Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shel Scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Shel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I was a youth I struggled with mental health challenges. My parents were doing their best to help me but it was putting a strain on their relationship too. I have an aunt who came and took me to her farm where she lived to give my parents some space and to connect with me and help me connect with nature. My cousin, who was a bit older than me, was very into music and had a makeshift studio in their barn. She connected with me deeply about her own mental health challenges, and shared with me some of the music she was working on. This opened my eyes to the possibility of healing through songwriting. After that trip, she sent me home with my first guitar – a 3/4 sized acoustic, and I wrote my first song on it. I will never forget the kindness that both my aunt and my cousin showed me. My cousin’s vulnerability with both her challenges and her music helped me understand the profound power both of peer support and of music, both of which inform my endeavours today.

Shel , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Michelle (aka Shel, pronouns: she/her), and I’m an Occupational Therapist (OT) based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I have experience helping people work through challenging events, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. I also have lived experience with mental health challenges, and previously worked as a Peer Support Worker. I aspire to be a good therapist and I have my history of my own mental health challenges. In combination, these truths inform my practice.

Our approach involves empowering our patients through modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), mindfulness, exposure therapy/systematic desensitization, and existential approaches.
At Prevailing Minds, we understand that lived experience with challenges is an asset in therapy and counselling. Our therapists are open with their history of challenges while maintaining their professional boundaries and skill set in order to provide you with an unparalleled, effective counselling experience.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I have learned that other women’s success is not a threat to my success. In fact, as they say, a rising tide lifts all ships. Unfortunately women are often conditioned to view one another as competition – in business, in art, in love, in popularity. But I have learned that empowered women are often the greatest supporters of other women. This is something I wish I had learned when I was younger but I am very glad to have learned it now.

My greatest allies are other female entrepreneurs – my mentors and colleagues are mainly strong women who want to lift up other women and see the rest of us succeed. Learning from other, more tenured women (in both the therapy world and in the music world) has been so integral to me.

Peer support in this regard is also very important. Having a supportive community of others who are in the same position (again, in both therapy and in music) has been essential to learning and unlearning many lessons.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

The most important quality for succeeding in the therapy field is authenticity. Research suggests that therapeutic alliance (i.e. fit between therapist and client) is far more predictive of positive therapeutic outcomes than technique. Being authentic, therapeutic use of self, and carefully considered instances of vulnerability, humour, self-disclosure, and sharing can be extremely powerful to foster a sense of authenticity and connection in a therapeutic relationship.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prevailingminds.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelkhanmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.scott.583
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-scott-ab2a0863/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shelkhanmusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/michelle-scott-11285205
• Other: Please consider checking out this reel – I’m in a songwriting competition called Verse 2 Voice and would appreciate the support :)