Individual Counselling
Embrace the empowering opportunity of individual counselling, where we can work together one-on-one in a secure and comforting environment to address any goals you may have.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, a mood disorder, or any other mental health challenge, or if you’re grappling with issues related to relationships (communication, boundaries, guilt), stress, family dynamics, or the unique circumstances related to illness, or grief and loss, know that I am here to support and guide you through these difficulties with compassion and understanding.
Having been on this journey myself, I understand that taking the step towards counselling can be overwhelming and making that initial call might feel challenging.
Often people wait until they are in crisis before making the appointment, but I can assure you that the sooner you start to work on what is bothering you the shorter the climb back to your best self will be. Trust that I am committed to meeting you exactly where you are at and cultivating a therapeutic relationship that fosters comfort and growth. Together, we’ll work towards addressing anything that might be hindering you from being your best self. Your well-being is at the forefront, and I’m here to support you every step of the way.
What the first session will look like
In our initial session, we’ll take the time to familiarize ourselves with each other. You can feel free to ask any questions about my background and counselling approach. If you have had counselling before I’d like to hear what worked well and what did not work for you so that I can ensure you get the most out of your sessions.
During our first meeting, we’ll cover confidentiality and attend to any necessary housekeeping matters. The majority of the session will be dedicated to you sharing at your own pace, allowing me to gain insights into how I can best support you. Together, we’ll explore your goals and begin building a strong and compassionate therapeutic relationship.
Some of the reasons individuals seek counselling in Kelowna include,
but are not limited to the following and all of which I have experience working with:
When we feel we are misunderstanding others, having strained relationships, emotional distress and feeling disconnected, this can be from a lack of healthy or appropriate communication. Communication issues include misinterpretation, lack of active listening, difficulty expressing emotions, and inadequate conflict resolution skills. In counselling I can help you to foster effective communication by addressing communication issues by teaching active listening, enhancing expression, and fostering empathy. I can guide you to resolve conflicts, explore non-verbal cues, and practice mindfulness, empowering you to navigate relationships with clarity and understanding so that you can navigate relationships with clarity, confidence, and have healthier connections.
Do you often feel overwhelmed, is it hard to say no to others without feeling guilty? Do you struggle with letting people in and trusting which is pushing others away?
These can all be signs that you need to work on understanding boundaries and how they do or do not show up in your life. Many people are struggling with boundaries yet they don’t even know this is the cause of lack of self care and stress. Whether it is lack of setting or enforcing boundaries with others which is leading to anger and resentment or being too rigid or not even knowing what boundaries you need to set yet or how to do it. I can help you understand what boundaries are, how they do or don’t play a role in your life currently and how understanding and setting boundaries can lead you to feeling healthier, having less stress, better relationships and promoting self care.
Substance use disorder is a disease that takes a terrible toll on those afflicted with it, as well as their families and support systems. With effective, long-term treatment tailored to individual needs, people with alcohol and/or drug addiction can recover and lead productive lives with addictions counselling.
The ultimate goal of addiction counselling is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve a patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of substance use disorder through harm reduction strategies.
Have you, or are you planning on blending your family with your new partner’s family? Are worried about how this is or might go?
Do you need help navigating the transition or dealing with issues that have arised? I can help guide and support you through this with many years of both professional and personal experience. I can understand the complexities that can come up and believe counselling can be very effective throughout this journey.
Mental Health Diagnosis (understanding, supporting and working with) including depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder.
When we feel like we are under a dark cloud and we cannot get out it can be hard to imagine that Mental Health concerns can be treated and life can get brighter through counselling. Learning new ways to cope and control negative thoughts and feelings can help make your life more manageable and help to create joy. Counselling for depression, anxiety and other mental health therapy is provided at Making Strides Counselling and Wellness.
(Including but not limited to ADHD and ASD)
Are you struggling to manage or understand the way your brain works? Would you like to work on effective coping and management strategies to enhance your daily functioning and be able to identify areas of strengths? As a counsellor with many years experience I can help you navigate this journey.
