Nick Harrington, Practicum Student
About Me
My commitment to counselling is deeply personal. Having navigated my own experiences with anxiety, I understand how disruptive difficult thoughts and emotions can be to everyday life. These experiences have also taught me that challenges do not have to define our lives or prevent us from building meaningful and fulfilling relationships and experiences. This perspective inspires me to support individuals and families as they navigate challenges of their own.
I bring a relaxed, down-to-earth, and nonjudgmental approach to counselling. I recognize that everyone comes to counselling with their own values, interests, experiences, and ways of understanding the world. Rather than assuming I know what something means for you, I approach each person with genuine curiosity and take the time to understand their perspective and the broader context surrounding the challenges they are facing. I believe that counselling should feel like a collaborative process, and I value creating a space where clients can feel comfortable being themselves. When it feels natural and appropriate, I also appreciate using humour as part of that connection.
Outside of counselling, I recharge by spending time outdoors, going for walks and hikes, kayaking, and travelling. I also enjoy unwinding with a good movie or television series, as well as the occasional video or board game. These interests can sometimes provide a natural point of connection with children, teenagers, and adults who share them.
About my Private Practice
I take a collaborative and client-centred approach to counselling. I want to understand not only what brings you to counselling, but also how you make sense of what you are experiencing, what you would like to be different, and what has or has not been helpful in the past. Your insight and feedback are an important part of the process. Rather than making assumptions about what you need, I work with you to develop a shared understanding of what is happening and what may be getting in the way of the life you want to live.
From there, we can identify your strengths, clarify your goals, and explore what approaches may be most helpful. Sometimes counselling is practical and structured, such as learning new ways to respond to anxious thoughts, building emotional regulation skills, developing mindfulness practices, or gradually approaching situations that have become difficult. At other times, the path forward may be less clear. Counselling can then involve more exploration, reflection, and looking at experiences from different perspectives until something begins to make sense or feel like a better fit.
I also believe counselling should be responsive to your needs and evolving goals. Throughout the process, I invite your feedback and regularly check in about how things are going. This may include simple check-ins, rating scales, or other ways of tracking progress so that we can recognize what is changing, identify what is working, and adjust our approach when something is not.
Areas of Specialization
Anxiety & Emotional Regulation Nick supports clients who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, strong emotions, or stress that can be difficult to manage. Together, you can develop a better understanding of emotional patterns, build practical skills for regulating difficult emotions, and explore new ways of responding to anxious thoughts and situations. His approach is collaborative and grounded in helping clients feel more confident, capable, and in control of their emotional well-being.
Children, Teens and Neurodivergent Youth Nick works with children, youth, and neurodivergent young people who may be navigating anxiety, big emotions, social challenges, stress, or difficulties with emotional regulation. He takes a curious, patient, and individualized approach, recognizing that young people communicate and process their experiences in different ways. Counselling may incorporate practical strategies, creative activities, mindfulness, and age-appropriate skill building to help young people better understand themselves, navigate challenges, and develop confidence in their ability to cope.
School Refusal & School Avoidance Nick supports children and youth who are struggling to attend school regularly or are experiencing anxiety, distress, or overwhelm related to school. Counselling can help explore what may be contributing to school avoidance, whether that involves anxiety, social challenges, emotional regulation, academic stress, or other concerns. Together with the young person and their family, Nick can develop practical strategies to build coping skills, increase confidence, and support a gradual return to school in a way that feels manageable and sustainable.
Autism Support Nick supports autistic children, youth, and adults in navigating the unique experiences and challenges that can come with being autistic. Counselling may focus on emotional regulation, communication, relationships, anxiety, sensory experiences, self-understanding, and navigating everyday demands. His approach is individualized and strengths-based, with an emphasis on helping clients better understand themselves, identify what supports them, and develop strategies that fit the way they naturally experience and interact with the world.
Screen & Technology Use Nick supports youth and families who are experiencing challenges related to screen time, gaming, social media, or technology use. Counselling can explore how technology use may be affecting sleep, mood, relationships, school, motivation, or everyday responsibilities, while also considering the needs and interests that technology may be meeting. Together, Nick can help youth and families develop healthier routines, strengthen communication, and find a more balanced relationship with technology.
Parenting Support Nick supports parents who are navigating the challenges of raising children and youth, including big emotions, anxiety, behavioural concerns, communication difficulties, and changing family dynamics. Parenting can be rewarding, but it can also be stressful and leave parents wondering what approach will be most helpful. Nick works collaboratively with parents to better understand what may be happening beneath the behaviour, strengthen communication and connection, and develop practical strategies that fit their child, family, and circumstances.
ADHD Support Nick supports children, youth, and adults navigating the challenges and strengths associated with ADHD. Counselling can focus on emotional regulation, organization, motivation, attention, communication, and managing the impact of ADHD on relationships, school, work, and everyday life. Together, clients can explore practical strategies that work with their individual strengths and needs, while developing a better understanding of how ADHD may influence the way they experience and navigate the world.
Depression Nick supports clients experiencing depression, low mood, loss of motivation, or a sense of disconnection from themselves and their lives. Counselling can provide space to better understand the factors contributing to these experiences while exploring practical ways to reconnect with meaningful activities, relationships, and personal goals. Together, clients can work toward building greater awareness, coping skills, and confidence in navigating difficult periods.
Family Dynamics and Communication Nick supports families who are navigating communication difficulties, conflict, changing relationships, or patterns that can leave family members feeling disconnected or misunderstood. He takes a collaborative approach to understanding each person’s perspective, needs, and experiences, while creating space for everyone to feel heard. Counselling can focus on improving communication, strengthening connection, navigating differences, and developing healthier ways of responding to one another.
Relationships, Communication & Boundaries Nick supports clients who want to build healthier, more fulfilling relationships and feel more confident in how they communicate and navigate interpersonal challenges. Counselling can explore communication patterns, conflict, people-pleasing, difficulty expressing needs, and setting or maintaining healthy boundaries. Together, you can develop practical strategies for communicating more openly, understanding relationship patterns, and building connections that feel respectful, balanced, and authentic.
Services
At Tyne Buchy Counselling Collective, we provide compassionate, trauma-informed counselling for individuals, couples, youth, and families. Our clinicians bring a range of experience and specialized training, allowing us to tailor counselling to your unique needs, goals, and circumstances. We support clients navigating concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, emotional regulation, relationships, family dynamics, and life transitions, while offering specialized approaches including EMDR, attachment and relational therapy, and other evidence-based therapies. Whether you are looking for support through a difficult period, hoping to understand yourself more deeply, or ready to make meaningful changes in your life, we are here to provide a safe, collaborative space to help you move forward.
Solution Focused & Skills-Based Counselling
Solution-focused and skills-based therapies focus on identifying strengths, building practical coping skills, and creating meaningful, achievable steps toward positive change. Approaches such as CBT can help clients understand patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and develop new ways of responding.
Experience
I began working in the child and youth helping field in 2016, supporting young people in a specialized home setting through a community-based agency. In this role, I worked with children and youth experiencing significant emotional, behavioural, and mental health challenges, including periods of crisis and heightened distress. This experience provided me with a strong foundation in de-escalation, behaviour support, emotional regulation, and understanding the broader family, social, and environmental factors that can influence a young person’s wellbeing.
Since 2021, I have worked in school-based and outreach child and family counselling roles, supporting children, adolescents, parents, and families across a wide range of concerns. My experience includes individual and family counselling, assessment and treatment planning, supporting anxiety and emotional regulation, strengthening communication, navigating behavioural and relational challenges, and helping families develop practical strategies that can be carried into everyday life.
I have also had the opportunity to work closely with parents, schools, and other community professionals. These experiences have strengthened my ability to look beyond a single concern and consider the broader context surrounding each client and family. I value working collaboratively with those involved in a young person’s life to develop practical, meaningful goals and create support that fits their individual needs and circumstances.
Qualifications
2026
2026 Completed Level 1 & 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy The Gottman Institute
2024
Mindfulness Counselling Strategies Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute (CTRI)
2023-present
Master of Counselling (MC), Counselling Psychology Specialization -Practicum Phase Athabasca University
2022
Solution-Focused Therapy Essentials Association for Psychological Therapies (APT)
2021
Anxiety: Practical Intervention Strategies Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute (CTRI)
2021
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology - With Distinction Thompson Rivers University
2016
Master of Arts Counselling Psychology, MACP. Graduated from Yorkville University