Counselling

Kathlyn McHugh — RCC, RSW

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Kathlyn McHugh — RCC, RSW —

I provide counselling and coaching for individuals, couples and families.  I also provide consultation and supervisory support for therapists in the field of psychotherapy and social work.

Some folks come to see me because they have a problem, have experienced something challenging in their lives, have a history of trauma, or want to reclaim or discover their life purpose. They may need support to blossom and become empowered creatively, relationally, or experientially.  My goal is to disrupt and correct old patterns that no longer sustain and inspire one’s life.  Instead, I seek to facilitate embodiment, enlivenment, and connection to self, others, nature and spirit.

I draw from an eclectic and varied background working with folks from all walks of life. My practice incorporates relationally oriented somatic attachment therapy, affect regulation, the creative connection to nature, the imaginal, and ancient cross-cultural wisdom.  I lean into emergent neuroscience, interpersonal psychoanalytic psychotherapy, attachment theory, and embodied practises in order to help my clients live their lives more fully.

  • A Holistic Approach to Personal and Relational Transformation

    In my work, I combine evidence-based therapeutic methods with intuitive, energetic processes that help you connect with your inner wisdom, your authentic self, and the deeper layers of your soul’s journey. Through this multidimensional approach, we’ll explore the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of your life to unlock greater understanding and healing.

    Drawing on a blend of relational somatic attachment therapy and advanced tools for spiritual guidance, I help you access insights from your higher consciousness, subtle energies, and soul-level knowledge—resources that can provide clarity and direction in every area of your life.

    The integration of these practices allows for a more complete and dynamic healing experience. Here's how:

    • I facilitate a process where you can tap into your inner wisdom and align with your highest potential. This helps you make choices that are authentic, empowered, and aligned with your soul’s purpose.

    • By working with spiritual guides and intuitive wisdom, we can uncover limiting patterns and beliefs that may be holding you back. This process allows for deep insight, healing, and direction, fostering growth in all areas of life.

    • Using specific, safe methods, we can explore the Akashic Records—a metaphysical library of your soul’s history and potential. This helps you gain a clearer understanding of past experiences, ancestral influences, and the soul-level lessons that shape your current life. By reviewing this information, we can identify patterns, release energetic blockages, and empower you to step into your highest path.

    This holistic approach supports personal and relational healing on all levels—mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical—bringing together the best of both traditional and intuitive methods. The ultimate goal is to help you feel more connected to your true self and others, so you can live a life that’s more aligned, joyful, and authentic.

  • Welcome to a Journey of Deep Transformation and Connection

    Are you ready to step into a new chapter of your life, where you can experience more authenticity, joy, and deeper connection with yourself and others? I specialize in working with individuals, families, and couples who are excited to create lasting transformation in their relationships and personal lives.

    As a trained psychotherapist in relational somatic attachment therapy, I integrate powerful tools from the world of the mind, body, and spirit to help you understand and heal your past, align with your highest potential, and move forward with a sense of clarity and purpose.

    Through a unique blend of traditional therapeutic methods and intuitive guidance from my higher self, spirit guides, and the Akashic Records, I provide a holistic approach that supports you in uncovering the deeper layers of your soul’s purpose. This work can help you build stronger relationships, foster emotional healing, and tap into a deeper sense of fulfillment and connection with your higher self.

    Whether you're looking to heal past wounds, deepen your relationships, or align with a more authentic version of yourself, my goal is to guide you with love, compassion, and a deep sense of safety. I’m here to help you explore new possibilities and unlock the truth of who you are, all while bringing in a sense of fun, creativity, and ease to our work together.

    If you’re ready to embrace a higher level of self-awareness, explore your spiritual connection, and transform your relationships, I would love to guide you on this incredible journey.

  • I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and a Registered Social Worker (RSW).  I have a Bachelor of Social Work from UVIC (1999) and am Registered with BCSSW.  I have a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology from UVIC (2004) and am Registered with BCACC.  I have been trained in CBT, DBT, TDP, Systemic Narrative Family Therapy , Solution-Focused, EMDR, Satir, Play, Somatic Transformation (2.5 yrs) and Reiki (1+2).  I have been part of the BBP (Bringing the Body into Practise) learning community since 2016 and am also a facilitator.

    I have an extensive background working with children, youth and their families as well as couples and individuals from all walks of life.  My areas of expertise are trauma resolution and helping folks develop a full life of embodiment, fulfilment, and content.  I want you to be relieved of suffering so that you can enjoy your life and that it has to offer.

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Blair McLean — MA, RCC

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Blair McLean — MA, RCC —

I am always amazed by the ingenious strategies people adopt to survive difficult times.

I believe that the things that frustrate us the most about ourselves – our fears, our substance misuse, or our seeming inability to move forward in life, can be traced to past survival strategies that once kept us safe.

I help my clients explore, name and honour the protective parts of themselves. In the process, people uncover old patterns that are standing in the way of the life they want to live. I strive to help my clients develop new strategies for coping, for attending to their needs and for caring for themselves, clearing the way for growth, healing, and thriving in their lives.

  • I take a non-judgmental, present-focused approach to working with my clients. By helping people learn somatic resourcing, mindful noticing, and self-compassion, I strive to offer a transformative experience in the here-and-now. I help clients become curious about the parts of themselves that are stuck and learn to meet themselves where they are at, stuckness and all. I believe that practicing self-acceptance pays dividends in future growth and can help people achieve a range of life-changing goals.

    • Convenient telephone and virtual counselling and consultations

    • Somatic (body) resources for nervous system regulation

    • Anger management

    • Addictions counselling

    • Mindfulness skills

    • Procrastination

    • Grief and loss

    • Career exploration

    • Couples counselling and relationship difficulties

    • Trauma repair

    • Life Transitions

  • I am a registered clinical counsellor with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from UBC. Prior to working at the Vitality Clinic I was a post-secondary counsellor, working with students at Vancouver Community College for six years.

    • M.A. in Counselling Psychology (UBC)

    • Certified Complex Trauma Treatment Professional

    • Trained in internal family systems and emotionally focused therapy for couples

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Karolien Vandersmissen — MA, RCC

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Karolien Vandersmissen — MA, RCC —

I look forward to connecting with individuals and couples who are navigating life’s challenges and want to create meaningful change. I offer a judgment-free environment in which clients feel welcome, safe and heard.

Issues rarely stand alone, but affect and are influenced by various other aspects of daily life, such as our physical wellbeing, relationships, work, environmental and societal factors. I favour a collaborative, holistic approach in which we jointly explore the challenges you are facing while incorporating and developing your inner strengths and resources and finding ways to increase your control. I am down-to-earth and cultivate emotional safety through authenticity, humour and directness.

My name – which is pronounced ‘Caroleen’ – refers to my Belgian heritage. In 2015, I moved from Belgium to Canada, to step away from the rat race and live with a closer connection to nature. I feel very lucky to call the West Shore my home. Feel free to call me Karo. I am looking forward to meeting you.


  • My practice is informed by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy and Narrative Therapy. Being able to connect with others and offer support is what draws me to this field.

    I favour a strength-based approach that incorporates your inner resources as well as the ones surrounding you, such as nature, relationships and activities that fuel your mind, body and spirit.

    I take an open, non-judgmental and empathetic stance and foster a collaborative environment in which we work together to explore your issues and work towards your goals.

  • If you would like to get to know me a little before booking an appointment, I offer free 20-minute video or phone consultations, which give you the opportunity to see if I would be a good fit for you.

    I provide counselling for youth (12+) and adults dealing with a variety of challenges and stressors, including life changes, symptoms of anxiety, depression, feelings of uncertainty, aimlessness and purposelessness. I also help couples navigate issues in their relationship by exploring more productive ways of communicating to help them strengthen their connection and commitment to each other.

    • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (Yorkville University)

    • Master in Communication Sciences (KU Leuven, Belgium)

    • Candidate in Social and Political Studies (KU Leuven, Belgium)

    • Completed Level 2 in Gottman Method Couples Therapy

    • Volunteer at Esquimalt Neighbourhood House

    • Former youth group leader

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Joel Kroeker — RCC-ACS, MMT

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Joel Kroeker — RCC-ACS, MMT —

I am a Jungian Psychoanalyst and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) specializing in depth-oriented psychotherapy with individuals, couples and families.

I am also an authorized meditation instructor, a clinical supervisor (RCC-ACS) and the founding international workshop facilitator of Archetypal Music Psychotherapy (AMP). My clinical training includes a Phd-equivalent post-graduate program in Analytical Psychology and a graduate degree in music-centred psychotherapy.

My main interest is helping people rediscover deep meaning and re-connect with core life energy when faced with the difficulties of anxiety, depression, life transitions or trauma wounds. Jungian psychoanalysis is the process of restoring a healthy balance between unconscious and conscious parts of our total personality. It’s not about becoming perfect, but it is about our quest toward wholeness.

  • Living a human life can be tremendously difficult and with a bit of the right support, it can also be a deeply engaging adventure and even filled with vital transformation. Together we can navigate this journey of the psyche by paying close attention to your dreams, internal resources that have been left behind and the images that arise in your life, both internally and externally. The result can be increased consciousness, more enjoyable relationships, a more flexible attitude to suffering, creative insight, a deeper sense of meaning and a profoundly healthier and fulfilling life. As Carl Jung succinctly stated, “those who look outside dream, while those who look inside awaken.”

  • As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) I offer a safe and supportive approach to help you explore the underlying meaning of your concerns including anxiety, depression, life transitions, relational wounding, trauma, loss of meaning in life, issues around spirituality and addictions.

    I also offer Jungian Psychoanalysis, which is a depth-oriented confrontation with the unconscious that focuses on the deeper questions of “Who Am I?” and “What is the Meaning of my Wounds and Suffering that will not seem to heal on their own?”

    As a certified Music-Centred Psychotherapist (MTA) with somatic training, I specialize in therapeutic moments when the words run out and we must instead bear witness together to that which lies beyond mere words.

    I work with adults, couples and families and part of my clinical practice also includes working with children and youth.

    • Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)

    • Jungian Psychoanalyst (CGJI-Zürich)

    • Music-Centred Psychotherapist (MTA)

    • PhD-equivalent post-graduate training in Analytical Psychology

    • Masters in Music-centred psychotherapy (MMT)

    • Clinical Supervisor (RCC-ACS)

    • Certificate training from the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Aboriginal Health Program

    • Specialized training in Sexual Harm and Trauma-informed practice

    • Founding international workshop facilitator of Archetypal Music Psychotherapy (AMP)

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Carmen Davies — MC, RCC

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Carmen Davies — MC, RCC —

I'm passionate about supporting people in deepening their self-understanding and feeling more vital, connected, and at home in their bodies.

Sometimes difficult emotions and patterns can keep us from feeling fulfilled and at peace. Life's challenges may have led us to disconnect from ourselves, or brace against life, in order to get by.

My interest is in helping people find new ways to reconnect and come home to themselves. I believe in our inherent capacity for healing and transformation, that we are wired to not only heal, but to thrive and feel joy, pleasure and connection.

When provided the space and safety for inner exploration, I have seen how people can access confidence, clarity, self-compassion and the core aliveness that we all possess within. I would be honoured to walk alongside you on your journey of self-discovery, as you expand into the fullness of who you are.

  • My style is collaborative, caring and non-judgmental. I take a relational, experiential, somatic (body-focused) and holistic approach that centers the unique resilience and strengths of each person, integrating the many aspects of the human experience. I believe each of us holds deep inner wisdom, and I support people in uncovering and reconnecting with that wisdom.

    My work is informed by mindfulness, attachment theory, neuroscience, poly-vagal theory, feminist theory and earth-based seasonal wisdom. I draw from evidence-based modalities including Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Somatic Therapy, Focusing-Oriented Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and Parts Work Therapy. I believe healing and growth occur within the safety of a trusting, respectful relationship. We will work together at your own pace, as co-creators toward your intentions.

  • I offer counselling to individual adults and new parents through telehealth and in-person counselling. I can help you with:

    • Mindfulness & Embodiment

    • Body image

    • Self-esteem & self-worth

    • Anxiety, stress and overwhelm

    • Perfectionism

    • Relationships

    • Life transitions

    • Grief & loss

    • Anger

    • Parenting

    • Perinatal mental health: fertility, pregnancy & postpartum

    • Pediatric sleep and development & Infant mental health

  • I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor; I hold a Master's degree in Counselling. My graduate research focused on promoting healthy body image in women and girls, through dance and movement interventions. I have worked with a variety of populations in schools, homes, community agencies, and private practice.

    • Master of Counselling degree: City University of Seattle

    • Bachelor of Arts degree, Major in Psychology, Minor in Sociology: University of Alberta

    • Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

    • Trainings include: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEPD), Dynamic Attachment
      Re-Patterning Experience (DARe), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Clinical Trauma Professional Training, Somatic-Therapy, Infant mental health

    • Pediatric Sleep and Development Practitioner Certification (in progress*)

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Kristina Kirschner — RCC, MC

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Kristina Kirschner — RCC, MC —

I help women, queer folks, and teens transform symptoms of deep-rooted anxiety into feeling calm and at ease through mind-body healing practices.

Hi, I’m Kristina — a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a nature and animal lover, lifelong learner, and proud member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Originally from Germany, I moved to Canada because I felt more aligned with the culture and the sense of openness here.

I believe that everyone can heal and grow. We’re made to feel joy, connection, and aliveness. But healing doesn’t happen in isolation — it flourishes when we are witnessed with empathy, cared for, and never judged. My approach is collaborative, non-judgmental, and rooted in the belief that you already have the capacity to heal — you just need the right support to access it.

  • I ground my practice in a body-focused approach called Somatic Experiencing, as well as mindfulness practices and how our early childhood experiences shape the relationships with others and ourselves today.

    Together, we slow down and tune into your body, noticing what it is holding and finding safe, gentle ways to release stress and emotions. This helps you learn to read your body’s signals, let go of tension, and finally feel peaceful, grounded, and alive again.

    We explore patterns in your life and in your relationships that don’t seem to serve you anymore and slowly untangle emotions and sensations that are keeping you from living a fulfilled life.

  • Counselling for Youth (12+), 2SLGBTQI+ folks, women, and people who feel called to work on:

    • anxiety

    • anger management

    • attachment wounds

    • depression

    • life transitions

    • mindfulness practices

    • nervous system regulation

    • relationships problems

    • self-esteem/self-worth issues

    • stress management

    • Master of Counselling, City University of Seattle

    • Bachelor of Business Administration, FOM (Cologne, Germany)

    • Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors

    • Trainings include: Somatic Experiencing ™(Somatic Experiencing International); Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy Certificate (International Centre for Excellence); Integrating Games in Play Therapy (Liana Lowenstein); Mindfulness Practices (UCLA); Working with Adults with ADHD (BCACC); etc

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