Lydia Forge, Registered Social Worker #834603
Populations Served: Adults (16+)
Services: Individual Counselling
Therapies Practiced: Person Centered, Solution-Focused, CBT, DBT, Trauma Informed
Focus: Trauma & PTSD, Depression, Anger Management, Addiction, Relationship Issues, Anxiety, Grief and Loss
Languages Spoken: English & French
Insurance Info: Registered Social Worker (#834603) & Eligible for Plans Requiring a Psychologist
Email: lydia.forge@mylifecounselling.ca
Phone: 1-800-828-9484 (ext. 127)
About Lydia Forge, RSW (#834603)
Lydia is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. Lydia is fluent in both English and French and is happy to provide her services in both languages.
Clients would describe Lydia as embodying a gentleness and lightness in her work where laughter and healing can co-exist. Her open and non-judgmental approach invites curiosity in understanding why we do what we do. She sees life-long emotional health as a blessing and a right that all can achieve in their own way surrounded by the right support system., Lydia is sensitive to the fact that people come from diverse cultural, racial, and social experiences and she strives to honor these when supporting her clients.
Lydia has gained tremendous experience working in various mental health settings. As an addiction therapist at an addiction treatment centre, she helped people in all walks of life overcome severe addictive patterns, adverse childhood experiences, and chronic cycles of homelessness and poverty. As a social work intern at KW Counselling, Lydia helped diverse people struggling with anxiety, trauma, depression, grief, and relationship issues. As a Community Development Worker with the YMCA Immigration and Employment Services, Lydia helped teenagers of various ethnicities and women new to Canada by developing and presenting hands-on employment culture workshops. Lydia’s passion for men’s mental health led her to speak at the conference Beyond Gang Exit: Communities of practice, researchers and peace by Dr. Tamari Kitossa with Brock University.
Lydia’s current focus is helping individuals struggling with challenges of addiction and recovery. Her study of Gabor Mate’s work has opened her eyes to the shared human experience of addiction and how we all feel the need to soothe our pain whether emotional or physical. Lydia creates a safe space where individuals can better understand the source of their suffering and develop healthier ways of taking care of their unmet needs.
Lydia believes that counselling is not a “one-size fits all” solution. She listens carefully to her clients’ preferences and adjusts her approach accordingly. Lydia draws from a variety of therapeutic modalities such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Narrative Therapy (NT), while incorporating a Strength-Based Approach, a Trauma-Informed, and an Anti-Oppressive Lens.
Lydia also has experience in the corporate world as well as an interest for entrepreneurship and an appreciation for the challenges related to this area. When she is not working, Lydia loves to make time to enjoy her life and those in it. She keeps herself busy by enjoying the outdoors, staying active, learning, dancing her heart away whenever she can, and being part of her church community.