About Crossing Bridges

Our Vision:

To empower young people with accessible, compassionate, client centered, and strength based virtual support, which fosters resilience, healing and hope as they work through their addiction and mental health struggles. Crossing Bridges is committed to creating a safe space that is barrier free, inclusive and uplifts the unique strengths of every young person we serve.

Our Values:

• Reducing Barriers to Service – We believe that services should be easy to access, provided in a timely manner, collaborative and flexible, and respectful of each individual’s needs, perceptions, beliefs, and choices.
• Youth Voice – We welcome and are committed to seeking guidance and feedback from young people in the ongoing development and delivery of our services and resources. We also believe young people should be involved in the decisions that impact the services they receive and their health and well-being.
• Harm Reduction – We recognize the value of creating safety around how, where, and what substances people use without expecting them to stop using, and support people to have choice during their path to recovery.
• Inclusion and Non-Discrimination – We value the inherent worth, voices, and experiences of all people no matter their economic status, religion or beliefs, race, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, body size or shape, citizenship, or place of origin.

Our Approach to Counselling:

• Creating a Safe Space – We seek to reduce stigma and create a safe space where young people can reflect on and process their thoughts and feelings without judgement.
• Strengths-Based – We are passionate about empowering young people to acknowledge their own strengths, build trust in themselves and their abilities, and develop greater autonomy. We believe that everyone can learn, adapt, and grow.
• Trauma-Informed – We recognize that trauma can impact a person’s behaviour, mental health, and ability to engage in counselling or treatment. We walk alongside the young people we support by promoting choice, using kindness and compassion, and encouraging openness and honesty.
• Person Centred – We believe that each young person is an expert in their own lives. We seek to meet young people were they’re at, ensure they feel heard, and work collaboratively with each individual to learn, problem-solve, and develop coping strategies that work for them.