Find a Therapist in View Royal, British Columbia.

My approach to psychotherapy is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in trauma-informed care. I offer a supportive space where you can explore your story at your own pace, without judgment or pressure. Together, we’ll untangle what’s been holding you back, build insight, and develop tools that align with your values and goals. Clients often tell me they feel genuinely seen, supported, and empowered in our work together—and that therapy helps them reconnect with their inner strength, gain clarity, and move forward with greater ease and confidence.

My approach is rooted in creating a collaborative and empathetic space where clients can explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I believe in the power of a therapeutic relationship built on trust and respect, serving as a foundation for the transformative process of self-discovery and healing. Drawing from various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, and Humanistic approaches, I tailor my methods to meet the unique needs and goals of each individual. By fostering a non-judgmental environment, I aim to empower clients to openly express themselves and work towards understanding the underlying factors influencing their behaviours.

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.

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.

As a psychotherapist, I provide a safe, attuned, and collaborative relationship where you are supported to resolve patterns of suffering and heal emotional distress. Through psychotherapy you can develop awareness and new strategies so that you can live with more freedom, purpose, alignment, connection and joy. My approach to psychotherapy is primarily psychodynamic. Psychodynamic therapy aims to help you make sense of root causes of emotional suffering to relieve symptoms & increase emotional capacity. It can help you with depression, PTSD, Complex PTSD, anxiety, addictions, and relationship challenges.

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.

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.

For me psychotherapy involves a deep listening, a drawing out process, and a dialogue that invites the person to understand their life's journey with a fresh insight into their challenges and successes and potential. There are often undisclosed victories and triumphs that we overlook as we consider our challenges. Acknowledging our hidden strengths is an important component of moving forward.

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.

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.

In psychotherapy, my focus is to build a trusting and therapeutic relationship with you so that you can safely uncover a deeper understanding of yourself, your thoughts and your feelings. You are unique in your approach and response to change and so there is no limit to the time you need. I am available to support long-term therapy while you engage in self-reflection and personal growth. To facilitate a therapeutic process, I draw on a wide range of skills and therapies that includes interpersonal, person-centred, systems, social justice, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.

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 offers a safe, supportive, and confidential space to explore life's challenges and better understand yourself. Whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, workplace stress, burnout, or significant life transitions, therapy can help you gain insight, develop coping strategies, and create meaningful change. I take a collaborative, trauma-informed approach and tailor treatment to your unique needs and goals. Together, we work to build emotional resilience, strengthen self-awareness, improve relationships, and support lasting growth and healing at a pace that feels right for you.