I consider every person I have the opportunity to walk with to be unique and capable of shifting any problem that may be getting in the way of being the best version of self possible. It is important to me to collaborate with each client to develop focus points in our work and I look for strengths and resources in my clients. I am trained in EMDR and have extensive experience supporting individuals, couples, families, as well as first responders work through trauma and PTSD, occupational stress injury, addictions, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, anger, self-esteem, disordered eating, and mood disorders.

At Palm and Cedar, I believe all persons have an inner beauty crafted inside them. Here I create a safe place to walk with you through the desert areas of your heart, mind, body and soul. As we work and journey together, it is my goal to help you see that in the desert, there are places of refreshment. That the valley of troubles, can be a door of hope to you. And sometimes we all need someone to help us overcome the barriers. I desire to work with you to achieve your goals that assist you in your unique life journey.

I am trained to work with individuals, couples, youth and families, and will provide support and encouragement to achieve breakthrough for emotional and relational concerns. I also support parents to enhance skills and find greater satisfaction in raising their children. I have over twenty-five years in the counselling field and can provide a supportive, caring space for clients to share their concerns, learn effective coping strategies, begin recovery and reconnect with life.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 30 years of experience providing counselling services to individuals (all ages), couples, families and first responders. I offer respectful, collaborative, holistic, compassionate and goal focused counselling in a safe and supportive environment. I offer a broad spectrum of services ranging from brief solution focused support to intensive psychotherapeutic support, including EMDR. I believe in the value of working collaboratively with my clients, and I have a deep respect and appreciation for diversity.

However much we may seek stability, life is a series of interconnected transitions. Sometimes we face complex changes that seem unworkable and challenges that appear impossible. Learning how to deal with the ongoing changes of our lives promotes personal growth and deepens our sense of pupose and fulfillment. With tools and support you can navigate these changes and establish a sense of safety and stability with a deeper, even more fulfilling sense of personal wholeness. Together, we can activate the internal resources that will help you to move forward with confidence. You will know when this therapy is successful.

Whether you think you had a 'normal' childhood or know the dysfunction you experienced, we are all wounded by not 'good enough' parenting and thus, develop coping mechanisms which do not always serve us. These adaptations result in depression, addictions, and a feeling of 'stuckness' or 'blah.' I help clients see these adaptations and underlying falsities that many of us continue to live by. As we work, meaningful insights occur and hope returns. You will gain better control of situations and learn to make more meaningful decisions in your life.

My approach to clients is always strength based, as I believe that every individual has unique strengths that can serve as a foundation for their personal growth. My style is to be warm, open, and nonjudgmental. There are many modes of therapy. I am not limited to, but use cognitive behavior therapy, solution-focused therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and motivational interviewing.

Anyone including individuals, couples and families in need of counselling will benefit from coming to see me. I have had many years experience working with youth and adults. The area I particularly enjoy working with is trauma, both childhood and more recent traumatic experiences such as car accidents, abuse, or other traumatic incidents. I work collaboratively with my clients to determine what their goals are and what therapy will be the most useful. I have been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and find this very effective in working with trauma.

I am an adult/child/youth and family therapist and clinical consultant in private practice. As well as being a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), I am a Registered Art Therapist (ATR and BCATR), a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S), and a certified Play Therapist Supervisor (CPT-S). I celebrate 45+ years experience as a counsellor psychotherapist and 35 years teaching internationally the therapeutic methods I have developed called Holistic Expressive Therapy. For 34 years, I have taught courses at the Justice Institute of British Columbia where a certificate on my approach to therapy is offered.

I believe people are the expert of their own lives and will work with you in accessing your own inner strength and knowledge. When people are living as their authentic selves, people will experience more joy, wellness and fewer symptoms associated with stress. I will support you in finding your inner strengths, develop new coping strategies and enrich your quality of life. My goal is to help you learn about your authentic self through learning techniques and coping strategies to help you live your best life and feeling empowered. I am offering video sessions only at this time.

My work is primarily with those who have experienced trauma - the experience of being emotionally and psychologically overwhelmed by adverse childhood experiences and adult traumatic events. My focus is always on the present - how can those debilitated by anxiety, shame, and poor self-worth become healthy enough to meet their own needs for income, housing, positive and affirming relationships, and physical and mental wellness.

Janice has had a private practice for 22 years, 16 of those in Nanaimo. Her office location provides comfort, confidentiality and convenience. Her schedule is structured to meet the needs of clients. Janice believes that people have the ability to make change in the form of behavior, belief, or perception. As a therapist Janice assists her clients in their process of change. She is highly skilled in assessing and implementing the interventions most appropriate to each individual unique situation.

Many of the clients I work with are dealing with issues of soul. Things like striving to live authentically and to become who they really are, to be true to themselves. They want to heal old wounds and find a sense of wholeness and aliveness. And they want to live the larger story of their lives; their sacred story. Many of my clients are dealing with their own particular and often painful symptoms.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor working in Nanaimo and Duncan BC. I've worked as a counsellor for over 15 years in various settings including agencies providing family therapy and parent teen counselling. I am now in private practice and working with individuals and families. I offer a warm, welcoming, calm, non- judgemental, space for you to share your story, your hopes, your fears and struggles. I work with folks who are struggling for a variety of reasons and want to discuss, explore, find solutions for and feel better about their situation.

I specialize in the areas of anxiety, depression, and addiction. In my experience, anxiety and depression often show up together. When they take hold, we frequently fall into traps of addiction in efforts to numb the emotional pain. Addictions can be an effective short-term strategy, but they are not a solution that brings healing. Instead, they increase the pre-existing symptoms, usually adding a whole new set of problems as well. Whether it is a gambling addiction, an online gaming addiction, a shopping addiction, pornography addiction, a substance use addiction (etc), my training and skills are focussed on your healing, growth, and freedom.

I embrace a holistic and collaborative approach to working with others, respecting that successful therapy honours the values and beliefs of each client. I believe that one's trauma history, distress, and pain are often the foundations that strength, meaningfulness, and wisdom are built upon. I offer personalized short or long-term therapy, or life coaching for individuals, couples, adolescents, or families. Resiliency need not be something one is born with, it can be cultivated! ~Christine

Like many people, I grew up in an environment where we didn't talk about our struggles and emotions. From an early age, I learned to keep the difficult things inside and deal with my emotions on my own. In 1999, I became a crisis phone counsellor and realized that I wasn't the only one who had had this kind of experience. I realized that a lot of people felt the way I did and kept their emotions inside. For the first time, I learned how healing it could be to share struggles with supportive people.

When life is difficult the resulting symptoms usually include depression, anxiety, fear, anger and/or withdrawal. Rather than avoiding these states I have helped hundreds of clients turn them into resources, significantly improving their lives --usually after only a few sessions. I have 25+ years experience working with couples, individuals, families and groups, and have supervised 20+ new therapists. I specialize with couples, helping them to move beyond arguing, tension, anger, resentment and distancing into happy couples. My clients turn their problems into workable solutions. Free tips: www.shorecounselling.ca.

Parenting (or caregiving) is one of the most important jobs you've taken on. But the person you're caring for is going through some tough stuff, and the two of you aren't getting along. You're beating yourself up, because you keep screwing up your job, when all you want to do is help. You might even be coping with your own issues, in addition to helping them with theirs. You're scared of the future, and sometimes angry at the person you are caring for. You're lonely and even burnt out, because others don't understand.

My goal is to help people manage their problems and pain, and to find ease, gratitude, and joy in life. I work with teens and adults to help heal hurts caused by trauma, poor communication skills, conflict, anxiety, mental health concerns, addiction, abuse and other life experiences.