Therapists in V2S

I have worked for 20 years in various non-profit settings with vulnerable children, youth, and adults of various backgrounds. In both my personal and professional life, I continue to be amazed by how we adapt and persevere through life's challenges and difficulties. I believe we are not meant to go through this journey alone, and in our difficult times it is important to find extra support. It is my hope, to encourage you in this journey and provide you with some extra tools for the road ahead.

Do you need a safe place to talk about the stresses of life? Do you feel overwhelmed and uncertain about where to turn? I love to be an encourager and to walk alongside people through life's challenges. The values that most influence my sessions are authenticity, safety, and emotional health. I seek to be authentically me both in counselling sessions and in the community. It is important to me that my clients feel safe, secure and valued. I want to help clients find ways to care for themselves and grow to become the people they desire to be. I care deeply about and enjoy seeing positive change in my clients.

Are you struggling to understand or navigate your neurodivergence? Or are you the parent of a child with autism or ADHD and not sure how to manage everything that comes with the diagnosis? Perhaps your child's diagnosis has left you with a lot of questions about your child, ASD and/or ADHD, and how to parent effectively. I am here to support you on your journey, whatever that may look like. As a parent of three adult children who are neurodivergent, and as a therapist who is passionate about supporting the community, I understand the pain of a diagnosis and I'm here to guide you through the healing and learning process.

If life feels overwhelming or perhaps feels like you are in emotional pain and are having trouble coping, I meet clients where they are at in their struggles and help them to unpack their emotions and offer strategies for increased resilliancy. I practice from a strength and client-centred approach. I have worked with children and youth for over 8 years and apply this knowledge in my clinical work with children youth and families. Being a father myself, I can relate to some of the hardships that families endure and stand beside my clients to offer support and validation.

Working with anyone ready for change that has been up against feelings of sadness, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, not belonging, career choices or feeling lost. I work to help you empower change, bring insight to possibility and friendship to fear to unlock barriers and beliefs that are keeping you from finding what you want. Having the training as a counsellor, life coach, personal trainer and being a teacher and facilitator my techniques are kept fresh, current and focused. We can see change in as few as four sessions and I am not about keeping you in therapy for any longer than it takes to get you where you want to be.

Something happened to you: a trauma, a broken relationship, a difficult childhood. Maybe you are telling yourself that you “should be over it by now” or “it happened so long ago". You have big reactions that you don’t understand. All the things you usually have access to, like your logic and your reasoning, seem to go away in that moment, and all you know is that something doesn’t feel right. Maybe these big reactions feel like anxiety, depression, being highly self critical or maybe on the outside everything seems fine, but on the inside you not ok. The truth is that there is no timeline for how events impact us.

At times, we all wonder if our present day realities are aligned with our intended paths. Was it the right time? The right job? The right relationship? Is this as good as it gets? Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? If you experience anxiety, depression, confusion or simply feel alone, counselling can offer opportunities for a deeper sense of connection to yourself, your relationships and your life. I am here to walk alongside of you, to listen to your goals, desires and needs. Whether it is sharing long kept secrets, traumas or personal revelations I am here to connect with you.

You feel life is a constant struggle despite help of all sorts. You are not the same person you used to be. You have trouble finding motivation to do things. You anger easily with everyday little things. Stress at work and home become too much to handle. You are at your wits' end and you have trouble seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. However, you are reaching out now, there is hope to turn your life around. All that you need is willingness and readiness to work through your struggle.

Sometimes we realize a degree of feeling 'stuck' that we want help with and other times it's a feeling of overwhelm or we're at our breaking point; the timing is different for everyone. My approach pulls from many different modalities including: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, The approach we use in session will be talked through and led by your situation, your style, preferences and your strengths in combination with my expertise. Reach out for your free, initial 15 minute call today so that we can determine if a good fit is there to build on.

I remember my first experience with a counselor…at first, I was overwhelmed, anxious, and a bit apprehensive. As I shared my story, my skepticism decreased and I was comforted by the thought that I was in control of my life. There are many challenges that can get in the way of healthy relationships with others and our own self, but you don't have to face these issues alone. I believe that a counselor is a guide in a clients journey of healing and self-awareness. My practice is rooted in a holistic approach and I utilize techniques that integrate physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual health. I speak Punjabi & English.

I work with individuals in-person in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, and virtually for those in all of BC. If you are someone who is experiencing anxiety, depression, difficulties with life changes, self-worth, relationships, emotion regulation, personal development, or setting boundaries, counselling may be a helpful resource for you. I work with male, female and LGBTQIA+ community youth ages 17+ and adults in individual therapy. You can expect a person-centered approach in counselling sessions with me, which means there is an understanding that you are the expert of your own experience and we can work together to find a path forward.

As human beings, we are all prone to experiencing stress and from time to time we may struggle with overwhelming emotions, trauma, competing demands, losses and unexpected life events. Some people may go on to experience anxiety, depression, feelings of hopelessness/helplessness, suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, mood swings, difficulties in regulating emotions etc. When people are going through these experiences, their life in other domains such as personal and intimate relationships, study and employment may begin to suffer. At Explore Wellness, we have completely non-judgemental approach with a focus on your wellness.

Maureen French is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology. She has had a fascination of how individuals and relationships work from a young age. Maureen has over 15 years counselling experience in variety of government, community, health care / hospital and private counselling settings as well as in patient and out-patient psychiatric settings. Maureen offers counselling, support and consultation with adolescents, family and adult relationship issues. Maureen is a skilled play therapist who has worked extensively with child with complex trauma including developing and facilitating parenting programs and trauma informed programs.

Maybe your feeling lost, not sure who you are anymore. Starting over, empty nester, getting divorced, not nice to yourself when you make a mistake, you worry about everything. You compare yourself; you have been called a people-pleaser. You'd like to put yourself higher on your priority list, but that feels really uncomfortable. Is there something missing in your relationship like trust, intimacy or good communication? Do the same problems and arguments keep coming up? Has there been a betrayal or an affair? Do you struggle to communicate, ask for what you need and accept help from others?

Perhaps, you’ve heard yourself say or wonder to yourself: • I’ve struggled with anxiety all my life. • I keep myself busy all the time, and I find it easy to keep my emotions at bay. • I have to walk on eggshells around my parent all the time. • I have so much built up anger. • I feel like everything is my fault. • I’m struggling in my relationship with my partner and I feel stuck. • I don’t know how to parent my child anymore. You are not alone if you find yourself feeling this way. These are common painful human experiences. The truth is that we are not meant to carry pain, and I want to help carry it with you.

It can be lonely struggling through mental health problems by yourself. You don't want to burden your family or your support system but you desperately need to connect with someone who understands and who doesn't judge you. I have a strength-based focus which means together we look for what you are doing well and apply similar and new skills to a current problem. You are wired for growth and health! It is in there, but sometimes we need a skilled therapist to help identify problem areas, help us gain awareness, and find what works for the client in any given situation.