Individual Counselling

Who this is for

I work with a wide range of people in individual sessions. My preference is youth aged sixteen and up through to older adulthood, though I have worked with people in their eighties and with adolescents younger than ten. Some people arrive with a clear presenting issue. Others simply know that something is not right and want help naming it.

Signs and experiences you might recognize

• You are carrying something you have never told anyone
• Your sleep, focus, or temper are not what they used to be
• You keep making decisions you later regret
• A loss or a change has knocked the meaning out of things
• You feel disconnected from the people closest to you
• You are functioning on the outside and struggling on the inside

My approach to this work

I draw on the evidence-based modalities first, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Beyond that I work eclectically, with strong influence from psychodynamic theory of the kind found in Carl Jung's work. When someone is searching for meaning, or has lost it through trauma or a major life event, I often use an existential and humanist lens. My background in the sciences means I will also talk about the interaction between psychology and physiology, connecting what is happening in the brain to what you are feeling in the body. My studies in philosophy and religious studies mean I am comfortable exploring issues through spiritual traditions, formal or informal, when that is meaningful to you.

What to expect in sessions

Sessions are sixty minutes. The first thing I do is explain the limits of confidentiality and make sure you understand the narrow set of exceptions where I am required to disclose. After that, I ask what brings you here and where we should start. For the first two sessions I lean on open-ended questions so we do not narrow the conversation prematurely. At the start we usually meet weekly or every two weeks, then move to once or twice a month as things settle.

How long this usually takes

Research shows most progress in therapy happens between sessions four and eight, with monthly check-ins after that. I usually suggest trying four sessions and seeing what comes of it, then deciding together whether to continue, meet less often, or stop. In practice most people stay for eight sessions or more. With youth the relationship often lasts longer, sometimes across their whole time in high school.

Where sessions happen

Individual sessions are available in person on the Sunshine Coast, serving Gibsons, Sechelt, Roberts Creek, Halfmoon Bay, Davis Bay, Madeira Park, and Pender Harbour, and by secure video for clients anywhere in British Columbia. Many people move between the two depending on weather, ferries, work, and childcare, and that flexibility is built in rather than treated as an exception.

Getting started

You do not need a referral or a diagnosis. A free fifteen minute consultation is available if you would like to hear how I work before booking a first session, and there is no obligation to continue after it.