Charlotte MacDonald

Charlotte completed her studies at McMaster University earning a Diploma in the Professional Addiction Studies Program.  Her academic background further includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Ottawa.  She brings over 30 years of healthcare experience as a Registered Nurse in the hospital and community setting where she provided direct patient care and spent many years in various mid to senior leadership roles.

Charlotte has a particular interest in helping clients deal with personal and professional burnout, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, compassion fatigue and the significant benefits of developing a self-care regimen as a prevention strategy.  Having relocated back to the 1000 Islands area, Charlotte plans to become involved with her community to not only raise awareness about addiction but to convey that addiction does not discriminate amongst members of society.  She intends to contribute to her community by helping to reduce stigma and discrimination through education and increased awareness.

Charlotte has a warm and compassionate approach to counselling using a combination of techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing Skills, Strengths Based Approach and Solution Focused Therapy.  Having been a nurse for many years, Charlotte understands and practices a deep holistic approach using the Biopsychosocial model.  She believes that guiding clients to explore the interrelationships of the Body, Mind and Spirit are important in helping clients as they work on a sustainable plan to recover from substance use.

Charlotte is family oriented, spending much of her time with her two young adult children, sisters and her elderly mother who resides in a long-term care home.  Charlotte is also a “dog mom” to two beautiful Golden Retriever dogs with whom she spends her non-work time enjoying her spacious property and taking them for walks down to the St. Lawrence River for a swim.   Charlotte truly focuses on balance and harmony in her life where she looks forward to sharing with clients, the tremendous benefits of “letting go”, finding purpose in each day and practicing gratitude and mindfulness on a daily basis.