Daria Stooke Counselling

Warm, direct, thoughtful therapy for when being the dependable one starts costing too much.

You might be getting everything done while feeling exhausted, anxious, disconnected, or overwhelmed. Perhaps you keep putting your own needs aside. Perhaps something has changed, and the ways you used to cope no longer feel helpful.

At Muse Therapy, there is room to speak honestly, understand what is happening, and explore what would help life feel more like your own.

I’m Daria Stooke, MACP, CCC, a Canadian Certified Counsellor offering in-person counselling in Calgary and virtual appointments where permitted across Canada. Sessions are available in English and Russian.

Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation

Warm enough to be yourself. Direct enough to get somewhere.

You do not need a polished explanation or a tidy story. We can start with “I’m tired,” “I feel stuck,” or “I don’t know where to begin.”

My style is curious, collaborative, and down to earth. There is room for difficult feelings, uncomfortable questions, and humour when it fits. I listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and help you explore connections between what you experience and how you respond.

Some sessions may focus on understanding a recurring pattern. Others may focus on something immediate: communicating a need, navigating a stressful week, or finding a more workable routine.

We will check in about what is helping and adjust our work together.

An understanding of demanding work.
My background includes more than 15 years in public safety as an RCMP public servant, including investigative and analytical support in high-exposure environments. That experience informs my understanding of responsibility, cumulative stress, and the pressure to keep functioning.

Space for the whole picture.
Your relationships, culture, work, identity, and circumstances matter. We explore your experience in the context of your life.

Insight you can use.
Understanding yourself can open up choices. We connect reflection with practical strategies, boundaries, and changes that fit your needs.

A collaborative relationship.
You have a say in the pace and direction of therapy. You can tell me when something feels helpful, uncomfortable, or off track.

A consultation gives us a chance to talk about what you need and whether working together feels like a good fit.

What I can help with

• Anxiety, overwhelm, and difficulty switching off.
• Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and boundary difficulties.
• Trauma and cumulative stress.
• ADHD patterns, executive-function challenges, and self-understanding.
• Loneliness, relationship difficulties, and the mental load.
• Career changes, identity shifts, and other life transitions.
• Stress associated with public safety and demanding work.

A thoughtful therapist with a practical background.

I’m Daria Stooke, founder of Muse Therapy. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (# 11260122) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent more than 15 years working in public safety as an RCMP public servant. My work included investigative and analytical support in environments where repeated exposure and significant responsibility were part of daily life. That experience shaped my deep respect for the psychological impact of stress, trauma, and responsibility.

Today, my work focuses on helping people understand their internal world with greater clarity and compassion. I believe therapy should offer space to explore your experiences honestly while developing practical tools to move forward.

I understand what it can cost to carry responsibility that others cannot fully see. I also know that the important parts of a person’s story often do not fit neatly into a single category. Our work makes room for those layers.

My own experience of occupational trauma and recovery informs my perspective. I bring that understanding with care, while keeping our sessions centred on your experience, needs, and goals.

Professional experience

I completed my graduate practicum at Calgary Counselling Centre, working with clients from many walks of life. Alongside Muse Therapy, my professional work includes brief counselling as an independent in-person EAP provider and on-call critical incident response.

In October 2026, I presented Full Circle: From Policing Trauma to Collective Resilience at the Working Stronger conference, sharing my perspective on cumulative stress, recovery, and workplace support.

Author of Notes on Writing Notes: A Guide for New Counsellors and Psychotherapists Who Have Very Little Idea What They’re Doing. 

My approach

My practice is trauma-informed and person-centred. I draw from cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focused strategies, mindfulness, emotional processing, and meaning-focused exploration.

Together, we consider what is happening, how you have been coping, and what you would like to change. We make room for both practical concerns and deeper questions about identity, relationships, and purpose.

You have a say in the pace and direction of therapy. We will check in about what is helping and adjust our work together.
Ongoing supervision, consultation, and professional learning support my practice.

Education & certification

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology — Yorkville University.
• Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) — Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
• Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Culture, minor in Sociology — University of Calgary.
• Foundations Certificate in Information and Records Management - SAIT.

Additional training & professional development

• Trauma-informed counselling practices.
• Suicide risk assessment.
• Crisis de-escalation.
• Non-suicidal self-injury: assessment and risk management.
• Trauma-informed support for children and families experiencing intimate partner violence.
• Continuing education in trauma, ADHD, and complex PTSD.

Ongoing supervision, consultation, and professional learning support my practice.

Let’s see whether we’re a good fit.

Start where you are.
You can begin counselling with a specific concern or a general feeling that something needs to change.

Connect.
A free 20-minute consultation lets you ask questions and discuss what you are looking for.

Explore.
Your first counselling session focuses on your concerns, relevant history, strengths, and hopes for therapy. You decide what you feel ready to share.

Work toward change.
Together, we explore patterns, process emotions, and develop practical ways forward. We review what is helping and adapt as needed.

In person: Bridgeland, Calgary, with limited weekly availability.
Virtual: Available to clients located where I am permitted and insured to provide counselling.

Languages: English and Russian-speaking.

Fee: $165 per 50-minute individual session.

Do you feel lonely even when you are not alone?

You can share a home, a calendar, a space, and a life with someone—and still miss feeling understood.
Perhaps you are carrying the details, caring for everyone, and wondering where your own needs fit.

The Lonely Wives Club™ is a therapist-facilitated virtual psychoeducational space for women experiencing loneliness or disconnection within marriage. Sessions bring together conversation, reflection, and practical learning about connection with yourself and others.

We explore topics such as:

• The invisible mental load and emotional labour.
• Understanding and expressing unmet needs.
• Boundaries, resentment, and difficult conversations.
• Identity beyond being a partner, parent, or caretaker.
• Friendship, belonging, and making room for yourself.

Bring your lunch, tea, or coffee. Participate at your own pace, without pressure to share more than you want to.

Virtual · Wednesday lunchtime · $22.22 per session · Flexible attendance

Check Jane for current dates, times, availability, and registration requirements.
This is a psychoeducational community space and does not replace individual or couples counselling.

What would make resilience possible here?

People doing difficult work need opportunities to recover, accessible support, honest conversations, and meaningful connection.

I developed RESTORE as an evidence-informed organising framework for collective resilience in high-exposure workplaces. It draws on research, professional experience, and lived experience to help organisations examine how they support their people.

R — Recognize early strain
Notice changes in wellbeing while people are still performing, and begin respectful conversations early.

E — Establish psychological safety
Make it safer to raise concerns, ask questions, and seek support.

S — Structure recovery
Build realistic opportunities for rest, decompression, and recovery into the work.

T — Train leaders to notice
Prepare leaders to recognise strain, respond appropriately, and connect people with support.

O — Operationalize support
Examine whether people can actually access the policies, benefits, and services available to them.

R — Reinforce connection
Strengthen peer connection and reduce isolation around difficult work.

E — Evaluate and evolve
Use feedback to understand what helps and where changes are still needed.

I presented RESTORE at Working Stronger 2026 in Full Circle: From Policing Trauma to Collective Resilience.

RESTORE has not yet been tested as a distinct model. It complements clinical care and existing workplace psychological health and safety programs.

For speaking enquiries or a conversation about RESTORE, email daria@musetherapy.ca.

Clear information before you begin.

Individual counselling: $165 per 50-minute session.
Introductory consultation: Free, 20 minutes.

Languages: English and Russian.

Location: Bridgeland, Calgary, and virtual appointments where permitted.

Insurance
Receipts are provided. Direct billing may be available for eligible plans. Please confirm whether your specific benefits plan covers services provided by a Canadian Certified Counsellor.

Office accessibility
The office is on the second floor and is accessible by stairs only. Virtual appointments offer an alternative if stairs are a barrier. Visitor parking and nearby street parking are available.

Community support sessions
A limited number of no-cost community support sessions may be available, subject to capacity. Support is time-limited, with up to five sessions per client. Please enquire about current availability.

Current appointment availability and booking policies are provided through Jane.

You do not need to have it all figured out to begin.

Let’s talk about what you need and whether Muse Therapy feels like the right fit.

Counselling services are provided in accordance with ethical standards and professional guidelines established by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
Ongoing supervision and professional learning support safe, ethical, and effective counselling practice.

My counselling practice is grounded in thoughtful, evidence-informed care and a commitment to lifelong learning in the field of psychology and mental health.

Online counselling sessions are available for clients located in:
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba

If counselling feels like the right next step, you are welcome to reach out.

Other website inquiries? Please email: daria@musetherapy.ca
Instagram:@musetherapy.ca