Christie Byvelds, MSW, RSW 

Social Worker

Christie is a registered social worker who provides children, youth, and young adults with compassionate, trauma-informed psychotherapy. Christie has a particular interest in working with those who have experienced trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing violence, medical trauma, natural disasters, childhood trauma, and others). Other areas of her practice include anxiety, depression, self-esteem, emotion regulation, giftedness, and attachment. Additionally, she provides support to caregivers to improve the caregiver-child relationship and guide them in supporting their young people.

With a warm, compassionate, down-to-earth style, Christie works collaboratively with young people and their families. Her approach to therapy is grounded in the mind-body connection. She uses evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Brainspotting, the Safe and Sound Protocol, and other psychosensory and mindfulness-based interventions. She incorporates art and playfulness into her work with children includes caregivers in the therapeutic process to ensure that new learning can be applied outside of therapy sessions. Christie strives to be an ally to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and applies an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to her work

Christie holds a Master of Social Work degree from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from Queen’s University. She is a member in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Christie’s professional background includes various clinical positions at local hospitals, including at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) with the Mental Health and Abuse and Trauma teams. For the past ten years she has been teaching at the School of Social Work at Carleton University. In addition to her work at CAFCO, Christie continues to teach at Carleton and work at CHEO.