Counselling with Esther in Kitsilano Vancouver
Counselling with Esther Wei
Counsellor
Master of Counselling
“To heal you have to get to the root of the wound and kiss it all the way up”
- rupi kaur
Esther has completed her counselling requirements for Registration with the BCACC and is awaiting registration. During this time she is offering low cost counselling and is supervised by Morgan McKusick, M.A., Registered Clinical Counsellor
Insurance plans may not accept claims from unregistered counsellors
At times, life might feel so big... too big, while we feel really small. Sometimes, it may feel like life has swallowed us, or like we're frantically just trying to keep our head above water.
At other times, you might feel stuck in patterns that leave you feeling numb, resentful, or inadequate, and it’s been hard to show up how you want to in your relationships.
Perhaps overwhelm and guilt take over in some moments, along with a demanding inner voice that says you’re not trying hard enough and that you’re letting people down. You might also have noticed that the small moments you used to revel in or rely on have lost some of their magic.
Life can feel like so much sometimes and reaching out can feel scary and uncertain. I’m glad that you’ve found your way here, though - you don’t have to do this alone.
Common counselling concerns, focuses & clients I love supporting:
Childhood trauma
Body image
Cultural identity & exploration
Spiritual Exploration
Religious trauma
Stress management & burnout
Educators and other helping professions
University students
Older adults
A Bit About me as a Counsellor
I often work with those who have had to make themselves smaller or hide parts of themselves to get by. With warmth, gentleness, and a steady presence, my goal is to support you in making sense of the heaviness you feel and slowly reconnecting to the parts of yourself that have been pushed away, erased, or buried.
As I journey alongside you, I aim to meet you where you’re at and support you in being you through the ups and downs of life. I look forward to holding your moments of healing with tender care and celebrating your brave steps forward. I encourage quirks and laughter and I love helping you experience deeper joy and delight. My hope is that you feel more seen, more grounded in who you are, and more connected to who and what matters most to you.
As an Asian-Canadian, I am particularly passionate about supporting clients with multicultural and intergenerational challenges, identity exploration, and integrating the different worlds they navigate. My professional background as a high school teacher also influences my love for supporting folks working in under-resourced systems.
My Approach to Counselling
I use an integrative, trauma-informed approach to help clients shift from feeling held back by challenges towards being able to live more meaningfully and freely.
In our time together, we’ll deepen your understanding of yourself by exploring the patterns and needs behind your emotions, sensations, beliefs, and behaviors, and how your present connects to your past. We’ll also trace how external forces such as family dynamics, cultural norms, and societal power structures have shaped your experiences.
Part of my work involves steadily supporting clients in “hearing” the needs and messages behind their emotions and behaviors. With patience and compassion, I’ll teach you tools to connect to difficult emotions in helpful ways that encourage greater self-awareness and inner direction to move forward. This helps rewire our nervous system so you feel more able to withstand and handle challenges.
Through collaboration and a strengths-based approach, we’ll also practice strategies and develop resources to strengthen your relationships to others. From a foundation of connection, my aim is to support you in navigating the beauty and complexity of life with greater self-assuredness and ease.
I welcome diverse clients of all backgrounds, orientations, and beliefs and I strive to create a safe place for members of marginalized communities.
COUNSELLING APPROACH
My integrative and client-specific approach to counselling includes the following education and approaches:
Person-centered and attachment-oriented therapy
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Narrative therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
COUNSELLING FEES
50 min session: $110+ GST
We accept e-transfer and cheques
In efforts to keep our overall rates lower, we also offer the option to pay by credit card with a 2.4% processing fee
To learn more about Esther’s approach to counselling, ask questions about how she might be able to support you, or to be added to her waitlist, please contact her below.