I provide the warmth, safety, and professional experience needed to help you navigate your way through the challenges you are facing. I believe in your ability to make positive changes in your life and am here to support and guide you in this journey. Through compassionate listening, gentle encouragement, and a process of collaboration, I can help you create a more peaceful, fulfilling and meaningful life. My counselling services are confidential, respectful of your unique life experiences, and tailored to suit your individual needs. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss the possibilities.
Contact Shari
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250-984-8052 ext 100
Education & Experience
I hold a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#3282) through membership with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. I have worked with families and adults in various community agencies over the past 15 years including Family Services of the North Shore (North Vancouver), Cameray Child and Family Services (New Westminster), the YWCA of Greater Vancouver and the Cridge Centre for the Family (Victoria). I have trained in somatic therapy (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) and parts work (Internal Family Sysytems).
Therapeutic Approach
I believe in working together with my clients to make changes that will improve the quality of their lives. My approach to counselling is integrative, mindfulness based, and body oriented.
About Me
I am committed to my own personal growth and have a passion for helping others live their lives to their fullest potential. My graduate studies brought me to Victoria in 2000 where I fell in love with the beauty of the ocean and the down-to-earth quality of the people. After living and working in Vancouver for 7 years I returned to Victoria with my husband and two boys.
issues I Can Help You With
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Self Esteem & Personal Growth
- Relationships
- Grief & Loss
- Trauma
- Abuse
- Life Transitions
- Post Partum Depression
- Anger
- Parenting
- Stress
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.— M. Scott Peck
Depression
We all have ups and downs – that’s just a part of life. The problem arises when the ‘downs’ turn into a downward spiral and we can’t get back to living a full and rich life.
About one in four women and one in five men will experience depression at some point during their lives. So, if you are feeling depressed, you are not alone. Perhaps you aren’t enjoying activities that once gave you pleasure, or you find yourself spending less time with friends and family. Or maybe you are feeling sad, lonely or hopeless. Whatever your experience, I can help you make the changes that will turn your life around.
Together we will look at your depression and how it operates in your life. We’ll examine the different ways that you have tried to cope and whether or not these strategies have led you in the direction that you want to travel. Then I will help you build the skills necessary to change your relationship with depression so that you can take back the steering wheel and live the life you were meant to live.
We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.— Albert Einstein
Anxiety
If you are experiencing anxiety, you are in good company. Anxiety problems are among the most common psychological issues, affecting approximately one third of the general population. The reality is that, without some changes on your part, your anxious thoughts and feelings will hang around and may even get worse.
Everyone experiences a little anxiety – it is a natural part of life. But when your worry, anxiety and fears feel like they are taking over your life – when you start avoiding activities or situations that may bring on anxious feelings and thoughts – it is time to seek out the help of a professional.
There is hope – things can get better! With compassionate support I can help you free yourself from the battle with anxiety so that you can devote more energy to creating the life that you want to live. Together we will look at the coping strategies that haven’t been working and help you develop the skills necessary to start looking at your thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a healthier way. I will accompany you as you learn to travel down a new life path – a path where you can live more fully because anxiety no longer has a hold on you.
There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.— Denis Waitley
Self Esteem & Personal Growth
Does it seem like you are living your life on autopilot without a clear idea about what you value or a vision of where you are headed? Or perhaps you have an idea of what you want to achieve but lack the confidence in yourself or motivation to make it happen. Whatever your scenario, I can help you overcome obstacles that you believe are in the way of your getting what you want in life.
When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, then you have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life.— Stedman Graham
Relationships
Relationships with others, whether it be a friend, family member or romantic partner, are vital to our emotional well being. When we are having challenges in our relationships, it can effect our mood, stress level, and general enjoyment of life. I can help you process your relationship difficulty and assist you in moving toward healthier, deeper, and more meanngful connections with others. If, for whatever reason, you are needing to let go of a relationship that has been important to you, I can help you work through this loss and move forward in your life.