Family Counselling Services in North Saanich, BC.

I am honoured that you are interested in my services and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been described as slightly non-conventional in the counselling world, which suits me perfectly, and also tends to suit youth who are trying to stand up to the force of the problems in their life. I am very comfortable working with this population, and I feel fortunate that I can connect with teens the way I do, conventionally or in a way that makes sense to them and their family.

Despite the best intentions of ourselves and our family members, we are often tangled in patterns of invalidation, rejection, frustration and blame. It can feel so messy that we operate in a constant state of fear and a crippling sense of unworthiness. In 2008 I started my counselling career as a family therapist. A combination of individual and joint sessions will take place to allow the space for all voices to be respectfully heard, while helping to identify bigger ‘systems’ patterns that keep you stuck in pain and finger-pointing. I will help to smooth out communication, make room for wants and needs and to heal the old wounds holding you back from having a healthier relationship.

Family counselling at Teo Counselling focuses on improving communication, understanding, and connection within the broader family system. We recognize that family challenges often involve multiple perspectives, roles, and patterns that influence how members relate to one another. Our approach is collaborative and systems-informed, helping families identify unhelpful interaction cycles, reduce tension, and develop healthier ways of communicating and supporting one another. Clients often benefit from improved conflict resolution, greater empathy between family members, and a stronger sense of cohesion. The goal is to create a more stable and respectful family environment where each member feels heard, understood, and valued.

Family relationships can be complicated, and problems with parents, adult children, in-laws, blended families or other family members can create significant stress in your life and your relationship. While I don’t provide family therapy with multiple family members together, I do help individuals and couples work through difficult family relationships. Together, we can understand the patterns and emotions underneath conflict, strengthen boundaries, improve communication and explore how family experiences may be affecting you or your partnership. My approach is warm, practical and emotion-focused, with the goal of helping you navigate family challenges while protecting the relationships that matter most.

Family systems can be very complex and difficult to navigate. Through individual and group sessions, we will work to untangle each issue at its core and process sometimes deep-rooted issues that manifest in present-day relational dynamics with your loved ones. I also provide unique support to members of diverse cultural backgrounds; understanding and adapting counselling modalities is necessary to uphold collective family dynamics, intergenerational trauma, gender roles and their significance in resolving challenges, internal family conflicts and high expectations to succeed.

Today family can mean different things to different people. Each family structure is challenged with their own set of difficulties and problems. Whether you are a blended family, single parent family due to divorce or loss, adoptive family, same sex parents, or traditional, we recognize family dynamics can be complicated. Together we will work to develop strong communication skills between each family member, while nurturing and solidifying the family unit. We will work to overcome conflict, heal the wounds of the past, build parenting skills and create a safe environment where all family members can be heard.