Adventurer in the Human Condition

It was a sunny, fall Friday when Alumni Affairs sat down with Meaghan Conte ’10 at the Greek Market Café in Oak Ridges. Meaghan had just finished her work week, and, while sipping a Greek cold coffee, she shared with us the fulfillment she has gained as a counsellor/psychotherapist at the Oak Ridges Therapy Centre.

Meaghan  earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from York University, and her Master of Education in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Toronto. Meaghan’s career trajectory did not materialize immediately upon graduating from Villanova College. She entered her undergrad program with an open mind and a desire “to make meaningful connections” whether it was through photography, dance, or psychology.

As Meaghan stated, “I didn’t know where I wanted to be. In high school, I had so many options. I could be a zoologist, I could be a photographer, I could be a specialist in languages.” But it was in third year that Meaghan found her direction and began to pursue her goal of being a clinical psychotherapist.

Meaghan’s firs job was for Addiction Services Central Ontario, where she assisted clients with substance use issues and provided them with a range of addiction and mental health supports. Meaghan described her work here as “heart-pulling” and developed a passion for destigmatizing those who suffer from drug dependency, “These individuals are so misunderstood in that their addiction is the bi-product of many traumas. I helped provide accessible programming so they could cope with their issues.”

During this time, Meaghan also got involved with Safe Beds, a partner program with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Safe Beds offers short term housing to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and unable to be in their current living situation. Meaghan provided supportive counselling and case management. She described the experience as “next level Sandwich Patrol” and learned about the entrenched systemic issues that lead to drug addiction and/or homelessness. This experience deepened her desire to create a practice steeped in “trauma-informed care.” Meaghan shared stories about the difficulty of finding safe shelter and dealing with bureaucratic red tape. She spoke about going to great lengths to find a space for a client in the Kingsbridge Centre, despite the spot being out of his “catchment area.” Meaghan’s risk paid off, and she secured him a bed, “Six months and a year afterwards, I think about him and wonder what he is doing and where he is at.”

Meaghan emphasized the impact of developing meaningful relationships germinated at Villanova College, “If I did not go to Villanova, I would not be the same person – in the best of ways.” She spoke fondly of the connections made between students and teachers, the trip to Costa Rica, the swim team and the choir, and the talent show, which got her recognized by Mr. Dunn and then cast as a Tornado Dancer in The Wiz (2007); Cha-Cha in Grease (2008); as an ensemble member in Godspell (2009); and an acrobat and the aerial hoop in Barnum (2010)! All these experiences attuned her to the wonderment of the human condition.

Meaghan likened her journey thus far to a tree – she has spread up and below and has explored. Like her 17-year-old self did, today, she has so many ways to explore through her work in psychotherapy, spiritual connections with self and others, hobbies, and travel “Maybe I will climb Mount Kilimanjaro, or Fuji, when I can, or travel South America  or so many other places around the world!” We wish Meaghan well on her adventures.