Alexandrea Carnevale, MSW, RSW

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  Welcome, and thank you for stopping by!

Therapy is a vulnerable process and it is important that you feel connected to and comfortable with your therapist. Therefore, I have included this section so that you can learn a bit about me personally and professionally and can get a feel for whether or not we would be a good fit.

My name is Alexandrea, but everyone calls me Alex. Since I was a kid, I have always known that I wanted to help people. For years I thought that meant I would become a teacher, but I later realized that my social skills were much stronger than my math skills and my true passion was connecting with others. I have always been the go-to friend when someone needed a listening ear, advice, or a laugh. 

In 2012, I graduated from the University of Windsor with my Bachelor of Social Work degree and began providing child welfare services to Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia, Ontario.  In 2015, I returned to the University of Windsor and earned my Master's Degree in social work, with the eventual goal of opening my own practice. While completing my schooling, I provided counselling services at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc., to families impacted by a life-altering diagnosis. In 2017, I returned to the child welfare sector, supporting children and families in Windsor and Essex County. 

As I enter my 11th year as a social worker, I can truly say that I have  had a  fulsome experience thus far. I have had the opportunity to work with people of all ages coping with mental health struggles, addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, family conflict, parenting struggles, grief and bereavement. I have been welcomed into people's lives (and into their homes) at their most vulnerable moments and have had the privilege of helping them heal.  While I have learned so much by being a part of the experiences of others, I believe that the majority of my growth as a social worker (and as a person) is directly related to my own lived experiences.

Growing up, I learned that everyone's mental health can change depending on what life throws their way. I saw my loved ones struggle with Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, addiction and poverty. Through these experiences, I learned the importance of reaching out for support, leaning on family and friends, and the ways in which various systems can fail us at times. I observed the impact that stress can have on people and relationships, and how challenging it can be to ask for help. 

As an adult, these lessons were amplified when I began experiencing some of these stressors first-hand. While I always encourage others to seek support, I was quick to think that I could handle these things on my own. I can tell you from experience that trying to handle things on your own only gets you so far. I quickly saw my health deteriorate, my relationships become strained and my quality of life plummet. After months of feeling like I was just existing, my "a-ha moment" finally came when I reached out to a friend and said "I feel like I am using every coping skill I have just to get through the day." She responded "should life have to be that hard?" She was right, life was harder than it needed to be. Soon after, I reached out to my family doctor, began attending therapy and leaned on my biggest supports. I’m here to tell you that everyone struggles and there is no shame in seeking help (even if you do this for a living!). Life is hard but it shouldn't have to be so hard that getting through the day takes everything you've got.

While everyone's experiences are different and I certainly would never claim to know exactly how you feel, I can assure you that I will show you empathy and understanding. As Brené Brown states, "empathy is feeling with people. It's a vulnerable choice because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling." I promise you that if you feel comfortable sharing difficult parts of your life with me, I will not take that responsibility lightly and will do my best to feel with you, so that we can work together to make things better. 

 
If any of the above information resonates with you, or you have questions about counselling, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 519-968-3698 or by email at infoataccw@gmail.com..

 
If you are in crisis, please call 911 or the 24 hour Crisis Line at  519-973-4435.

  I look forward to hearing from you,

Alex