Welcome to
Hi there, I'm Vern Kehler. Welcome to my space.
Perhaps you're visiting today because you are experiencing something that you've found difficult to navigate. Or perhaps you're simply looking to
grow personally or professionally. Regardless of what brought you
here, I'm so glad you're here today.
To help you get a sense about who I am and what it might be like to work with me, I will share a big about me.
About Me
Together with my partner Liona Kehler, I am co-founder and co-owner of Empower Counselling Services Winnipeg. My vision as a therapist and co-owner of our practice is to create a space where people like you can experience positive change and feel empowered, valued, and respected. A space where you can feel
safe to embark on an empowering journey of healing and growth, perhaps even beyond what you've previously imagined possible for your life.
My Work Experience
I've
been working in counselling and related fields for over a decade.
During this time I’ve had the amazing privilege of walking with many
adult individuals through some of the most difficult challenges and hardships of their lives.
My work with my clients gives me tremendous amounts of joy, and I get super energized when I see my clients heal, grow, achieve their goals, reach higher potentials, and experience positive change that they had previously believed impossible.
My Client Demographics
I work with adult individuals in Winnipeg, and more broadly Manitoba, offering sessions via in-person and virtual formats.
My Areas of Therapy
My specialties include the following and more:Therapy for Trauma and PTSD
EMDR Therapy
Therapy for Anxiety
LGBTQ+ Allied Therapy
Therapy for Adult Individuals
EMDR Therapy for Negative Self Beliefs/Esteem
Click here to read more
My Space
I work
hard to create a space where you don't have to fear being shamed or judged for your struggles.Your life, your goals: I believe adults
set their own life and health goals. While I may gently challenge and
encourage you towards healing and making the positive changes you've
been desiring, I respect how far you wish to go with therapy. My goal is
to work towards your
empowerment and your goals.
I
work hard to create a space in therapy that feels safe and comfortable. I like to use some humour and make our time together as
enjoyable and as human as possible.
Click here to learn more
Ways to Get in Touch
Email vern@empoweryoutoday.ca.
Submit a Secure Contact Form here.
Leave me a confidential voicemail at 431-688-8103 and I'll return your call as soon possible.
Working Towards Positive Change
Do you often feel like you are not seen, heard, and understood, or like nobody really gets you? Like, when you share about something or about yourself (be it in-person or on social media), people don't ask you curious followup questions? They are quiet while you speak but when you pause, they simply shift the focus back to themselves as though they didn't even hear what you just said. It's hard to heal, grow, and work towards positive change in your life when you feel unheard, alone, and unknown.
I know from many years of experience that when my clients feel truly seen, heard, and understood, they feel safe, empowered, motivated, and energized to do the hard work of changing, growing, and working towards positive change.
What we do in therapy (e.g. techniques and approaches to therapy) is certainly very important to help you achieve your therapy goals, but effective therapy always starts with helping you feel safe, seen, heard, and understood, without the fear of judgment. You deserve a space where what you say will land on genuinely interested, inquisitive, empathetic, supportive ears.
I often use EMDR therapy alongside with talk therapy to help my clients achieve their therapy goals. My areas include PTSD and trauma, C-PTSD, anxiety, self esteem, relationships, grief and complex trauma, and LGBTQ+ affirming therapy. See more below.
Reach out for inquiries, request a free no-obligation 15-minute meet-and-greet video or phone consultation, or to book your first appointment. To learn more, visit our practice website at empoweryoutoday.ca
My Beliefs About Change
I believe a single step of courage today can often unlock previously unimagined potential and positive change for tomorrow.
I believe it takes great courage to change, particularly when life has been quite tough for you. Most change has the
potential to be uncomfortable, and yet, change that comes from within is
often also powerfully and gorgeously unstoppable. Change is the essence of being alive. Positive change leads to unimagined potential tomorrow.
I believe change is easiest when we're accompanied by a safe person by our side. Because why not. If the majority of our lasting trauma results from relationships that were supposed to be safe for us, then healing at the deepest levels can often also only happen in the company of another [this time safe] human. A therapist can often be this safe human company. You should never have to walk it alone.
I believe courage and resilience are close companions. Courageous
steps often lead to resilience, and resilience makes it easier
to take courageous steps in the future.
I believe that, with warm and compassionate therapeutic support, clients find ways to tap into their resilience and courage and can
overcome very difficult challenges and achieve previously unimagined potential and positive change.
My Personal Experience with Therapy
I understand from personal experience that asking for help can be hard.
It was my own experience with getting professional help that led me to
become a therapist myself. Reaching out for professional help to my therapist is one of the best investments I've made for my personal and professional becoming.
Click here to read more.
My Approach to Therapy
Whether we're using talk therapy or EMDR therapy, or a mix of both, my practice is strongly influenced by EMDR's concepts that many of people's life-struggles stem from negative past life experiences, and that these past experiences are influencing your Self beliefs and Self views, i.e your Self esteem. And how you see yourself significantly impacts your overall health and well-being, including your mental health, stress management skills, and in many cases even your physical health.
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Sex Positive Therapy
In Person Therapy
Virtual Therapy
Reaching Out
Choosing the right therapist and reaching out can be hard. I know. That’s why I'm
here to make starting as easy as possible for you. One of the ways to get
started is by doing a free 15-minute no-obligation meet-and-greet video
or phone consultation before you decide.
Getting in Touch
Email vern@empoweryoutoday.ca.
Submit a Secure Contact Form here.
Leave me a confidential voicemail at 431-688-8103 and I'll return your call as soon possible.