Content Note: This article discusses topics including sexual trauma and grief. If these subjects are sensitive to you, please read with care.
These days, navigating life’s ups and downs can feel more overwhelming than ever. Fortunately, Milton is home to many outstanding therapy and counselling practices, including Bliss Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Nicole Belina is the Clinic Owner and a Therapist at Bliss Counselling & Psychotherapy, where she and her team create a safe, welcoming environment for clients navigating everything from anxiety and grief to relationship challenges.
Bliss Counselling believes that everyone seeking therapy deserves to feel seen and represented. With five practicing therapists, they’ve made a conscious effort to build a diverse team with different genders, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientations.
“We [have] been really intentionally inclusive in terms of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and so we’ve done a lot of work building relationships with Pflag Halton and Prism. There are a couple of us on our team that are also part of the queer community.”
While the clinic offers therapy in a range of areas, including relationships, stress, anxiety, and grief, one of its standout services is providing sex therapy in a supportive, sex-positive environment.
“There’s still a lot of stigma attached to [sex]; there’s a lot of morality around sex and sexuality and those kinds of conversations,” Nicole says.
In many cases, the topic arises naturally in couples’ therapy. “We get a lot of folks with what we call desire discrepancy, where one partner has a higher desire and the other has a lower desire, for example,” she explains.
Sex therapy can also be important for individuals who have experienced sexual trauma.
As a trauma specialist, Nicole notes that while many therapists are trained in trauma, they may not have the additional training to address sexual healing alongside it. This is one of the things that sets Bliss Counselling apart. Their therapists are trained in both trauma and sex therapy, so when a client wants to talk about sex, they are ready to handle those conversations.
In addition to traditional psychotherapy training, Nicole is also trained in Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented trauma therapy that differs from approaches like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). This allows her to address the full spectrum of trauma’s impact, including how it affects intimacy and physical connection.
“[We’re] always looking to hone in on skills that we already have, to really enhance them or broaden them.” She describes Bliss therapists as wanting to be able to adapt to the needs of the community.
Bliss also has experience working in the area of problematic sexual behaviours. Their next therapy group for men, called the Men’s Sexual Health Group, launches this fall, and a waitlist is now open for those interested in joining.
While Bliss has other group sessions, this one is less structured and is more of a “come and talk about your goal,” Nicole explains.
Another upcoming event is their Mother’s Day Bereavement Group. Run by Magda Piskorski, a Certified Grief-Informed Professional, this one-time session will be held on Saturday, May 10, at the Milton Public Library Sherwood Branch. It is designed for individuals grieving the loss of a mother and those navigating estrangement or difficult maternal relationships. Those interested are encouraged to reach out ASAP as spots are limited.
When reflecting on some of her experiences at Bliss, Nicole doesn’t see herself as an expert and her client as the learner, but rather as a witness to the hard work a client puts into getting better and healing.
“I’m just here witnessing this beautiful journey with you, walking alongside you,” she states, “sometimes, pointing something out to you, proposing an alternative perspective, or offering you some support. And it’s so cool to be a part of that.”
You can follow Bliss Counselling on Facebook and Instagram and find them on their website. Feel free to book your appointment, call, or email your questions to narrow down your needs and find a possible therapist match.
