Hope Springs Counseling

My name is Dayna Bruce, owner and sole operator of my new corporation, Hope Springs Counseling.  I am a professional registered nurse, graduating with a bachelors degree in 1997 from the University of Calgary.  I have also obtained a graduate degree in Counseling from Gonzaga University in 2003.  For 10 years I have worked with children, adolescents and families experiencing crisis, both at a non-profit residential treatment home in Calgary, and for the Calgary Regional Health Authority in their child and adolescent mental health programs.  I have counseled families in settings ranging from thier living rooms, to the emergency department, and now am venturing in to a private office setting. 

In addition to my professional identity, my personal identity includes being a mother of two beautiful little girls, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend.  My life is blissfully busy and I wouldn't change it for the world.  I have learned that everything I thought I knew before I became a mother...well I really knew very little about acceptance, patience and unconditional love.  I also had no idea what stress and frustration really felt like until my girls came along!

I am blessed with a support system of family and friends whom I love dearly.  They challenge me, amaze me and when I want to pull my hair out...they let me!

Client Testimonial

The beast known as adolesence hit our family hard in recent months.  Our 15 year old daughter fast-tracked her way from poster child--strong student, respectful of family, loving individual--to someone unrecognizeable.  She stopped going to school and failed most classes.  She was eventually kicked out of high school and fired from her part-time job. Her social life and peers became the driving force in her life to the detriment of all else. My husband and I were terrified that we were losing her and were desperate to find a way to reconnect. We felt powerless.

Thankfully, a personal referral led us to Dayna.  Her deep knowledge and understanding of teenage behaviour was immediately evident.  Her counsel  was clear and focused.  The strategies and goals were attainable, and all were tempered with learning  how to re-establish our authority.  We moved steadily from feeling personally wounded to parents who have manged to reassert their power and position in the home.

Our daughter has responded remarkably well.  She has returned to school and is making solid decisions.  She is following house rules, and being respectful again.  Instead of fighting our authority she is learning to negotiate reasonably with us, and accepting "no" if we say it.  Her father and I have a newfound understanding of our roles.  We no longer feel like unarmed soldiers in battle, but rather the leaders in our home.  Dayna has provided us with a skill set we can rely on today, and in future when our daughter presents us with an ever-evolving set of challenges.

I would not hesitate for a moment in recommending Dayna's services.  This family is flourishing again and that is a direct result of Dayna's counsel and experience. We will undoubtedly continue to rely on her services throughout this journey, and feel well-supported and confident.

Sincerely,

 Lynn M.- Calgary