Prusik Youth Counselling and Mentorship Services - Child, youth and young adult counselling age 5-25 Prusik Youth Counselling and Mentorship Services Prusik Youth Counselling and Mentorship Services

COUNSELLING

Helping young people understand their emotions, build resilience, and make healthy decisions.

Prusik provides creative, individualized counselling for children, youth, and young adults ages 5–25, as well as support for parents, families, and athletes.

Areas of support include anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, grief and loss, family conflict, trauma, identity concerns, eating disorders, addictions, and obsessive-compulsive behaviours.

Sports performance and mental skills are also a focus. Drawing on her experience as an athlete, coach, and therapist, Monique helps athletes build confidence, resilience, focus, and strategies for managing pressure and setbacks.

Monique primarily offers online counselling through her private practice while also travelling to remote Indigenous communities in Northern Canada to provide in-person services.

Her individualized approach draws on evidence-informed therapies, with optional faith-based counselling available.

MENTORSHIP

Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens outside traditional talk therapy.

Not every young person connects through conversation alone. Prusik takes a creative and flexible approach to engagement, incorporating activities such as art, photography, movement, sports, and experiential learning when appropriate.

Mentorship and coaching can help young people develop confidence, strengthen relationships, build life skills, overcome obstacles, and work toward meaningful personal or athletic goals.

SPEAKING & WORKSHOPS

Inspiring growth, building resilience, and empowering people to reach their potential.

Drawing on her experience as a therapist, competitive athlete, coach, and motivational speaker, Monique delivers engaging presentations and interactive workshops that combine professional knowledge, personal experiences, and practical strategies.

Topics include mental health and emotional well-being, resilience, confidence, motivation, sports performance, mental preparation, leadership, and overcoming adversity.

Whether speaking to students, athletes, coaches, educators, or community organizations, Monique brings an energetic, relatable, and creative approach that encourages participants to challenge themselves, develop new perspectives, and build skills they can apply in everyday life.

PRUSIK: BEHIND THE NAME

In rock climbing, a Prusik knot is a friction knot that grips a rope under tension, providing security when it’s needed most. It can also help climbers ascend a rope, one step at a time. Like the knot, counselling can provide support during life’s difficult moments, helping individuals regain their footing, discover their strengths, and continue moving forward.

Life has its challenges. You don’t have to navigate them alone.

MONIQUE SMITH, MSW, RSW

A therapist, mentor, educator, and lifelong adventurer.

Monique is a Registered Social Worker and therapist with extensive experience supporting children, youth, young adults, and families. Since establishing Prusik in 2010, she has worked with diverse populations in schools, community settings, athletic environments, and remote Northern communities.

Her background in competitive wrestling, coaching, outdoor adventure, photography, and youth mentorship shapes her engaging and creative approach to counselling.

Monique believes that therapy should be more than talking about problems. It should help people discover their strengths, understand themselves, and develop practical skills for navigating life.

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