Therapy for Children, Teens & Adults, Couples
In-Person in Chatham & Woodstock
Virtual Across Ontario
The next chapter starts here.
Who I Work With
You don't need to have it figured out to walk through the door.
Maybe you're stuck in the same patterns and can't quite see why. Maybe you're in the middle of a transition that's harder than you expected. Maybe you're carrying emotions — anxiety, shame, guilt, anger, grief — that feel too heavy to keep holding on to. Or maybe you're a parent watching your child or teen struggle, and you don't know how to help.
Whatever brought you here, this is a space where you're heard. We’ll not just look at the surface of what's happening, but the whole story underneath it.
I work with children 8 and older, youth and teens, individual adults, and couples. Many of my clients are men navigating relationships, communication, and growth.
Services
Talk Therapy
Sometimes just talking is exactly what's needed. We explore things at your pace. You can share freely, or I can gently guide the conversation. There's no pressure to arrive with answers. Often the most important thing is simply having a space where you can finally say the thing out loud in a neutral space outside of your circle.
You choose how we work. Sessions are yours to shape.
Expressive Arts Therapy
You don't need any artistic ability for this; it's not about the end result.
Expressive arts therapy uses creative approaches like drawing, collage, writing, etc. to help explore what's hard to put into words. For many people, especially those working through trauma, creativity offers a gentler way. It gives feelings somewhere to go. It calms the nervous system. And it often opens up insights that conversation alone doesn't quite reach.
I've spent my life making sense of the world through creativity; photography, writing, and art. I know firsthand what it feels like when creating something unlocks something. That's why I bring it into the therapy room.
No art skills required. Stick figures very much welcome! :)
Narrative Comic Strip Therapy ®
NCST is a method I developed that combines storytelling with simple drawing. Together, we use it to map out your life story or chapter: where you've been, what you've been carrying, and where you want to go. Clients of all ages find it surprisingly powerful and often surprisingly fun.
You are not your problems. And problem stories can be rewritten like a new chapter.
The Sessions
This is your space, at your pace.
Sessions are available evenings, weekends, and holidays. (If you don’t see a suitable day/time on the booking schedule, please feel free to reach out.)
We can meet in person at the Chatham or Woodstock office, or virtually by phone anywhere in Ontario (telehealth).
Sessions are typically 60 minutes, but can also be 30 minutes, 90 minutes or longer based on what you need that day. Weekly, biweekly, or as needed. You set the rhythm.
Between sessions, I can send personalized journaling prompts tied to what we explored together, if that interests you. Clients find these very helpful.
Session Fees
In-Person Session Fees
60 min - $150
Longer sessions available upon request
Couples - 60 min - $200
Virtual / Telehealth Session Fees
60 min - $150
Longer sessions available upon request
In-person sessions recommended for children under 14
Payment Accepted:
American Express
Apple Pay
Cash (in-person sessions only)
Debit VISA
Diners Club
Discover
E-Transfer
Google Pay
Mastercard
UnionPay
VISA
Direct Billing Available:
Beneva
Canada Life
Canadian Construction Workers Union
Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance
Desjardins
Equitable Life
Greenshield
Industrial Alliance
Manulife
NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations)
Sun Life
and more
Meet Your Therapist
CHRISTINE J.C. ELLWOOD
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Founder & Creator of Narrative Comic Strip Therapy® (NCST) · Master of Narrative Therapy & Community Work · Bachelor of Social Work · Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) · The Art of Trauma Certificate (Expressive Arts Therapy)
My approach is holistic. I see you as a whole person, not a list of symptoms or problems. Your physical, emotional, psychological, and social world all matter here, as do the experiences and systems that have shaped you along the way.
My approach is rooted in one core belief: you are not your problems. The painful thoughts we carry, such as “I'm not enough”, “This is just who I am”, or “I'll never change” aren't fixed truths. They're narratives or beliefs, often shaped by other people and hard experiences. And with the right support, they can be rewritten.
That's the heart of narrative therapy and it's the thread running through what I do — the sessions, the expressive arts, the comic strip work, even the name of this private practice.
Creativity has always been how I make sense of the world. Long before I became a therapist, I was a photographer, a writer, an artist. That life of paying attention, of finding meaning in images and stories shaped the therapist I became. When I bring creative approaches into sessions, it comes from lived experience, not just training.
I'm client-centred and flexible. My job isn't to hand you answers, but more to help you slow down enough to hear your own. The answers that are right for you.
If you’re curious, I have a children’s book Fred The Alien Visits Earth (2019) that I wrote, illustrated and published several years ago on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/01v9o6S7
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
— Joseph Campbell
Offices
405 Riverview Drive
Chatham, ON
79 Montclair Drive
Woodstock, ON
Virtual / Online sessions available for anyone living in Ontario.
Call / Text 639-389-9888
Contact
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