Codependency Therapists in Qualicum Beach, BC

Ever feel stuck in a loop of frustrating patterns? Long for meaningful connection, but get lost in estrangement or conflict? Wonder why that joyful ease you occasionally glimpse feels buried under a sludge of anxiety, numbness, or anger? No matter how many "new leaves" we turn over — we find ourselves sinking back into the familiar muck. Here we go again! It's not just in your head. Pain and anxiety get encoded and frozen in the physical body, along with all the feelings it's not okay to feel. By adulthood, our nervous systems are hardwired to survive the situation we grew up in – and can get stuck there, replaying the same script.

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.

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.

I enjoy helping clients with a variety of challenges including: Anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, relationship issues, communication issues, grief and loss, loneliness, anger, parenting, family issues, addictions, body image issues, disordered eating, life transitions, spiritual issues. I take a client-centered approach to my practice. I strive to tune in to the individual needs of each client and find out what works best for them to achieve positive growth and change. I often use techniques from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

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 CBT & EMDR. I believe in the value of working collaboratively with my clients, and I have a deep respect and appreciation for diversity.

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.

Wanting to create a better life rather than settling for status quo, just getting by while filled with anxiety and feelings of hopeless; coping with excess food, drugs or alcohol. It takes courage and tremendous willingness to begin a path of change and it is an honour and a joy to walk with people on their journey toward wholeness. My work with people often leaves me in awe of the strength of the human spirit as I witness them overcome trauma and self-destructive behaviours and move toward their dreams while embracing their authentic self.

In Person & Online. I help people overcome depression, anxiety, grief, and childhood trauma using my many years of experience. I welcome teens, couples, women in pregnancy, and new parents. Manage life transitions and start living your life in line with your own values and beliefs. Together we will create a safe relationship to explore looking at your life in a new way. I am always open to changing the course of therapy if it doesn’t work for you. I use empathy, relationship, insight, and unconditional positive regard as the foundation for our work together.

I bring decades of experience helping emergency services and health care professionals find solutions to the cumulative stress they experience every day in their jobs. Without a safe place to work through these normal reactions to abnormal events, careers can be cut short and the families of these professionals struggle as well. Together we can find solutions for work related stress and other issues such as: the impact on the families, grief and loss, addiction/recovery and enhance existing coping skills. I enjoy working with a wide range of age groups from young adult to adult.