Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
This approach looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviour connect and works on the patterns that keep difficulties in place.
20+Years in counselling
Coslyn Selby, RSW
Founder and Clinical Lead, C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services
Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist
Twenty years of counselling have taught Coslyn that the first twenty minutes are the most important part of a session.
Not the assessment. Not the plan. Whether the person sitting across from her feels able to say the real thing, rather than the acceptable version of it.
Coslyn Selby founded C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services in 2011 after years of work in settings where people rarely arrive by choice. Women's shelters. Courts. Probation and parole. Hospitals. She built this practice to be the opposite of those places: somewhere people come because they decided to.
About Coslyn
Coslyn holds a social work degree from Ryerson University and is registered as a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She is also a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers.
She has spent over 20 years in direct counselling practice, providing psychotherapy within the scope of her professional registration and training.
- Professional Title
- Founder and Clinical Lead
- Professional Designation
- Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker (RSW)
- Registration
- Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, registration number 802938
- Professional Membership
- Ontario Association of Social Workers, membership number 10768
- Education
- Social Work degree, Ryerson University
- Professional Experience
- Over 20 years in direct counselling
- Areas of Practice
- Domestic violence and abuse, anger management, alcohol and substance concerns, mental health, relationships, and family
- Populations Served
- Adults, couples, families, adolescents, and children
- Location
- Brampton, Ontario
- Availability
- In person at the Brampton clinic and virtually across Ontario
Where Her Experience Comes From
Most of Coslyn's early career took place in settings where counselling happens under difficult conditions.
She has worked with government agencies, hospitals, legal clinics, courts, police headquarters, probation and parole bodies, addiction centres, homeless shelters, and women's shelters across the Greater Toronto Area and Peel Region.
The shelter work shaped the practice she would go on to build. Supporting both women and men affected by domestic violence led to related work on alcohol and substance concerns and on anger, because those things rarely arrive separately from one another.
That background matters for a practical reason. Coslyn has sat with people at the point where things had already gone seriously wrong, often with agencies involved and choices narrowed. It is a useful perspective to bring to a private counselling room, where people usually arrive much earlier and where the question is often whether something is serious enough to deserve attention.
Her answer to that question is generally yes.
What You Can Talk About With Coslyn
You do not need a diagnosis, an explanation, or the right words to begin.
Depending on your needs and her professional scope, counselling with Coslyn may include:
Domestic violence and abuse, including emotional and controlling behaviour
Child protection and custody concerns
Anger and difficulty managing strong emotions
Alcohol and substance-related concerns
Anxiety, low mood, and general mental health
Relationship and family difficulties, including within blended families
Separation, divorce, and family change
Stress, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed
Confidence, self-worth, and identity
Grief, loss, and major life transitions
If another team member is a better fit, Coslyn will say so. Matching people to the right clinician is part of how this practice works rather than an afterthought.
Coslyn's Approach
Coslyn describes her approach as non-judgmental, empathetic, and trustworthy, and she works in an integrated way rather than applying one method to everyone.
Depending on your needs and her training, she may draw on:
Brief Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)
This approach starts with what is already working and what a realistic next step could be, rather than only examining what is wrong.
Mindfulness-informed strategies
Building the ability to notice a reaction arriving before it takes over.
Family-centred practice
Working with the relationships around a person rather than treating them in isolation.
Anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice
This means taking seriously how power, discrimination, and disadvantage shape what someone is dealing with, rather than locating every difficulty inside the individual.
Psychotherapy within her professional scope
For work that needs more depth and time than a short-term approach allows.
Her Philosophy
“We all smile in the same language.”
Coslyn's view is that people do not need to be fixed. They need to be understood first and then supported in making changes that are possible in their lives.
That means flexibility about the practical side as well. Work, childcare, shift patterns, and travel are real constraints, and counselling that ignores them tends to be ineffective.
It also means clients stay in charge of their direction. Coslyn advocates for the people she works with, but she does not tell them how to live.
Her long-standing line for the practice, which she keeps returning to, is that we all smile in the same language.
Leading the Practice
Alongside her client work, Coslyn leads a team of registered psychotherapists, registered social workers, and counsellors.
She is closely involved in matching clients with therapists, as she believes the fit is one of the most significant factors in whether counselling is effective. Credentials tell you whether someone is qualified. They do not tell you whether you will feel able to talk to them.
If the fit is not right, clients are encouraged to say so.
Is Coslyn the Right Therapist for Me?
She may be worth considering if you are looking for someone who brings:
- Two decades of direct counselling experience
- Substantial experience with domestic violence, anger, and substance-related concerns
- Familiarity with situations involving courts, agencies, or shelters
- A direct but non-judgmental style
- Flexibility around scheduling and everyday demands
- Experience across adults, couples, families, and young people
If you are unsure, the free initial consultation exists for exactly that. It is a conversation about what has been happening, not a commitment.
Professional Registration and Verification
Coslyn is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers under registration number 802938. Her registration can be verified through the College's public register.
She is also a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers, membership number 10768.
External professional profile: LinkedIn, Coslyn SelbyStart With a Conversation With Coslyn
You do not need to have it worked out before you get in touch. Most people do not.
Tell us what's been happening, and we'll discuss whether Coslyn or another team member is the right place to start.
C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services
2250 Bovaird Drive E, Suite 408
Brampton, ON L6R 0W3
Call
416-409-8045
Brampton, ON L6R 0W3
If you are in immediate danger or distress, please contact emergency services or a local crisis line. Ongoing counselling is not an emergency service.