Peter Stone

What is your name?

Peter Stone

What do you do at Shift?

At ShiftGrit I provide therapy for anyone seeking support who is looking to make changes or facilitate growth. I hope to create a welcoming and safe space where individuals, couples, or families can come to work through the more challenging parts of their lives. I aim to foster an open, supportive but always authentic environment.

What are your academic credentials?

I am a licensed Registered Social Worker and have a Masters of Social Worker from the University of Calgary. I have training in specific modalities that include Narrative Therapy, CBT and DBT, as well as suicide prevention and non-violent crisis intervention.

Why did you decide to become a therapist?

Since I was a child I have been curious about the human experience, how we all share the same fundamentals of what it is to be, yet are completely unique to one another.

My career in the creatives arts fostered a passion for community work, I loved harnessing the power of many to create spaces, experiences, and change that improved the lives of those in and around the community. This in turn fuelled my passion to help people on an individualised and interpersonal level which led to my desire to become a therapist through my clinical masters program. I believe we all possess the strength and courage to make the most of our brief time that we are gifted here and I consider it a privilege if I can support someone in some small way to reach that goal.

What do you bring to your therapy sessions, and what are some goals?

I have always enjoyed meeting and getting to know people so I bring this curiosity with me to every session. I am also passionate about supporting people and getting people moving who may feel stuck or uninspired, to encourage effective and sustainable growth. I try to live in the balance of these two goals throughout the therapy experience.

My initial goal is always to make whoever I am meeting feel safe and seen, celebrating and honouring that they have entered into the experience, starting something can be the most challenging part. Then my goal is to work alongside them to understand their lived experiences, how they have shaped us, and how we can move through them.

Who do you work with?

I have had experience working with most demographics and populations throughout my career, from children as young as 12 to adults.

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I have experienced first-hand the power of therapy and the importance of facing our biggest challenges. I have witnessed in myself and others the transformative experience of doing work and seeing a life become something you are proud of and inspired to experience.

My passion and curiosity about the human experience began at an early age, first through reading poetry, then moving on to some of the original radical minds in the mental health field such as Carl Jung and Carl Rogers, to modern innovators such as Gabor Mate and Bessel van der Kolk. What they all share is a belief in the power of people to not only endure but overcome and thrive through whatever they experience. My favourite quote is by Viktor Frankl, a physicist and holocaust survivor who said, ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way’.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have worked in the creative arts industry for 20 years so I enjoy spending time in that community when I am not working, whether going to a live performance or performing myself, the arts have always been a major part of my life and offer me balance. Over 20 years I was a festival producer, studio manager, engineer, performer, sound technician and everything in between, these experiences were all based around human connection and I carry them with me throughout the work I do today.

I also enjoy the outdoors, whether taking the camper out in the summer or skating in the winter, it always resets and grounds me. My favourite spot to camp is Carson Pegasus 2 hours north of Edmonton, the peninsula at McLeod lake is my favourite spot to visit.

What is a skill that you are currently working on?

Professionally I am currently working on increasing my knowledge and capacity of specific modalities CBT and DBT. I am also working towards become a supervisor and starting support groups based around the themes of community care and fertility.

In my spare time I am currently working on my woodworking skills, I have made many low quality items of furniture so I’m hoping one day I can make one that is good enough to make the transition from my garage to my house!

What motivates or inspires you?

For me the biggest motivation are people and realising how short our time on this space rock really is. I am inspired by those around me and my 6 year old who is constantly teaching me and showing me how to really make the most of every moment.

I’m also inspired by the tiny changes I witness when working with people. The moment something shifts in someone, whether it be a difficult memory dissolving and losing the power it once held, or a realisation that lightens a heavy load, you can see a person change in front of you, as if a physical weight has been lifted, you can see the change in their body, and hear it in their voice. I have the words on my arm because I feel so strongly about the power of many tiny changes collectively being able to completely transform a life.

What are your additional areas of clinical interest?

Community work has always been close to my heart but my clinical interests are leading me to explore EMDR and somatic experiencing in more depth.

What additional specialty trainings, courses, certifications or education do you have?

I have training in specific modalities that include Narrative Therapy, CBT and DBT, as well as suicide prevention and non-violent crisis intervention.

Do you have any lived or personal experiences that can be utilized in therapy with you?

I am originally from England and moved to Canada permanently in 2009. I have personally experienced the impact of major life transitions and the challenges and opportunities that they can offer. I am also the father to a 6 year old and love talking about what it is to be a parent if that is a part of something whomever I may be working with is navigating or considering.

Available for:

Anxiety | Trauma and PTSD | Relationship Issues | Coping Skills | Depression | Exposure Therapy | Anger Management | Codependency | Coping Skills | Masculinity | Family Conflict | Self-esteem | Life Transitions | Parents that have children with Developmental Disabilities | Self Esteem | Stress | and much more...