Michael Hart of Elim Receives Private Practitioner of the Year Award for 2015
Michael Hart, of Elim Counselling Services, was selected from psychotherapists across Canada to receive the prestigious Private Practitioner of The Year award Issued by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, Private Practitioner Chapter.
OTTAWA (May 21, 2015) – Elim Counseling Services, an Ottawa-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting mental heath awareness and making counseling services available to those who might not be able to afford standard market rates, today announced that Michael Hart, Executive Director of Elim Counseling Services, has been named the 2015 Private Practitioner of the Year by the Private Practitioner Chapter of the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). This prestigious Award recognizes excellence and best practices in psychotherapy service delivery. Michael Hart was selected as this year’s recipient, among nominees from across Canada. The Award was presented at the CCPA Award Banquet on May 21, 2015 in Niagara Falls.
Michael has fervently promoted mental heath awareness through his seminars, speaking engagements, and his weekly “Life Transformation” Radio Show on CHRI. With the financial assistance of donors, Michael and other therapists at Elim have offered therapy on a sliding scale basis to make it affordable to the financially disadvantaged in the Ottawa community. This includes stay-at-home mothers who have left abusive relationships, individuals who can’t maintain employment due to mental health challenges, as well as new immigrants to Canada who have not yet found employment.
Corrine Hendricken-Eldershaw, president of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Private Practitioner Chapter says, “The work that Michael is doing in bringing awareness to mental health issues in his community and his drive to help the less fortunate by providing counselling at subsidized rate made him an easy choice for this year’s Private Practitioner of the Year Award.”
Michael Hart says: “I’m very honored to be selected to receive this award out of all the outstanding psychotherapists who were nominated across Canada. I see this as recognition of not only my own efforts, but also of the incredible work our team of therapists and volunteers at Elim Counseling Services are doing to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness by educating the public and by offering psychotherapy treatment of the highest professional standards. I also want to use this opportunity to thank our generous donors as without them it would not be possible to offer counseling at the cost we do and stay in business.”
The Background of this award
“The Private Practitioner Award has been established to meet the following objectives:
- To promote the vital role played by Private Practitioners in the Canadian Counseling and psychotherapy field by our Chapter Members.
- To recognize a Chapter Member counselor/psychotherapist for demonstrated commitment to excellence and high professional integrity.
- To heighten awareness of the Private Practitioner Chapter and its commitment to heighten awareness of the best practices of its members.
- To promote and inform the National and local community of this prestigious award bestowed on a deserving private practitioner of the chapter.
