Meet the Team Behind CounsellingMatch

Founded in Vancouver, BC

• 

  Mike Marich

  Co-Founder & CTO

  Living in Vancouver, I often see my friends and family struggle to find counselling that can help them. Most people seeking help have to settle on a rushed choice, based on only a picture or a short description.

  Influenced by my background in technology and online search tools, I believe that research and matching algorithms can be used to increase the likelihood of a positive counselling outcome, which has led me to found CounsellingMatch.

  Whenever I'm not at my desk, I can be found travelling, running, racing, or being 'dad' to my four cats.

• 

  Shar Abbasi

  Co-Founder & Director of Client Success

  My professional career started with my studies in the biological sciences, which eventually led to entrepreneurship and business management. I have also had the privilege of working alongside healthcare professionals in providing better care and service to patients.

  My current endeavour, which is CounsellingMatch, sprouted from witnessing first-hand the urgent need for many individuals to receive mental health care. Finding the right people who can help should be easy.

  From day one, my colleagues and I, at CounsellingMatch, shared a common vision. We wanted to help create a fulfilling and rewarding therapeutic experience for counsellors and their clients. Personally, I would like to see us positively impact as many lives as possible.

• 

  Yarko Petriw

  Co-Founder & Director of Marketing

  Many of us can relate to the daunting prospect of reaching out to a total stranger for help. Seeking professional assistance is a bold and important step in the pursuit of wellness; so meeting your ideal mental health practitioner shouldn’t feel like a blind date. That’s why I feel passionately about our mission at CounsellingMatch, to help people find a counsellor that gets them on the road to wellness sooner.

  I’ve always been one to follow my passions, and who knew that my bachelor's studies in psychology and subsequent graduate degree in business would combine to drive a mission I care so deeply about. I feel very fortunate to have partnered with two close friends, Mike and Shar, to try to bring the dream of CounsellingMatch to reality: to reduce the anxiety of seeking help when one needs it most.

• 

  Dr. Meris Williams

  Registered Psychologist & Consultant

  Hello, and welcome to CounsellingMatch! Thanks for checking out who we are and what inspired us to create this service.

  I've been a therapist for about 15 years now, and I often feel amazed and inspired by the changes people make in counselling. In my experience, when there's a good fit between counsellor and client, there's a kind of momentum that happens that feels especially safe, satisfying, and productive. There's a flow to the work that is often energizing and vitalizing for both client and counsellor. At CounsellingMatch, we're trying to refine the counsellor search process to optimize these experiences for clients and counsellors alike.

  It's been a privilege to provide consultation to CounsellingMatch. In my heart of hearts, I hope that we serve our community well, helping to introduce a bit more ease into the process of finding a counsellor.