One of the most important aspects to my practice and in our work together is to create a space that fosters safety, trust and openness.  When you are in a space where you’re able to access your authentic thoughts, feelings and experiences- that’s where real change and growth can happen! 

Throughout our lives we learn ways of navigating the world. Often we don’t have the opportunity or privilege to learn ways of coping and processing that serve us in a beneficial way.  We do the best we can with the information we have at the time...and that’s surviving! I’d love to help you move from surviving to truly living! Medication and other forms of intervention can help you turn down the volume on the noise that’s distressing you...but together we can change the channel!  I consider myself part of your support team; your cheerleader and someone to hold space for you and your unique experiences. 

With the right support,  we are able to move through emotions and we avoid becoming stuck. Through a healthy therapeutic alliance and though connecting with yourself, you are able to use what you learn in session to make ongoing shifts in your life. 

Engaging in ethical, trustworthy and thoughtful therapy with you is at the forefront of every interaction. I welcome you as you are, however you identify, and in various relationship structures. I am sex, pleasure and kink positive. 

Book your free 20 minute phone or video consultation today! 

Consulting For Non-Profit Organizations & Businesses: 

Positive Space Consulting loves to work with organizations large and small to help answer or discuss any questions or content related to creating or maintaining a Positive Space in your workplace! 

We are here to help! We believe that there is no job too small and question to silly! Our services can be as casual as a conversation around accessibility and inclusivity of your current practices or as formal as an audit of your entire organization's policies and procedures. 

Positive Space Consulting starts our formal process by performing an audit of your organization’s hiring practices, policies & procedures and overall culture with regard to the LGBTQ+ community. The findings will be reviewed to examine compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and research on business best practice. 

Once audit findings are complete, a report is provided with an action plan to support the facilitation of a positive space environment at all levels of your organization. In essence, Positive Space Consulting helps to facilitate an LGBTQ+ inclusive and friendly environment with support from management and front-line staff. 

This process requires communication, collaboration and will result in an environment  where all employees and customers feel more comfortable. Research indicates that when LGBTQ+ employees feel included and valued and safe, they are more productive at work. Additional benefits include: Expanding of your customer base, improvement of retention of quality candidates in hiring process (attracting top talent), and improved company reputation and brand equity through awareness of a business that puts its inclusive principles into practice. 

Positive Space Consulting takes a different approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity training by customizing our training. Without the personalization and connection, diversity training can feel unrelated to the work your front-line staff do daily. 

Certification and Training

Our focus is to personalize training to ensure the content is relatable and valuable. To prevent the training from seeming broad and abstract, we specialize in providing real-life, practical scenarios for your employees to play out, ask questions throughout and truly learn from. Our training is collaborative, arts-based, relevant and innovative.  Making a conscious effort to create and maintain an LGBTQ+ positive work space is proven to make a difference in your organization culture and therefore have a real impact on your bottom line!

Scheduling is flexible to meet your unique needs, and we endeavour to accommodate your timeline and requirements wherever possible. We require 2.5-3.5 hours to complete our certification training. This certification provides each employee with a certificate and your business with a Positive Space Certification window decal to proudly display your commitment to diversity. 

Custom packages with or without consulting available, contact for more information.  

charlotte@positivespaceconsulting.ca

Charlotte Shipley founded Positive Space Consulting after discovering a need for a service to support individuals, her social work community and the private sector in  working towards creating inclusive, equitable and therefore positive spaces.  She brings a passion for social justice and over ten years of experience in the social work field to the Positive Space Consulting. She is dedicated to creating real change within the individual and in her community. Charlotte felt she could make an impact through founding PSC and using her dynamic presence, knowledge and passion for mental health and wellbeing. Charlotte's background includes years of management, policy/ procedure development and implementation, staff engagement, training, program design, social advocacy, as well as front line clinical  individual counselling and crisis intervention.  

Some areas Charlotte enjoys working through with people include child development and issues of parenting, sex, sexuality & gender, self-harm and addictions, chronic pain and illness management, crisis responding, relationship breakdowns, workplace stress and emotional dysregulation. Being an openly Queer Woman living with an invisible disability and being in chronic pain, Charlotte practices through the lens of lived experience and uses a very collaborative approach with clients. Emotional safety and trust is at the forefront of every session with Charlotte as she encourages you to use self-compassion and curiosity to live a meaningful and intentional life. 

Charlotte has unique training to reinvent and question traditional methods of facilitating and teaching using art-based techniques and an anti-oppressive lens. Charlotte has a deep understanding and commitment to making education and learning relevant, accessible and impactful. Throughout her career, Charlotte has remained a steadfast advocate for diversity; but more specifically an advocate for removing barriers and challenging stigma that prevent marginalized people from fully participating and thriving in our society.
 

Charlotte has been consulted by mental health practitioners, non-profits organizations, social workers, health care providers, business owners, parents, teachers, real estate professionals, individuals and families as well as many others to provide LGBTQ+ specific education, training and counselling. 

Charlotte is grateful for the convergence of her life’s purpose and greatest passion and looks forward to a life dedicated to creating social change. She received her Master of Social Work in April 2019, and currently resides with her Fiancé and a two crazy cats in Toronto Ontario.

Click Here to visit Charlotte's Psychology Today Profile

Workshop Facilitator & Community Educator

Rachael  was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Rachael completed a Recreation Management (B.Sc. B.Mgmt) degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia while playing varsity basketball for 5 years. After her undergraduate degree, Rachael pursued her dream  of being an elementary physical education teacher and completed her B.Ed at St. Francis Xavier (St.FX) University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Since  graduating from St. FX, Rachael moved home to Ontario to pursue teaching and to be closer to family and friends. Aside from teaching in the classroom, Rachael is an active member of the LGBTQ community who promotes equality and inclusion. Her passion for social  justice has helped develop her into a proud LGBTQ advocate and public speaker. Rachael  has also completed her Master of Education degree this past summer and is now a newly published author. 

Rachael is thrilled to be a part of the PSC family and is excited to promote respect, empathy and understanding in the workplace