Denise Young, MSW, RSW-CS
Providing compassionate and client-centred therapy for adults and couples in our Halifax (Dartmouth) office, or virtually across Nova Scotia and Ontario.
“My clients are some of my greatest teachers in matters that matter most – love, kindness, humility, and the power and resiliency of the human spirit.” – Denise Young
Denise Young, MSW, RSW-CS
Founder and Clinical Director
Clinical Specialist (NS, in-person, virtual)
Social Worker, Psychotherapist (ON, virtual)
deniseyoung@alivera.ca
Denise is Alivera’s Founder and Clinical Director. She has worked in social care and mental health with individuals, couples, groups, and communities over the past 20+ years. She offers a unique blend of holistic counselling supporting her clients through major life transitions. Denise’s practice is both eclectic—selectively applying techniques from a variety of evidence‑based therapies—and integrative—combining different Western modalities with Eastern meditative practices in mindful, culturally responsive tools. Her toolbox includes CBT, DBT, ACT, CPT, narrative therapy, cognitive processing therapy, emotionally focused therapy, solution‑focused counselling, CBT for couples, and Gottman method for couples.
Denise is deeply aware of the impact that low self‑esteem, trauma, grief, anger, depression, shame, anxiety, guilt, regret, substance use, and vulnerability can have on a person’s life, mental health, and overall wellness. Denise has supported many people on their journey, helping to connect them with their true selves, finding joy again, living without fear, and living with purpose. Working from anti‑oppressive and trauma‑informed perspectives, Denise recognizes and appreciates the uniqueness in every individual.
With a gentle and kind approach grounded in mindfulness and strengths‑based practice, Denise genuinely cares about the well‑being of others and respects that her clients are the experts of their own lives. She believes that having the right support, along with practical therapeutic tools and coping resources, we can meet life challenges. Denise has witnessed transformation in her clients lives and is continuously humbled by their resiliency, hard work and dedication to their well-being.
Denise exceeds the professional requirements set out by the colleges, holding social work licensure in Nova Scotia and Ontario, Canada along with a Master of Social Work degree. She is also nearing completion of a Master of Arts (Education) and has completed additional post-secondary education in counselling, adult education, human resources, conflict management, leadership development, and business administration—demonstrating her commitment to ongoing professional development.
Denise has always given back to her community in various capacities. She has volunteered extensively with organizations such as Halifax Regional Police Victim Services Unit, the Nova Scotia Council for the Family, the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, NS Career Development Association, NS Dept. of Community Services Anti-Oppressive Practice Committee, and the Learning Disabilities Association of NS. Most recently, she served six years on the Nova Scotia Health Research Ethics Board, contributing to the advancement of ethical mental health and medical services across Nova Scotia. In 2021 Denise was awarded the Nova Scotia Premier’s ‘Game Changer’ award for recognition of her excelling in the delivery of high-quality programs and services for Nova Scotia families and communities. The Game Changer award celebrates those who go over and above in their work that highlights their dedication and excellence in public service.
Types of Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Couples
Gottman Method for Couples Therapy
Strengths-based Therapy
Trauma-informed Approach
Humanistic and Person-centred
Client Focus
Adults, Couples, Seniors, Military, Veterans, First Responders, Caregivers, Students, Teachers, and Educators
Therapeutic Focus
- Depression
- Anxiety and Panic
- Grief and Loss
- Couples Therapy, Family and Relationship Issues
- Life Changes
- Anger Management
- Trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Stress Management
- Sleep Issues, Insomnia
- Workplace and Caregiver Stress, Compassion Fatigue, and Burnout
- Workplace Conflict
- Life Coaching
- Career Change and Guidance
- Self-esteem, Resiliency, and Coping Issues
- Chronic Pain, Chronic Illness
- Education and Learning Disabilities
- Substance Use
On a Personal Note…
I was raised in a beautiful and picturesque little community in Newfoundland and Labrador on the east coast of the island surrounded by salt water and some of the finest people I know.
Living in a small community had its challenges, but the advantages far outweighed them. I can’t imagine calling anywhere else ‘home’ as it holds a sacred place in my heart. I was fortunate to have my parents and grandparents to be the driving forces behind my desire to ‘serve’, and I realized from an early age that ‘it takes all of us to take care of all of us’. A sense of community is really just our way of life in NL, ingrained in me simply by osmosis learning and by witnessing people genuinely caring for others and pulling together as a community for a common cause.
Balancing a family, double-duty caregiving, studying and writing research papers, and working in mental health all simultaneously continues to teach me so much about the need for harmony in all domains of my life. I need others to support me if I am to support others. We all want to maintain balance and well-being, and keep our compass set to true north to live an authentic life.