Marie-Claude Roy
Registered nurse, master degree student in mental health with a profile in palliative care
Mental health counsellor
About Me
My practice
I am a nurse clinician and master’s degree student in mental health with a profile in palliative care. I completed a Bachelor’s in nursing sciences in 2006 and I am a member of the Order of Quebec Nurses since 2004. I have worked with people who live with chronic illnesses since the beginning of my practice. I myself live with two autoimmune diseases including insulin-dependent diabetes (LADA).
My approach
The person is at the center of my practice which allows me empathy and attention to others in their uniqueness. With a biopsychosocial approach to physical and mental health, support takes place in a welcoming and warm atmosphere. I offer active listening without judgment.
My clientele
I work with clients:
- Aged 14 and older
- Living with a diagnosis of chronic, degenerative, or terminal physical health conditions.
- Caregivers of individuals with a diagnosis of chronic, degenerative, or terminal physical health conditions.
I offer virtual or in-home sessions.
Sessions can be conducted in French or English.
My services
• Counseling support
We work together to make space for you to acquire a better knowledge of yourself, to better understand your relationships with others, but also to better manage your dissatisfactions and to evolve through them. This will allow you to be focused on the power of the present moment and on the exploration of your own resources in order to find the tools necessary to overcome your challenges. The focus is on what you are going through here and now, on your current difficulties.
• Support
I aim, according to your needs, to enhance your skills in managing your illness and its symptoms. I aspire to accompany you towards greater autonomy and a better understanding of it, enabling you to live in harmony with it rather than in judgment, depreciation, anger, or sadness. Journeying with illness or towards the end of life is not limited solely to how it affects the body. It is also important to understand its effects on your mindset and to identify the emotions experienced. Inadequate adaptation predisposes individuals to develop mental health disorders that can lead to perceiving a poor quality of life, feeling like a burden to loved ones, and experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. Sharing your story and being listened to is an opportunity to perceive oneself, as in a mirror, and to discover positive aspects of life and often overlooked strengths.
• Integrated palliative care
A widely spread misconception is that anyone afflicted with a serious, progressive, or life-limiting illness, especially as they near death, must be depressed. It is through my personal and professional experiences that I have come to the conclusion that this is not the case. Living with illness or facing the end of life can be done in a serene, balanced, and adaptive manner. It has been demonstrated that integrating palliative care alongside curative treatment helps individuals cope with the dual reality of hoping for recovery while facing the possibility of not recovering and preparing for it. That's why I commit myself to a holistic and personalized approach that acknowledges the potential for personal growth and deep connection even in life's most challenging moments.
