There is something profoundly meaningful about being invited into people’s stories — especially the stories of children and families finding their way through life’s challenges. My work as a counsellor is shaped by deep respect for the dignity, complexity, and resilience of every person I meet.

With children and youth, I aim to create spaces that feel safe, curious, and alive with possibility. For younger kids, this might mean exploring feelings through play, imagination, and storytelling. With teens, it often means a mix of honesty, humour, and real conversation about what it means to be human amid all the messiness of growing up. I’m passionate about helping people discover who they are and live into that identity, even when life makes it hard to know or trust themselves. I believe my clients are the experts of their own stories — I’m here to help them find their voice, make meaning, and explore strategies that fit for them and their world. I value partnering with parents in ways that honour both their care and the challenges they navigate, and I understand that families take many forms, all of which shape how young people experience the world.

My background in spiritual care, restorative justice, and writing has taught me the value of presence, peace, and the kind of listening that allows people to feel truly known — and therefore to live more confidently into their true selves.

In the therapy room, I bring a warm, collaborative, and flexible presence. I work from a family systems perspective, recognizing that our relationships and environments shape how we see ourselves and others. My approach draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray (NSST), and Play Therapy.

What I am really drawn to is working with people living with neurodiversity, anxiety, stress, emotional distress, life transitions, or challenges with identity and self-expression — struggles that can sometimes make them feel like outsiders in a world that pushes for conformity. I see emotions as indicators for what really matters, and I aim to help clients find ways of navigating these challenges that make sense for them. My sincere hope for those I work with, young or old, is that they might come to feel truly seen, valued, and empowered to live in alignment with what matters most to them.

“We are not problems to be solved, but mysteries to be encountered.” — David G. Benner

There is something profoundly meaningful about being invited into people’s stories — especially t... Read More

Hello and welcome! My name is Paula, and I’m truly excited to be here as a counselling intern at Achieve Balance Counselling. I have a strong passion for helping people navigate life’s challenges, which has inspired me to pursue a career in Couples and Family Therapy, building on my background in Social Work.

My approach is grounded in Emotion-Focused Therapy, a framework that emphasizes empathy, compassion, and a deep commitment to care as we navigate the complexities of life together. I recognize firsthand, both as a counselling intern and as someone on my own healing journey, that exploring our emotions can often feel overwhelming, and that’s entirely natural.

In moments of profound solitude and despair, when the weight of the world feels unbearably heavy, it may suggest that hope is a lie. Yet, imagine this for a moment: what if every tear you shed nurtures the ground for hope to awaken and take root once more? It is often from the deepest wounds that the most radiant beauty emerges, finding its way to blossom in the most unexpected places.

If you find the path ahead uncertain right now, remember that I’m here to support you. I believe that stepping into the unknown of our feelings, while daunting, can also lead to profound growth and transformation.

I take great honour in working with people of all ages, especially families and couples. I have a special interest in helping children express their feelings, which strengthens family bonds and equips them with essential skills to face current challenges and navigate the complexities of life ahead.

In addition to my studies, I have participated in various workshops and training sessions to enhance my skills and deepen my understanding, including:

• Workshop on Playful Therapy: Matchmaking Play and Emotion – June 2025

• Introduction to Sand Tray Therapy – 2025

• Workshop on Grief Facilitation - 2025

• Neufeld Institute Intensive 1: Making Sense of Kids - 2024

• Indigenous Canada Online Course - 2024

• Prepare/Enrich Premarital and Marriage Assessment Tool Training - 2024

Incorporating ongoing learning is an essential aspect of ensuring that you feel cared for and supported throughout our time together.

Outside my studies and internship, I find immense joy in the moments shared with my husband and our daughter. I also enjoy exploring my creativity through drawing and journaling my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, a practice I’ve cherished for over ten years.

Professional Affiliations

• The Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy - Student Membership Education

• Master of Couples and Family Therapy, Trinity Western University (Anticipated Completion Date: Fall of 2026)

• Master of Programs and Community Projects in Social Work, Emanuel University of Oradea – 2019

Hello and welcome! My name is Paula, and I’m truly excited to be here as a counselling intern at ... Read More

If you and/or your child are struggling with big feelings, life transitions, anxiety, or traumas that you don’t know how to work through, please know that you are not alone. We have all gone through times when it feels like things are too big to handle by ourselves. If this is where you are right now, I’d love to come alongside you and work together to make changes that will help bring balance back into your life.

I’ve been working with children and youth who have developmental delays and/or neurodiversity and their parents since 2000 in my roles as Infant Development Consultant, Child Development Consultant, Key Worker, Home Coach, and Clinical Counsellor. I have a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (RCC # 15975) and a BC Registered Play Therapist (BCRPT # T-2403).

The trainings that have been most influential to me have been, Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) with Lisa Dion, Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray (NSST) with Dr. Madeleine De Little, AutPlay Therapy with Dr. Robert Jason Grant, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Gottman Methods Couples Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I love to learn, and I weave this learning into my work with clients. When working with me, you have a choice in the interventions that you’d like to use such as play, sand, art, traditional talk therapy, and movement to help you work through whatever is going on for you and/or your child.

I am a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor, Certified Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray Therapist & Trainer, and a Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider and am currently taking a two-year Somatic Attachment training.

I also offer clinical supervision for counselling interns and other counsellors and am a RCC - ACS Candidate.

If you and/or your child are struggling with big feelings, life transitions, anxiety, or traumas ... Read More

Hello,

My name is Jen, and I am so glad you are here. I am a Junior Associate Counsellor with a deep curiosity and love for learning. I have been working with children, youth, and families for the past nine years in a variety of settings including supporting children and youth who have developmental delays and/or are neurodivergent.

I hope to create a space where you feel safe, heard, validated, and supported to share your story. I work from a trauma-informed perspective that is client-centred and strength-based. My passion lies in supporting and empowering others, and my goal is to provide a judgment-free space to support you as you identify your goals and needs and to work collaboratively with you to help you pursue them.

I have a background in kinesiology and psychology, and kids’ yoga and love to incorporate movement and mindfulness into sessions. When I am not studying or working, I am probably hiking or trail running in the beautiful mountains I live close to.

Hello, My name is Jen, and I am so glad you are here. I am a Junior Associate Counsellor with a ... Read More