Therapists in Nanaimo, BC

Jennifer’s own experience of the lack of support on her journey with endometriosis fuels her passion to help women feel heard and understood while going through the difficult experience of diagnosis and living with chronic illness. Jennifer believes that everyone’s experience with therapy is unique, and that client needs, decisions and life paths are respected and part of the counselling process. Jennifer works with clients using a holistic, person-centred approach.

Relationship and safety are two core concepts that guide my approach to practice. A grounded understanding in the neurobiology of development and trauma, the role of attachment experiences, as well as contextual factors and a belief in the body’s inherent capacity for healing help inform my assessment and interventions. We heal through knowing ourselves and in connection to the world and the relationships around us.

Are you tired of feeling fatigued, overwhelmed, and lost? Ready to experience vitality, confidence, alignment with your soul’s calling & a healthy relationship with your changing body and identity? I am a therapist and Midlife Transformation Coach helping women with these goals using a heart-centered approach you can apply to rediscover your true self, awaken your energy and confidence and actualize a future vision that will leave you feeling vital and whole again. Let the second half of your life be magical!

If you are feeling overwhelmed in your life or relationship, I am here to inspire hope and to help empower you to navigate life with calm confidence. It is normal to need support; sometimes help is required to understand why you are feeling stuck so that a perspective shift can take place, ultimately leading to a more meaningful life experience. Through a deeper understanding of self, the architecture of change can be built, new skills can be learned, enabling the potential for personal and relational transformation.

I entered the counselling psychology field wanting to more deeply understand myself and others, and in particular why my family functioned the way that it did. This led me to an interest and education focusing on Adlerian theories and in family systems. Family of origin work continues to be a passion of mine, understanding the patterns and roles that we can automatically repeat or conversely change with insight and support. I have worked in diverse clinical areas but more recently I have started to focus on perinatal and postpartum mood and adjustment, along with fertility related issues and birth trauma and processing.

ACCEPTING CLIENTS NOW! I firmly believe that each person has the potential to overcome the effects of their difficult life experiences. I am committed to walk alongside you on your path towards healing from depression, anxiety, (complex) trauma, abuse, and other mental health challenges. Providing a safe, non-judgmental environment, I tailor my methods to your needs. I love and have experience working with individuals and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds. My expertise is in supporting those struggling with traumatic experiences as well as difficulties related to cultural and relational contexts.

Sometimes, words can’t express all the feelings inside. As an art therapist and counsellor, I use creative tools to support children and young adults through their journey of self-discovery. No artistic ability is required - it’s about exploring new ways to access the emotions and potential that are already inside. By integrating art and play in my practice, individuals who might have trouble finding the right words or who have a more developed visual vocabulary over a verbal one can find ways to communicate their experiences.

Do you feel like you are unable to calm? Do you feel anxious and judged by others? Do you feel restless, irritable, and stuck in "on" mode in this ready-to-react mode? Do you have persistent negative thinking, extreme emotion fluctuations, repeating the same actions and patterns? Do you feel stuck and unable to lift your mood? These are among some of the many symptoms of trauma. Trauma changes the nervous system and the ability to regulate our nervous system is directly correlated with our mental health. CBT, DBT, and Somatic therapy can help heal the nervous system, by processing and releasing trauma stored in the body.

I work with children, teens & adults wishing to explore life issues using a creative approach. Is your child acting out after a traumatic experience such as a separation, divorce, or loss of family member? Is your child showing signs of frustration while trying to navigate the expectations of parents, foster parents, teachers, and peers? Have you known that there was a problem for a while, and now feel that you simply must address it? Expressive arts therapy and play therapy are powerful, intuitive, proven forms of therapy that help people express traumatic, painful or confusing life experiences, and begin the healing journey.

I truly believe that the hardest part of parenting is undoing the hardwiring we experienced during our own childhood. I help adults make sense of what triggers their own reactivity with their kids, where that came from, how it plays out in their relationships and how to tame those triggers to break the cycle of authoritarian and shame based parenting. It is hard work making those changes but I truly believe it’s never too late to repair those relationships. Using EMDR, I help clients process past childhood memories that hold those negative reactions, so that we can heal and parent from a more empathetic and respectful place.

Addiction, eating disorder, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, phobia, and insomnia etc. are most often symptoms, but not the root of the problem. Very often, through childhood and adulthood, many traumatic experiences (such as bullying and abuse) left us with psychological injuries. And we use various above-listed symptoms to deal with experiences that made us feel sad or scared, even for short-term. The real healing/solution is, therefore, to clean the injuries, and develop new coping skills. This approach also applies to unexpected traumatic life experiences, such as accidents, natural disasters, illness, and grief.

To conceptualize therapy, the following might be a helpful picture. Several years ago, we decided to hatch our own chickens. After a couple of weeks, we candled the eggs to get a glimpse inside. The glimpse was amazing and mysterious—we could see life happening beneath the shell. This is what often happens in a counselling session; we look beneath the “shell” and get a glimpse of the mystery and complexity of the human experience. From this deeper looker inside, we have many choices and changes that are possible.

Has traditional therapy not worked for you? Do certain memories still have a strong negative emotional pull when they come up, or when discussed in therapy? For some, there needs to be more than simply talking about the issues that distress us. Sometimes we need to address the underlying cause — the ‘root’ of the problem — not just the current symptoms that currently cause us distress: whether it be interpersonally, emotionally or within the cognitive space.

Understanding the need for change is a big first step. Then getting the energy and nerve to find a therapist and make that first appointment can seem insurmountable. Congratulations on making it this far! Issues with emotional regulation, interpersonal communication/skills, and problematic substance use can derail our best attempts at a satisfying life. Using an individualized and integrated approach of DBT and Talk Therapy with the cheer of Solution Focused, we can work together to understand how your biology, environment and psychology can be readapted to help reach your goals. There will be infographics and worksheets! (Yay?)

Our environment and connections affect greatly our ability to cope, our wellbeing, mental health, and joy. Whether it's breaking the cycle of negative thoughts, feeling like there is no one to turn to, struggling to identify feelings, or just needing someone to talk to when life is feeling like too much, strengthening our resolve is always beneficial. Together we can deconstruct the negative stories you may tell yourself and rebuild them into kinder, stronger, and more positive stories that help you be authentic and feel connected in mind, body and environment.

The individuals and families I see feel stuck and unsure of their capacity to manage life struggles independently. Providing a safe space in which to process these challenges nurtures hope and offers a sense of clarity. I intend for you to leave sessions feeling empowered to make decisions that bring you closer to living authentically. I know that when you enter the room, you bring a wealth of experience that is unique to you. Therefore, consideration will be given to your individual characteristics, preferences, needs, beliefs, and abilities as we take steps that enable you to live a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Change can be hard....but you have got this! Hello, my name is Ashleigh and I have over 15 years of providing counselling and social work support to children, youth and adults. My work is focused on trauma, parenting and parenting-related challenges, blended families, adoption, foster care, and working with children and youth who are navigating challenges. I also work with individuals who are experiencing anxiety, stress and life challenges. I look forward to connecting with you and walking alongside you and or your children/youth on a journey to wellness.

Are you feeling overcome with stress, anxiety and depressive feelings? Do you find yourself suffering from negative self-talk that contributes to a lack of self-esteem and confidence? Are you lonely, even with people all around you? Do you long to connect with meaningful relationships? Do you find yourself looking for escapes with addictive processes? If this sounds like you, I would love to help you connect to your authentic self by overcoming the negative lens that has been built throughout your life by what others have said, feelings of disapproval, traumatic experiences, societal and cultural conditioning.

Accepting New Patients-Providing Access to Low Fee Psychotherapy. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC) and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist with a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology, and a PhD (Cand.) in Psychoanalysis. I typically work with adults and older adolescents who are experiencing difficulty with depression, anxiety, panic, eating concerns, relationship difficulties, substance use and interpersonal trauma. Many of the people I work with have been distressed for some time but maintain internal capacities which allow for effective coping in many areas of life.