Individual Counselling for Teens and Adults
Individual Counselling for Teens and Adults
I’m Julie, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#3101) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and a certified life coach, offering individual counselling to youth and adults wanting to cope more effectively with the natural yet often painful ups and downs of life.
I believe that even the most confident and capable of us can sometimes get stuck in unhelpful patterns of thinking, feeling and acting that unwittingly takes us away from what is most important. Counselling can help by learning new ways of coping, being with and transforming these painful thoughts and emotions while intentionally taking steps towards a rich and fulfilling life.
I have almost 20 years of counselling experience, most spent working in community mental health, education and private practice settings. I have a particular interest and expertise working with a variety of struggles, including fear and anxiety, mood and depression, stress and overwhelm, trauma, interpersonal relationships, including parent-teen dynamics, gender identity and sexuality, life transitions, grief and parenthood.
In 2002 I graduated from the University of Victoria with a Master’s in Counselling Psychology (M.Ed.), and completed my undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology. Throughout my career, I have attended many post-graduate training programs and workshops, feeling it important and exciting to continue to learn and grow. Currently, I am completing a two-year post-graduate certificate in somatic-attachment therapy, “Bringing the Body into Practice”.
I take an integrative and relational approach to counselling, often pulling from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), body-oriented somatic practices, mindfulness, positive psychology as well as from my unique training in life coaching.
I bring a compassionate, strengths-based, conversational and light-hearted style to my work, with the hope of making each person feel safe and comfortable, deeply understood and yet stretched to take actions that are in line with their values and goals. Most importantly, I believe in showing up in my role as a full human being and not as an ‘expert’.
When not working, you can usually find me outdoors and being active with my two adolescent kids and partner, savouring a delicious cup of coffee, and obsessing about podcasts, books and tiny houses.
Contact me now if you’d like to know more about me or to see if working together feels like a good fit.