Find a Therapist in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia.

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. I also work with the arts as a healing modality. On the part of my clients, no experience in the arts is necessary. 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.

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.

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.

Psychotherapy is often used to treat a wide range of challenges, some of which include: poor self confidence, depression, anxiety, career problems, impaired relationships, addictions, etc. As your therapist I will assist you in identifying the key areas you would like to work on. Sometimes people feel so overwhelmed they do not know where to start. Together, we can determine which issues are of top priority. I will assist you in looking at the 'big picture', while initially setting small measurable goals. I will provide you with the support you need to tackle each obstacle head on. Small successes lead to great accomplishments.

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.

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.

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.

I approach therapy as a deeply collaborative process that recognizes the multiple roots of both our struggles and our brilliance. I'm committed to collaborating to build a supportive therapeutic space, honoring the strategies people have developed to navigate their struggles, while helping them find new approaches that better serve them here and now. I draw on a variety of perspectives and techniques to facilitate transformation: queer, feminist, and disability theories; somatic, relational, and neurobiological understandings of mental and emotional health; Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR); Somatic Experiencing (SE), parts work, and Intuitive Eating.

Psychotherapy is a fancy word for having someone truly, sincerely, empathetically and without preconceptions or judgements, share your truth with you. It is the greatest honor and also responsibility to hold precious, with respect, everything you bring to the counselling experience. Sometimes that is trauma, shame or guilt. Sometimes psychotherapy includes delving into your past but this is not always the case. If you are wanting to focus on the present, and explore how to make a life more worth living, psychotherapy can provide you the insights you need to make positive change in your life. What is important to know is that regardless of where you are or want to go, you are safe with me.

If you're finding that childhood trauma or past trauma is impacting the way you move through the world, the relationships you have (or want but struggle to have), how you feel about yourself, or how stuck you feel in your life in general, Gravitate Counselling Inc. can help. Our counsellors offer trauma-informed therapy, giving you a space to work through the past hurts that continue to affect you. Offering phone and online video counselling to clients across British Columbia, our counsellors can help you understand how your experiences have shaped you, explore what changes you'd like to see in your life, and build the skills to help you move forward.

The circumstances and issues that you are dealing with are unique to you, but you don't have to face them alone. Every individual has different experiences, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, cultural backgrounds and "upbringings". Counselling sessions are private and confidential, and can provide a way for you to explore your problems and really tune in to your feelings. This is an opportunity to speak freely about your circumstances and release pent up feelings, without having to worry about what others think or feel, and without receiving unwanted advise from family, friends or coworkers. At the root of the problem, there are very real, legitimate and understandable reasons for feeling the way you feel, thinking the way...(view profile to read more)

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.

Shelley helps clients to explore the blocks that are preventing them from feeling in charge of their life. In a safe and supportive environment, Shelley encourages clients to uncover their wounds and unmet needs from childhood so that they can understand their behaviour patterns and how they coped with life's difficulties. Bringing awareness to these patterns with compassion and empathy, Shelley motivates clients towards change, by exploring new ways of coping and offering strategies and new skills that build on client's strengths, while enhancing self-esteem and self-worth. Helping clients develop a clear sense of self with confidence, promotes their potential, and feeling of empowerment.