George MacDonald founded Central Plains Counseling in 1993 to fill the need for an easily accessible mental health service without long wait times or requiring a referral from a doctor.
Finding a person you are comfortable talking with can be a daunting undertaking at the best of times, and even more challenging when things are difficult. George believes that a fundamental attribute of an excellent counseling service is to provide a hospitable, welcoming and non-labeling environment. An underlying tenet of his service is that “the problem, not the person, is the problem,” and with this in mind, he will engage with you attentively, respectfully and collaboratively to generate possible solutions to problems within your consultation hour.
About George
George MacDonald has been working in the mental health field in Manitoba since 1973. Central ideas of George’s guiding philosophy are derived from the field of Narrative/Solution-Focused therapy. This perspective puts forward the view that each person can be separated from their problems. It recognizes that people have skills and expertise that can help guide change in their lives. George believes that all people have within themselves the capacity to change, grow and re-author their lives – free of problems.
George acknowledges the important work of Michael White and David Epston in developing and describing the Narrative approach in the Mental Health field.
Individual Counseling
All of us can be taken by problems from time-to-time. Whether the problem is anxiety or depression or anger – each one can negatively influence our whole life. Being a prisoner of a problem is never really a preferred way of being. Finding a counselor can be your first step in taking back your life from its’ influence. I very much like the very hopeful saying that, “there’s nothing so wrong with us, that what’s right with us can’t fix.”
Employee Assistance
How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives. The average person spends one third of their lives at work. A lot of people in workplaces feel overworked, overloaded and overwhelmed, and – stress in workplaces radiates outwards from the individual through the company to the family and our communities. How do we confront workplace stress so that we regain a work – life balance? A counselor can help with new ideas to take back your life from workplace stress.
Marriage & Family
Marriage and family is the most intimate context where positive change can be nurtured and developed. Sometimes, in our relationships, we may find ourselves repeating unhelpful patterns of behaviour that keep everyone stuck. We can inadvertently reinforce other loved one’s problems creating a kind of vicious circle. When you are swept up into an emotional stream of negative interaction within the family – a counselor can provide an outside pair of eyes that can facilitate positive evolution for you and your family.
Grief Counseling
Without doubt the most difficult life event any of us will face is the death of a loved one. Learning to live with the grief of being physically cut off from that person can seem insurmountable. With good grieving you learn to adapt to the pain and sorrow of your loss, as you begin to re-author your life without your loved one. Going forward in your life in your next chapter means going forward including them in it. A counselor can help you foster an enduring love connection that enables you to have your loved one always present with you.