Bereavement Counsellor

Melissa Axler, founder of Beneficial Living & Wellness is no stranger to grief. Having survived stage 3 advanced Breast Cancer 2.5 years ago, her entire view of the process of grieving changed. Trained in pediatric and adult palliative care, Melissa viewed her own personal journey as surreal, which is the way many of her clients describe the over-whelming feelings that accompany their losses.

At Beneficial Living & Wellness, Melissa helps her clients to journey one day at a time through unchartered waters of their loss. These losses span across the life spectrum from leaving school, moving from one country to another, change in one’s health, retiring, miscarriage and the death of a loved one/friend. Melissa also provides family counselling for couples that are working through a stressful period in their marriage or for those who are contemplating separation. Melissa works with children who are coping with life changing situations, from the divorce of parents to the death of a pet. Care is also provided to those clients coping with the death of a loved one through suicide.

Melissa was born in Toronto and educated at The University of Toronto. She earned her Masters degree in Theological Studies from McMaster University and is currently completing a PhD in Bereavement. Melissa has earned the designation of Pastoral Counsellor, Certified Grief Counsellor and is a Fellow in Thanatology – a specialist in the area of death, dying, grief and bereavement. Melissa is also a certified member through the Ontario Association of Counsellors, Clinicians, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists.

Challenge Factory clients spending a day with Melissa can expect to be exposed to a variety of activities and roles within the bereavement counselling profession, including:

• Preparing for clients by reviewing notes

• Preparing a package of information that pertains to new client’s specific loss

• Reviewing current literature on an aspect of grief and loss that is currently being dealt with e.g. suicide.

• Preparing for weekly group session.

• Responding to phone calls

• Answering emails

• Writing up invoices

For more information on the kinds of services Melissa offers, she can be reached by email at melissa@beneficialliving.com or by phone at 905-467-0418.

If you are interested in exploring this profession further or would like to investigate the possibility of spending a day with Melissa or any of our Challenge Factory Experts, please contact us at (416) 721-8494 or lisa@challengefactory.ca