Marguerita Van Der Meer , ACA

Marguerita Van Der Meer brings 15 years of experience helping people navigate complex personal and relational challenges. She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, relationship and family issues, LGBT concerns, self esteem, anger, ADHD, and coping with life changes, while also offering focused support for adoption and foster care matters, attachment issues, autism and Asperger Syndrome, caregiver stress, chronic pain and illness, codependency, commitment and communication problems, dissociation, family of origin concerns, guilt and shame, infidelity, and intellectual disability. Her adaptable style is suited to clients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds who face developmental, spiritual, or lifestyle dilemmas.

Her clinical practice highlights Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and mind-body connection techniques, combined with a client-centered perspective. A long-standing passion for philosophy has led her to study wisdom literature, various spiritual systems, and meditation practices, which she integrates when appropriate to support a client’s goals. Marguerita emphasizes a holistic, collaborative approach that draws on dynamic therapeutic strategies to address emotional distress, relationship patterns, and life transitions.

She holds the ACA credential, indicating membership in a professional counselling association, and brings a thoughtful, compassionate approach aimed at helping individuals explore the subtleties of the human experience and move beyond limitations in pursuit of greater wellbeing.

Approaches in Online Therapy and What They Offer

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take practical steps toward a meaningful life while learning to accept difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and challenges tied to life transitions.

Narrative Therapy focuses on the stories people tell about themselves and their relationships, helping to separate problems from identity and to reframe experiences in more empowering ways. This approach is often helpful for relationship issues, grief, family of origin concerns, and identity challenges.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle attention to bodily and mental experiences, supporting coping with anxiety, chronic pain, and emotional regulation. These practices are woven into sessions as appropriate to the client's needs.

Marguerita approaches finding the right method as a collaborative process. She works with clients to explore which techniques best match their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, adjusting strategies over time to find the best fit. Online therapy offers practical flexibility - clients can meet by video call, speak by phone, or use live chat and text-based messaging - which makes it easier to fit regular sessions into busy lives and to maintain continuity of care when in-person options are limited.