Thrive Therapy Services Welcomes Melissa Wilson & Darlene Forbes
Finding the right therapist is often one of the most meaningful parts of beginning, returning to, or continuing mental health care. Skills and training matter, but so does the feeling of being heard, respected, and understood.
Thrive Therapy Services is pleased to welcome two Registered Social Workers, Melissa Hopkins and Darlene Forbes, to its growing clinical team. Both bring valuable experience, thoughtful therapeutic approaches, and a shared commitment to individualized, nonjudgmental care.
Their arrival expands the range of support available to children, youth, adults, caregivers, families, and people navigating complex life circumstances. It also reflects a core belief at Thrive Therapy Services: mental health care should meet people where they are, with compassion, flexibility, and respect for each person’s story.
Meet Melissa Wilson, Registered Social Worker
Melissa Wilson brings over 10 years of experience supporting individuals facing mental health challenges, addictions, and complex life circumstances. Her work includes support for children aged 10 and older, adolescents, and adults.
Melissa has a particular interest in autism, neurodivergence, emotional regulation, and life transitions. These areas often overlap in real life. A young person may be navigating school stress, changing friendships, sensory overwhelm, and big emotions. An adult may be processing a new diagnosis, shifting family roles, work changes, or the pressure to function in environments that do not always fit their needs.
Melissa recognizes that every person experiences the world differently. That understanding shapes her approach. She works collaboratively, with attention to each client’s strengths, needs, and goals.
Her care is strengths-based, meaning she looks not only at what feels hard, but also at what is already working. This can be especially helpful for people who have spent a long time feeling defined by their struggles. Therapy can become a place to notice existing skills, build confidence, and add practical strategies that fit daily life.
Her approach is also trauma-informed. This means she pays attention to safety, choice, trust, and the ways past experiences may affect present-day thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationships. Trauma-informed care does not assume that every person wants to discuss painful experiences right away. It creates space for clients to move at a pace that feels appropriate.
Melissa draws from several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy | Dialectical Behaviour Therapy | Acceptance and Commitment Therapy | Motivational Interviewing | Solution-Focused Therapy | Narrative Therapy
Melissa’s work brings these tools together in a way that reflects the person in front of her. For some clients, that may mean learning concrete coping strategies. For others, it may mean building self-understanding, strengthening communication, or finding new ways to move through a difficult season.
Meet Darlene Forbes, MSW, RSW
Darlene Forbes provides compassionate counselling to adults experiencing substance use concerns, mental health challenges, caregiver burnout, relationship and family difficulties, and significant life transitions.
Her approach is grounded in creating a safe, supportive therapeutic relationship where individuals feel respected as they explore meaningful change. For many adults, starting counselling can bring mixed feelings. There may be relief, uncertainty, fear, hope, or all of these at the same time. Darlene’s work recognizes that change often begins with a relationship where clients can speak openly and feel accepted.
An important part of Darlene's background is her Anishinaabe heritage, which contributes to her understanding of the connections between culture, identity, community, and well-being. She recognizes the importance of culturally responsive, respectful, and inclusive mental health care, particularly for individuals and families whose experiences may be shaped by historical trauma, intergenerational challenges, or barriers to accessing support. Darlene brings this perspective into her work while honouring each client's unique experiences, values, and personal journey toward healing.
Darlene incorporates harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, CBT, and DBT into her clinical work. She tailors treatment to each person’s experiences, needs, and goals.
Her use of harm reduction is especially relevant for clients navigating substance use concerns. Harm reduction focuses on reducing risk and supporting safety, while respecting the person’s autonomy and readiness for change. This approach can help clients explore their relationship with substances without shame. It can also support honest conversations about goals, whether those goals involve reducing use, changing patterns, improving safety, or working toward abstinence.
Motivational Interviewing can pair well with harm reduction because it supports people who may feel torn. A client may recognize that something needs to change, yet still feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or protective of familiar coping methods. Rather than forcing a direction, Motivational Interviewing helps clarify values, goals, and personal reasons for change.
Darlene’s use of Narrative Therapy can help clients look at the stories they have been carrying. People facing substance use concerns, family conflict, burnout, or mental health challenges may describe themselves in harsh terms. Therapy can help separate the person from the problem and create space for a more balanced, compassionate view.
CBT and DBT can offer practical tools. These may support coping, communication, emotional awareness, boundaries, and healthier responses during stress. Darlene brings these approaches together with care and flexibility, shaping therapy around each client rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.
Finding the Right Support at Thrive
We understand that reaching out for therapy can feel overwhelming. Whether you're a parent seeking support for your child, an adult navigating emotional challenges, or someone looking for help with substance use or relationships, finding a therapist who understands your needs matters.
Our team is committed to providing accessible, compassionate, and individualized mental health care.
Expert care. Human connection.
Learn more about our team and explore our counselling services at www.thrivetherapyservices.ca.
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