what kinds of issues do i
work with?
Before we get into that, the first thing I’d love for you to know about me is that I believe humans possess the innate drive to heal. I know this is true of you because you’re here, reading this, seeking support. I want you to know this because it’s what gives me hope & confidence in your ability to make a change.
Below are many of the areas I most enjoy
offering support:
RELATIONAL & DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA (C-PTSD)
This refers to the kind of pain or distress that results from complicated family dynamics, emotional injury within relationships, an absence of safety growing up— all of which impact how we feel about ourselves and navigate relationships in the present.
EMOTIONAL DISTRESS / ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
Learning to be with and process distressing emotions such as anger, sadness, shame, guilt, or fear. Allowing our emotions to come forward so we can feel them is central to experiencing relief and to our healing.
RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
Relationships are central to our well-being. You may wish to explore family dynamics, relational conflict, dating patterns, attachment styles, barriers to connection, values within romantic relationships, or friendship challenges.
AUTHENTICITY & SELF-ESTEEM
Exploring who you are, how you see yourself, what matters to you, and how to show up more fully and freely as yourself.
LOSS & LIFE TRANSITIONS
Loss can show up in many ways— some loud and affronting, others are more subtle and sneaky. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one or pet, a relationship ending, changing careers, or loss of your imagined future.
DECONSTRUCTION & FAITH TRANSITIONS
Examining long-held beliefs that don’t quite fit anymore, asking questions that can feel scary to ask alone, addressing spiritual or religious trauma, or simply figuring out what you actually believe.
the roots of resilience
are found in a sense of being understood by and existing in the mind and heart of a loving and attuned, self-possessed other.
Diana Fosha
EDUCATION + CREDENTIALS
Master of Counselling Psychology
from Adler University
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology + Human Services
from Trinity Western University
Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (#14558)
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Working with Complex & Sexual Trauma: An AEDP Overview to Support & Enhance Interventions
AEDP Immersion: The Dyadic Repair of Attachment Trauma: Healing at the Edge of Transformational Experience
Internal Family Systems (IFS) for trauma, anxiety, + depression intensive course with Dr. Richard Schwartz + Dr. Frank Anderson
Lifespan Integration level 1 for trauma + PTSD
Gottman Relationship Method level 1 + 2
Prepare + Enrich Premarital Counselling: Building Stronger Marriages
my counselling credentials
Therapy first and foremost is relational. My intention is for you to feel comfortable, safe, and connected as we work together. I prioritize showing up authentically so you can feel free to do the same.
TRAUMA-INFORMED
Trauma is not always the big events we initially think of… Sometimes, it’s the pain of repeated
“little t” trauma or negative events that occurred. Sometimes trauma is not what happened but what didn’t happen that should have. Trauma can leave us with deep wounds caused by unmet emotional, relational, spiritual, or physical needs when we were young and our brains and bodies were still developing. When our needs to be safe, seen, soothed, and supported are not met adequately in our formative years, this slowly begins to shape how we show up in the world, feel about ourselves, and relate with other people. Perhaps your experiences feel “normal” to you, or perhaps there are pieces you don’t quite remember, but you maybe notice yourself feeling anxious, depressed, people-pleasing, self-critical, ashamed, or unable to move forward in the ways you long to. I believe an essential part of healing is found in the ability to process these experiences in a safe and contained way, in the context of a caring and deeply attuned relationship (therapy).
ATTACHMENT BASED
This means that I’m curious about the relationships in your life. Relationships are usually the first place we learn about security and connection. The patterns we develop as a result of these relationships can shed light on how we navigate relationships (including the one we each have with ourselves) in the present day.
ACCELERATED EXPERIENTIAL DYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY (AEDP)
AEDP is a relational and experiential approach to therapy that begins and ends with the understanding that all of us have the innate capacity to heal. We each have within us the biological drive to flourish. It is this very reason which has brought you here to seek out therapy. However, it is often the case in life that this innate ability becomes stifled, especially when we undergo trauma. In AEDP, we work together to undo the sense of aloneness characteristic of traumatic experiences. It is when we are accompanied by a safe and attuned “other”, we can begin to explore with compassionate curiosity what has led us to feel stuck, and undo old patterns of being and relating in the world.
my counselling approach
on a more personal note
I think it should be mentioned that in addition to working as a therapist, I’m also a human being not unlike yourself. I’m a daughter, sister, wife, friend, and aunt. I’m a 9 on the Enneagram and an INTP on the Myers-Briggs. I have experienced pain in many of the same ways my clients have.
I grew up in Ontario, came out west for university, and have called BC ‘home’ ever since. Mountains are one place I feel greatly at peace: they give me needed perspective, remind me of my physical & mental resiliency, and evoke a deep appreciation in me for the beauty of this world.
When I’m not hiking or camping I’m probably experimenting in the kitchen, walking my beloved dog (Rosie) by the river, moving my body at the gym, reading on the back deck, or meeting up with a friend. I love my morning coffee, all things cozy, thunderstorms, the changing of seasons, a dog in a car with it’s head out the window, fully submerging in a lake, voice notes from friends, fresh flowers, home decorating, an evening snack, the feeling of going somewhere new (country, restaurant, hike, etc.) and corn on the cob (could this list be more random??).
I have always had a deep curiosity towards people and a desire to discuss what is real— even if it’s painful or hard. I think this is what led me into the counselling profession in the first place. I believe in the power of counselling and I’m grateful everyday for the work I get to do as a therapist.
CURIOUS IF WE MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT?