Therapists in Vancouver, BC

Your first session with me is free. If you have been feeling stuck, confused, or hopeless due to adverse life events or traumatic and upsetting personal experiences that happened in the past - I'm glad you found me. For the past decade, I've dedicated myself to supporting teens, adults and older adults from diverse backgrounds, including (but not limited to) international students, immigrants, individuals from equity-deserving communities, to find their goals, hope, purpose, and meaning in life.

You know the best way out is always through...but "through" is HARD, especially when you're experiencing painful emotions and you're not sure where to start. So let us help you through. Breaking free from deeply-rooted self-doubt, anxiety, body image concerns, relational conflicts, and struggling self-worth isn't something you need to do alone. We've got you! You'll fit right in with us if you're ready to change your relationship with yourself, to really get to know who you are, and finally heal from the patterns that are holding you back.

If you or a loved one are suffering from addictions or are concerned about emotional well being please get in touch for a FREE 20 minute phone consult. I am a Counsellor with 15 years of experience working in residential and outpatient treatment programs with both individuals and groups. I have a passion for helping individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders as well as for supporting first responders dealing with operational stress injuries. I use a blend of approaches including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, existential therapy and mindfulness.

We are an innovative community of unconventional, yet comprehensively trained, psychotherapists providing practical, non-reductive, and in-depth support to help you overcome adversities, resolve outdated patterns, craft more fulfilling relationships, achieve your mental health goals—and address the traumas, stressors, burdens, and conflicts that hold you back from enjoying what your life and relationships have to offer. In general, we foster a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that focuses on what works and is not limited to what has traditionally been practiced.

I have lived, studied and worked in the Arab world, South and Southeast Asia before settling in Vancouver, BC in 2011. A good friend and mentor describes me as a honey bee, a nahlah that has travelled from place to place in search of sweetness and wisdom. Urdu is my first language, and I have picked up English and some Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew along the way. I am a hanif believer who knows the divine as the light of the heavens and the earth and dares to have a critical-appreciative relationship with tradition.

I welcome all walks of life in my practice—come as you are. Regardless of the specific issues you face, I'm confident that I can assist you. I integrate the wisdom of history's greatest thinkers with contemporary mental health research, offering a therapeutic partnership that is both mentally enriching and emotionally supportive. My aim is for us to develop a practical philosophy of life for you, tailored to aid you in the navigation of your experiences and challenges.

Your life journey is a whole world waiting to be known, hoping to be understood and heard in a distinct way. I appreciate every encounter I have with my clients for allowing me to walk alongside with them in a difficult time, knowing that the storm will eventually subside. I facilitate a genuine and heartfelt atmosphere in which you can recognize your strengths, potentials, self-worth, and know that you are not alone and truly cared for. I believe in each human’s capacity for change and resilience for healing.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology with 15 years of experience as a psychotherapist in Vancouver, BC. My strengths include connecting with each client quickly and customizing the work to achieve what they are coming to therapy to accomplish. I am committed to making sure every session is productive and useful. I specialize in Anxiety, Depression, Grief and Loss, Parenting, Life Transitions, Conflictual Relationships (professional and personal), Addictions and Eating Disorders.

If you are struggling with a loss of direction or purpose, and want to rejuvenate life with renewed purpose, facing death or about to lose a loved one, I will work with you to find peace and broader meanings so you can carry on with joy and loving memories. I believe that everyone has the potential to grow beyond their current limits regardless of what they are struggling with i.e. addiction, relationship, life-transitions, or meaninglessness etc.

At the heart of this therapeutic practice is the idea that problems lie between you and others as opposed to within you. How do you relate to your loved ones, strangers, and the world at large? Questions such as these will help you understand not only what you could change in your life, but also how to change it. The cultivation of truth occurs through building lasting trust: This is the core of working effectively towards solutions and change together. A heart of non-judgment, encouragement, empowerment, and tools are provided so that you can work through trauma from the past as well as practice new ways of living in the world.

Hi there - and thank you for the visit. Asking for help and finding a counsellor who is the right fit can be quite the process. Whether you are seeking support because of some sudden shift in circumstance or a longstanding issue that is getting harder and harder to carry, I believe therapy is a unique space that can help people heal and grow and can help carry some of that weight.

I draw on the commonalities that exist between therapeutic approaches, and am aligned with anti-oppression perspectives. I utilize deep, introspective practices and pragmatic, solution-oriented practices to help clients cultivate greater self-compassion; achieve greater effectiveness in their relationships and communities; and grow towards deeper fulfillment in their lives. I am also able to offer a truly holistic therapy, combining talk therapy, mindfulness, and movement. I am a good fit for those impacted by marginalization, those with shame and self-esteem challenges, those impacted by trauma and addiction, and for couples.

Counseling is, thankfully, no longer considered something reserved for individuals with severe mental health concerns. Today we are increasingly comfortable admitting many would benefit from dedicated space where our personal concerns, challenges, and goals can be carefully tended to. My clients learn quickly that therapy is about dialogue and consistent attention to their sadness, depression, anxiety, worries, and difficulties in different spheres of their lives (relationships, parenting, work, money, environment, to name a few). Clients often seek a deeper sense of purpose and engagement, therapy can help achieve this.

Hi! I’m Lauren (she/her). I’m here to help you heal, grow and thrive by tapping into the inner knowing and wisdom of your body and heart, and by encouraging you to step into your power and truth. The clients who seek me out are often on journeys of self discovery or facing life transitions that open up questions and possibilities about who they are, what matters most to them, and how they want to live. I was called to this work through my personal journey of owning my unique path in life, despite it being different than the societal expectations that I grew up with.

My therapeutic approach is Holistic and an integration of therapeutic theories. I work with all the aspects that makes us human beings. We live in a society that traps us in our minds, disconnecting us from the rest of ourselves (body, heart, soul, intuition). I help with processing emotions, re-wiring the brain, healing the inner child, integration work, remembering how to listen to your body and its wisdom. Re-connecting to your heart and spirit and finding the truth of who you are, are the best tools that will help you fill the existential void we all struggle with.

I believe we heal through safe connections and relationships. Relationship to self, community, and the land. This perspective is how I approach my therapeutic practice; together we create a sacred space to explore your challenges, successes and concerns. I specialize in working with people living with mental health challenges, grief and loss, traumatic death, spirituality, life transitions, stress and burnout, substance use and those who wish to explore alternative forms of wellness. Other common issues are PTSD/Complex trauma, emotional regulation, managing HIV/AIDS and other chronic illness. I see adults and youth ages 14+.

I have been working in the field of mental health since 1990 and I am deeply committed to supporting people to heal, grow, explore who they are, and live their best life. I offer both traditional 'talk' therapies alongside expressive arts therapy and know from personal experience how well these two approaches work to help people improve their mood, thoughts, sense of self, and quality of life, as well as helping them to recover from trauma, addictions, and eating disorders.

The primary focus of my practice is supporting individuals who are feeling stuck in life. Together we explore the often invisible yet powerful forces (internal and external) that can shape our lives and move us away from our values and toward distress. We also explore the benefit of using emotion to guide us toward values and a greater sense of peace. Over the course of therapy my clients engage in guided self reflection and generally experience a gradual unfolding of insight, the illumination of a meaningful path forward, and the courage to move through fear in service to their preferred future.

Do you feel distressed but don't understand why? Have you tried different methods and it only helped a little but never get ahead? Have you ever wondered what the core issue is? Working with me might find you those answers. A lot of people ask who gets counselling, I believe that anyone who experiences stress could get a therapist; however, many have amazing family and friends that allow them to bounce ideas, inspire motivation, and provides insight so counselling really isn't needed. Most people wait till they are in crisis to get help which would mean a rough journey to baseline. Let's be preventative rather than reactionary.