About Jay Stukel, Clinical Supervisor

About Jay Stukel, Executive Director/Clinical Supervisor.

Jay Stukel is the Executive Director and Clinical Supervisor of Niagara Counselling Services and offers over 23 years of professional counselling experience, specializing in the treatment of personal issues such as self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress, anger, marital/couple relationship and family concerns, in addition to employee and career issues. Jay Stukel previously won the Community Service Leadership Award and was nominated for the 2013 Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards along with Niagara Counselling Services for the Established Enterprise category and People's Choice Award, in addition to being nominated for the 2016 Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for Established Entrepreneur.

Jay Stukel was born and raised in St. Catharines and upon completing his degrees in psychology, public administration, education, social science, and social work. Jay has experienced a variety of employment opportunities including working as a teaching assistant, seminar leader, grader and thesis advisor/editor for the Sociology department (year 1 to 4) at Brock University for 3 years, Jay was also an elementary school teacher (grades 5 to 8), a probation and parole officer, a counsellor for various agencies throughout the Niagara region, as well as working since 1998 as a Professor in the Child and Youth Worker program at Niagara College teaching year 1, 2 and 3 courses, including Case Management 1, Activity Programming, Integrative Seminar, Exceptional Children, Addictions and Delinquency Counselling and Professional Development and Ethics. Jay has also taught a total of 12 courses over 6 years for the continuing education department at Niagara College including teaching the Professional Development and Ethics course, which is part of the Counselling Skills For Human Services Certificate program, during the Spring & Fall terms at the Welland campus of Niagara College. Jay is currently teaching in the Community Mental Health & Counselling Skills For Human Services Certificate programs.

During Jay’s tenure at Niagara Counselling Services, he has also served as a Psychology Internship Field Supervisor for Niagara University, New York, a Masters Student (Counselling) Placement Supervisor for Canisius College in Buffalo, a Masters Student (Counselling Psychology) Placement Supervisor from Yorkville University, as well as a Placement Supervisor for countless Niagara College Child and Youth Workers as well as Brock University Psychology Students. Jay’s main focus for the past 10 years has been providing Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for various companies and organizations throughout the Niagara Region either through direct contract or subcontract with National EAP providers.

Jay Stukel has also previously served as an executive board member of several non-profit social service organizations and agencies in the Niagara region including being the first President of the Holy Cross Secondary School Alumni Association, the CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) - Niagara South Branch, Niagara Against Drunk Driving (NADD), Niagara Mental Health Survivors Network, an Advisory board member for the Niagara Falls Depressive and Manic Depressive Support Group, and he was a member of the Executive Steering Committee for the City of St. Catharines Youth Advisory Council.

Jay served as an anger management consultant and member of a Niagara social service consortium to design, implement and run a pilot study and group program for anger management for individuals with head/brain injuries. Jay has also served as a writer/columnist for Talk It Out, in Kids Press Ink as well as being published in various forms, through magazines, newspapers and newsletters including Parent Quarterly magazine. Jay has been a supporter of several organizations: Pelham minor baseball, the Special Olympics, the Tender Wishes Foundation, Disability Today magazine, Sport by Ability Niagara, and the World Wildlife Fund, in addition to the various local charity NHL Oldtimer hockey games, the police and firefighter retirees and their causes, the Shrine Circus, the Hospital Activity Book for Children and the Elementary Safety Book for Children. Jay has also coached ball hockey in Welland and minor baseball in Pelham. Jay also served as the Director of Mental Health Services for the non-profit association Outreach Support Services of Niagara (OSSN) based in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Jay continues to live in the Niagara region and has been happily married for over eighteen years and has two children, a son and daughter.

Jay believes that if you pursue a career in something you enjoy, you never work a day in your life. Career satisfaction equals life satisfaction. In life never ask the question what if? Or say I wish…avoid the words would, could and should, make life as fun and enjoyable as possible. It is not the question of why? It should be why not? When you work in a labour of love, your career passion, you never work a day in your life.

Live, Love, Laugh

It is Jay’s goal to work towards a PhD in Counselling Psychology and to complete several counselling books in various stages of progress.

The nomination for the 2013 Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for Established Enterprise and People's Choice award nomination, as well as the 2016 Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for Established Entrepreneur, and the winner of Gold and Silver for the 2016 CHCH Business Excellence Awards, fully demonstrates Jay's commitment to excellence in servicing the needs of the community and the clients in which he dedicates 50 to 60+ hours per week.

The key to healing is talking about it.

Thank you for your interest in Niagara Counselling Services. Best Wishes!