Please note that Donna currently has a waitlist for individual clients, but is accepting new clients for couples/relationship counselling

I specialize in working with people who have suffered trauma or who find themselves amid a life transition. I believe anxiety and depression can be symptoms of trauma, along with low self-worth and self-esteem. As you might already know through your own experiences, trauma responses can show up in many areas of life that can inadvertently affect our relationships - not only with others but with ourselves as well.

a bit about me…

Over thirty years ago, I began a career in the fitness industry and was fortunate to have worked in many different sectors, culminating in owning a fitness and yoga studio with my wife. I became a Master Trainer of fitness leaders, and this role fulfilled my desire and passion for teaching and training others. As a teacher, I encountered many students who thought they couldn’t learn, weren’t smart enough, good enough or had a teacher or even a loved one tell them they didn’t have what it took to become something they wanted to be.

As a result, many of these students believed and internalized these negative beliefs and over the years, the notion of “not good enough” (for example) felt like it became a part of who they were, corroding any inkling of possibility they could be anything else. Their inner critics and constant negative self-talk plummeted their self-esteem and self-worth so low it sometimes triggered addictive or self-destructive behaviours. Students would tell me how confused they felt, and that a part of them wanted to try hard and do well, while another part of them was working overtime to sabotage their efforts with chronic procrastination they could not seem to overcome.  Feeling pulled in two directions, these students often struggled to learn.

But what I noticed is when I communicated my genuine belief in them, tailored the learning to meet their needs and style, helped them change their mindset around learning from can’t to can, from an evaluative process to one of growth and from self-criticism to self-fulfillment, they flourished.

I don’t see peoples’ limitations; I see only potential.

I believe that with the right teacher, a tailored approach to learning, and a growth mindset, many things are possible.

What I bring to our sessions (NEW)

Now as a counsellor, I take the same approach with my clients. I feel as though I have the perfect trifecta of tools, resources, and skills along with decades of lived life experience to offer to you. Additionally, with my background in health, fitness and nutrition, we can work together in a way that addresses not only your mental health but your physical health as well, if you choose.

My philosophy is based on the belief that you are the expert in your own life and truly know what is best for you. You came equipped with all you need to thrive in this life. Counselling can help you to uncover what is already there, especially when you hit inevitable bumps in life. Healing comes from within, when we are in connection with our selves. Being seen and heard by a caring person can help to renew that connection. Therapy is a collaboration. It would be my honour to collaborate with you to get your mental health back on track.

I hold a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from Simon Fraser University. I welcome diverse clients of all ages, cultures, genders, sexual orientations and abilities.

more fun facts about me…

I am obsessed with pickleball, have 3 small dogs and love a good adventure!

I have authored two books and developed over a dozen fitness resource manuals and have presented at fitness, health, and wellness conferences all over the world, and was on the board of directors for the BC Recreation and Parks Association. I was also the first Canadian Woman to be part of the advisory board for the American Council on Exercise.

more about the types of therapy i offer:

I have many tools and resources that can be used during our sessions depending on what you need and want from our time together. If you are working through trauma, I have received specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Whether the experience of your trauma is complex (meaning it has been going on for a long time) or due to a single event, EMDR is an evidenced-based practice (lots of clinical studies supporting its effectiveness) and an effective way of helping you integrate and move forward in your life and past the trauma.

I also use Internal Family System Therapy developed by Richard Swartz. This therapy looks at specific parts of the self (sub-personalities) and allows you to get to know these different parts in a way that helps you understand for example why an inner critique part of you has such a loud voice that you cannot seem to get it out of your head, or why a part of you seems to make you do a particular behavior which you do not actually want to do.

For example, you might want to lose weight and commit to eating healthy only to be taken over by a part of you that sends you bingeing for everything and anything in the fridge, sabotaging your efforts leaving you confused as to why you continue to engage in this cycle. You might even experience warring parts where one voice says one thing only to be fought by another voice creating conflict and a polarity of your internal family system.

More common types of therapy like Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) challenges thought patterns while Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT) has a spotlight on your emotional life and Narrative Therapy, (NT) on the stories we tell ourselves about our life. While this may all sound very technical, what you need to know is that you get to choose the direction we will take. Anything that is offered in session for you to try will be explained in detail and you get to choose if you want to try something or not. You will always be in the driver’s seat and in control of where the session goes. 

To learn more about donna’s approach to counselling or ask questions about how she might be able to support you, connect with us here or send donna a direct email below with a bit about what you’re looking for support with.