Hamish White, C.A.D.C., H.S.C., S.S.W.
Hamish White is a certified alcohol and drug dependency counsellor who has worked in the addiction and mental health fields for the past 35 years. He enjoys a reputation as being a skillful clinician yet “down-to-earth” with common-sense solutions to problems that occur when families and clients are struggling with addiction recovery issues. He is well known in the addiction treatment, health professional and recovery communities.
Hamish is recognized by his colleagues and peers throughout North America for his expertise and is the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Peter Armstrong Award of Excellence in recognition of his long standing support, contribution and outstanding dedication to client based and family inclusive counselling in the Toronto community.
Hamish has vast experience working with youth and families and is familiar with many excellent resources all over Canada and the United States. He is certified by the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation and is the founder, coordinator and director of Recovery Counselling Services.
Not only is Moira an integral part of the Recovery Counselling Services team as our Executive Operations Manager, she’s the warm voice who answers the telephone when you call, and the friendly, smiling face when you first come to the RCS office. Even the pets that come in as a part of pet therapy are greeted with a hug and easy access to the treat drawer in her desk.
Alex joined the RCS team after a decade of front line work in the residential treatment world working with individuals and families affected by substance use and concurrent mental health disorders. He worked as an addiction counsellor at Renascent, one of Toronto’s main abstinence-based treatment providers.
He is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor with the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF). He has been working in the substance use disorder and mental health treatment field since 2006.
Alex’s main area of focus at RCS is working with male clients and their families, serving people 14 years of age and up. He provides assessments, individual and family treatment plans, intensive outpatient counselling and therapy, group therapy, and case management services. In cases where individuals require referral to intensive inpatient programming, Alex refers them to programs within RCS’s vast network of exceptional treatment providers in Canada, the United States, and other locations throughout the world as each individual case requires, and follows them throughout their entire treatment journey until they are ready to return to Toronto, where he designs individualized outpatient aftercare programs for them at RCS.
Alex is honoured to be a member of the RCS team, and recognizes that we play a significant role in helping people up from challenging low points in their lives, and thusly treats his role at the practice with a high level of respect and care. He creates a therapeutic bond with each client he works with that is built on trust, safety, and solution-focused interventions and outcomes that are both client and family-centred, understanding that each person’s path is unique and complex. He is able to work within the abstinence-based and harm reduction frameworks, but believes in cases where an individual presents with a severe substance use disorder that abstinence is the best-recommended outcome to prevent future relapses and setbacks.
Christine is the most recent and welcome addition to the Recovery Counselling Services team. In addition to her passion for recovery she brings with her more than 15 years experience counselling children, youth and adults. A CACCF Certified Addictions Counsellor and Social Service Worker with a BA from the University of Waterloo. Since 2000 Christine has specialized in the field of addictions, working individually with Adults and Youth as well as counselling groups, creating relapse prevention programs and family care plans. A specialist in how addiction impacts the family unit, Christine developed and facilitated a one of a kind intensive program for Children and Families of alcoholics and addicts. As a public speaker on the topic of addiction Christine has facilitated trainings and educational talks at conferences for law enforcement (RCMP), Drug Endangered Children Conferences and the Children’s Aid Society and other community organizations. Christine’s passion for empowering and supporting individuals, coupled with her commitment to education and best practise, provides clients with a strong, supportive foundation to assist in navigating challenging times for them and loved ones.
Dave has been with Recovery Counselling Services since 1992 and is the backbone of our youth programme. With over 25 years of experience in the field of helping individuals in a variety of settings, he specializes in working with adolescents and young adults both in the office and the community. Dave did his addiction training at Hazelden, Minnesota and provides assessments, counselling, and facilitates peer groups. While he brings a strong background in the addiction field both academically and in personal experience, it is his enthusiasm for and commitment to his work that sets him apart.
Dawna conducts intake assessments with families and facilitates the Parent Support Groups as well as providing individual, couple, and family counselling at Recovery Counselling Services. She is usually the first person parents see when they are looking for help with a young family member. With extensive training in family counselling, she provides the information, direction, and support families require when dealing with the powerful impact addiction can have on family members.
Dawna has been in the counselling profession for the past 40 years. She has experience in the child protection field and working with people with life threatening illness and their families, has worked in geriatrics with families and their elderly parents experiencing senility and Alzheimer related dementia, expertise in trauma and issues of abuse, crisis intervention, and working with families and addiction. Dawna has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto and is a Registered Social Worker. Dawna is a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation, and the Ontario and American Association of Marital and Family Therapists She has been with RCS since 2006.
Erin Mantis, Psy.D, C. Psych.
"Dr. Erin" is the licensed Clinical Psychologist on our team. She specializes in Addictions and Mental Health Issues, warmly providing therapeutic and assessment services for adults and adolescents, families, individuals, and couples at Recovery Counselling Service. She primarily practices Mindfulness Strategies, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Family Systems Solution Focused Therapy, and IMAGO work for couples. She has been working in the field since 1998 and has been with RCS since 2006.
As a member of the Recovery Counselling Services team since 2002, Patricia works extensively with families concerned about the drug or alcohol use of a loved one. She also specializes in assessment and ongoing counselling services for adults dealing with the challenges of substance abuse or codependency. Patricia Parker holds a Master of Arts degree in Addiction Counselling from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies in Minnesota. Patricia is uniquely qualified through her professional experience and personal life journey to counsel people who are seeking freedom from chemical and relationship dependencies, and searching for deeper meaning and purpose in their lives.
Rosemary is our team’s intervention specialist and is the only person in Canada to hold the "Love First Certified Clinical Interventionist" designation. She began her career in 1985, and has since established herself as a leading specialist in the addiction/counselling field. Rosemary has been with Recovery Counselling Services since 1998. Certified as an Addiction Counsellor with CACCF, she is also trained in Gestalt therapy. Her main focus at RCS is facilitating Interventions for families who have an adult member with an alcohol or drug problem, and coaching them on how to help someone who does not want help.