About Deb McNally

Deb McNally is a Registered Social Worker and member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). She completed her Master of Social Work Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

Deb works closely with both adults and youth (16+) and provides individual counselling for a range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationships and addiction.

Deb has a friendly and calm presence that makes it easy to share your story with her. Her approach to counselling includes listening carefully to what you need as a client and finding a therapeutic approach that works for you. Deb is thankful for the help she’s received from others in managing her own anxiety and understands the courage it takes to reach out for support.

Deb draws from a variety of counselling approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Trauma Informed practices.

Deb has worked with a wide range of people from multiple communities across Ontario. As a Front-Line Counsellor and Case Worker in Sioux Lookout, she provided crisis intervention and mental health planning for women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples. Deb later gained valuable experience at the University of Waterloo as a counsellor working with university students dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. At the Oxford-Elgin Child Youth Centre in Woodstock, Deb provided counselling to youth and families dealing with anxiety, trauma, self-harm, ADHD, sexuality, and grief. She helped individuals cope with bullying, victimization, and worked on improving their self-esteem through assertiveness skills, emotional regulation, and time management.

Deb has an incredible knowledge of community resources and how to navigate Guelph’s mental health system thanks to her experience as a Service Coordinator at the Canadian Mental Health Associations’ Here 24/7 telephone service. In addition to her work at MyLife Counselling in Guelph, Deb is also a counsellor at the University of Guelph. She works closely with students helping them address their mental health needs while adjusting to the demands of school and living away from home.

In her spare time, Deb enjoys relaxing with her cat, reading, spending time with close friends, her eight nieces and nephews, and hiking by any body of water she can find!