Something inside you is ready to transform.
Hi, fellow human. Welcome. You're doing a really courageous thing by considering counselling, and taking the time to evaluate your options. Often we're spending time in environments that talk a lot of good game about self care, but don't acknowledge the very real barriers that get in the way. Let's acknowledge that the fact that you're here, considering your counselling options, means that something has already shifted.
What brings you to this page?
What are you craving?
What transformation is ready to emerge?
Maybe it's about finally feeling that you- in all of your multifaceted identities and experiences- are enough.
Maybe it's giving yourself permission to take up space in the world.
Maybe it's learning how to say no (to what drains you) -
or how to say yes (to pleasure, to self compassion, to abundance).
Maybe it's starting to feel okay to admit that you're not okay.
Maybe, more than anything, it's about reclaiming the parts of yourself that you've been taught to disown.
Whatever it is, I'm here to walk alongside you.
About Vanessa
I'm a Registered Social Worker with a social justice oriented, anti-oppressive, and somatic lens. My areas of specialization include trauma, particularly sexual assault; intimate partner violence; and childhood abuse. I frequently work with folks who identify as LGBTQ2S, as well as BIPOCs (including those who identify as mixed race).
Counselling
My approach to counselling is:
collaborative (which means that I respect your innate wisdom around what growth means, or looks like);
anti-oppressive (looking at the impact of systemic oppression on daily life, including mental health and wellness);
honoring of all parts of self ; and
somatically oriented (using directed mindfulness to deepen your understanding of your mind/body).
Rates & Details
I currently offer sessions on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in the morning and early afternoon. I am continuing to work primarily virtually at this time, though some in person options are available (please contact me to explore options).
I charge $150 for a 50 minute session and $185 for an 80 minute session.
I am also an approved counsellor with the Crime Victim Assistance Program.
We are islands all of us, but we are also boats.
— Oliver Bendorf, "Catch a Body"