeutic models. In the last thirteen years she has been dedicated to integrating Narrative Ideas and Social Justice Models into her practice.
In those sacred conversations that happen in her office, people can reclaim their own preferred stories and re-define themselves by centering on stories that don’t restrict their lives to the definition that the problem imposes on them (ADHD child, anxious wives, violent teen, abusive husband, etc.). Paraphrasing the Just Therapy Team from New Zealand, it is the therapist’s responsibility to open possibilities for clients, bringing forward other stories in their lives, and in doing so, offering them liberation.
The therapeutic work gets in practice by using different means such as:
- Art Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Talk Therapy
We work with individuals, couples and families dealing with a wide range of “problems”
- Anxiety; Depression: Compelling Thoughts, Attention Deficit (ADD-ADHD); Alcohol Related Neurological Desorder (ARND-FASD); Chronical Illnesses; Sexual Abuse; Trauma; Domestic Violence; Isolation; Addictions; Grief and Loss; Marriage Counselling (intimacy-trust-communication); Separation and Divorce; Blended Family Issues; Parenting, Behavioural Issues with young children and teenagers; Anger Management; Self-Image; Eating Disorders; Life Transitions
We are highly committed to continue our professional development by learning from others and this certainly transpires in our practice by offering to our clients the latest innovation in the field.
We work with a range of Insurance Companies and we are approved therapy providers for First Nation Inuit Health Branch, Compensation for Victims of Crime, Worker’s Compensation Board, Aurora Family Therapy Centre Immigration Program, Metis CFS, Winnipeg CFS, and First Nation CFS in Manitoba and Ontario.
Book an AppointmentHigh Quality Professional Development
Since the beginning in 2005 we believe that in order to provide the best service possible we have to continue developing our practice by studying and continuing to challenge our ideas in conversation with our teachers, mentors and colleagues.
That’s why we think that the best complement to our practice is continuing our professional development. But traveling is pricey and sometimes it is difficult to get the time away from work and family life.
Instead of traveling to different locations around Canada and the world for high quality Professional Development events, we decided to bring them here and share them with our colleagues. We choose presenters whose workshops can impact the work we do in the community we live in, challenge our knowledge, and keep us sharp in our practice.
Our workshops are known for being always accessible to everyone including the people we work with. We take pride in always offering scholarships when possible as we believe in giving back to our community.
Some of the people we have the pleasure to have hosted in Winnipeg for cutting edge training are:
David Epston, Stephen Madigan, Alan Jenkins, Bill Madsen, Johnella Bird, Cheryl White, David Denborough, Charles Waldegrave and Taimalieutu Kiwi Tamasese (Just Therapy Team), Ken Hardy, John Winslade, Loraine Hedke, David Nylund, Julie Tylsen, Tod Augusta Scott, Marie Natalie Beaudoin and Victoria Dickerson.