Find a Therapist in Highlands, British Columbia.

Clients who receive psychotherapy from me will learn about the root of their issues and how to heal these wounds. Many issues we face in life are deep rooted in our childhood or resulting from traumas we have survived and need to be addressed to be truly free and achieve peace and serenity. I will help you learn to live a vital, rich meaningful life and overcome any mental health issues.

Patterns of self-sabotaging behavioural, disorganized thinking and overwhelming emotion make life very difficult. How can we move forward when our bodies seem to betray us and we just need a break from the buzzing anxiety or the numbing of depression? What you may not know is all these symptoms are the imprint of our unfinished business, stuck in the body and just begging to be seen, cared for and accepted. Working with me means looking with curiosity, compassion and an educated-eye at how old wounds of betrayal, abandonment and rejection show up to block living your best life. You are not alone and there is hope.

Diving in to our selves and our unconscious minds can yield unexpected gifts. Sometimes individuals are called to do so because of problems in their lives or symptoms that cause them discomfort, and at other times for personal growth and self-innovation. Through guided self-exploration, you can heal and grow. You can experience increased life satisfaction, a greater sense of meaning and purpose, and a broadened awareness of your past and present choices so that you can improve the ones you make in the future.

In psychotherapy, the foundation of our work is a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust and collaboration. You bring deep knowledge of yourself and your situation; I bring clinical skills and an outside perspective. Together, we create meaningful change. Our approach balances structure and flexibility—focused enough to work toward your goals, yet open to whatever thoughts and feelings arise each session. This allows therapy to feel natural and responsive to your actual experience rather than following a rigid formula. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, low self-esteem, or feeling stuck, you'll find a collaborative partnership where you're genuinely heard as we work toward the changes you need in your life.

All of us get to a point in our lives where we feel like we’re stumbling through the darkness, unsure of who we are, what we’re doing with our lives and where we’re going. In these moments, we may desperately wish we had someone to help guide us through to a place where we feel more empowered and more control of our lives. In our individual sessions, I provide a safe, compassionate, non-judgemental space for you to begin your journey of self-exploration. We revisit old stories and beliefs so that we may engage in new perspective taking. With courage, compassion and curiosity, we can begin transforming disempowerment to empowerment. Ready to feel lighter and more empowered? Let’s get started.

Psychotherapy is a more long-term approach that is based on trust. When entering psychotherapy, both of us make a commitment to being honest and present in the relationship. Together, we can develop a safe space for you to explore your inner world and put words to your inner experiences. For psychotherapy, I will generally suggest that we meet once a week or once every two weeks for a number of months or even years. Psychotherapy is a process of great personal transformation.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, most of the work we will be doing is psychotherapeutic by definition. In my practice I offer a safe, compassionate space where you can open up and explore early trauma, old wounds and self-limiting beliefs. Our focus will probably involve Family of Origin work and to how to become more clear on what themes and issues were at play as you grew up. More importantly, our work in that area will involve what the consequences of living with that family were and how you can make more authentic and life-affirming choices now.

Who are you? Why did you do that? What affect did that have on you? How would you like to do that differently? Together we'll explore your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and gain some insight in order to increase your sense of well-being, improve your relationships, and achieve higher levels of functioning. We will pay close attention to the information your body gives us, and work at regulating the intense emotion through somatic awareness, inquiry, interventions, and reflections.

Psychotherapy can be an enriching and fascinating experience. I work hard to create a safe environment where people can explore their lives from new perspectives. This can be an opportunity to transform your life into what you always hoped it could be, as well as an effective way to clean out the elements that are causing hurt, stress, or discomfort. Psychotherapy in my mind can be likened to yoga: it requires, patience, gentleness, effort and with those optimal results can be found.

My goal is for you to feel better, clearer, and confident that you can make a change; and that you have a meaningful goal to work towards. My first interest is to alleviate the pain and confusion if present through listening and clarifying. My approach is guided by the challenge presented and the change desired. Identifying the key influences is often helpful towards developing motivation and how to move forward.

Dr Sharolyn Sloat, Psychotherapist, Victoria BC, provides psychotherapy, counselling, and psychological services in a variety of areas to individuals, couples, and groups. Her expertise includes, but is not limited to, Relationship Issues, Addictions Analysis, Managing Emotions & Energy, Personal Growth, Human Performance, Career Concerns, Perfectionism, LGBT Issues, and Balance & Wellness. She takes an action-oriented and solution-based approach while helping clients to clarify, articulate and negotiate their needs and boundaries. Exploration, Enlightenment & Empowerment are the goals.

Psychotherapy is similar to counselling. Individuals attend regular sessions for a variety of issues, such as anxiety, depression, stress, body image, eating disorders, self esteem, and personal growth. Psychotherapy includes therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Dialectival-Behavioural Therapy, and Mindfulness Training. Individuals explore thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and patterns. Through self awareness and learning new skills and strategies, individuals can feel better, more connected to themselves and others, more clarity around personal needs, and experience greater joy and increased functioning.

I offer a multidisciplinary and relational approach to psychotherapy that includes early attachment work and a sensitivity to intergenerational dynamics and trauma, with a holistic orientation and evidence-based techniques. The role of the body in healing is central to my work, as I draw on many somatic practices. Whichever therapeutic modality we choose as best suited to your current journey, we work with the fundamental creative drive that is present in all of us to encounter the many facets of your healing pilgrimage necessary for growth and lasting change. I offer EMDR and other trauma processing approaches to support you in your healing when appropriate.