About There & Back Again Counselling

Let’s be honest, the name of my practice is a bit nerdy. For those of you who don’t recognize it, the phrase comes from the Hobbit, which is a part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. My best friend and I bonded in university over our shared love of J. R. R. Tolkien’s classics.

Her and I were talking one day, trying to figure out if we could make my practice related to the series, and I have to give her credit for the name. The phrase represents the journey the main character Bilbo goes on that make him an entirely different person. He faces trolls, goblins, a dragon and a war to become the person he is at the end, and I have found that is what therapy feels like. We go there, i.e. to the trauma or to the incredibly challenging step you know you need to take in your life, and you come back with more insight and wisdom and less fear.

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“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality.” Andrew Solomon

I believe change happens, not just through obtaining new knowledge, but through new experiences.

While understanding yourself can be a critical part of healing, what I have seen truly transform people is taking a risk in my office to share something vulnerable with their partner and having the other person catch them when they fall.

It is speaking the words out loud that they have left in their gut that need to be spoken to their abuser.

It is when people understand that the critical part of themselves is only trying to keep them from getting abandoned, criticized, hurt, etc. and they can develop a new relationship with their inner critic - seeing them as a protector.

I see real change through EMDR where someone can go to a dark memory that is still holding them back from being able to sleep at night with a safe and trusted person. That’s different - they’re not going there alone any more, they know this was in the past and it’s over now. They are safe.

Therapy is about you risking (gently, in stages) showing me, your partner, your friends, yourself who you are and having us catch you. That is what repairs your heart and your trust from the times you weren’t caught.

I draw from evidence-based modalities, incredible supervision, and the experience of working at the BC Society of Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and in private practice for the last 5 years.

My Approach to Therapy

My Modalities:

  • Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization (EMDR) - Recognized by the World Health Organization and the US and Canadian Departments of Veterans Affairs

  • Internal Family Systems

  • Somatic Therapy

  • Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Gottman Couples Therapy

  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

  • Experiential Therapy

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Credentials & Education

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #20063) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and have completed extensive postgraduate training in trauma therapy.

Education

  • Master’s of Counselling Psychology, Adler University

  • Professional Counselling Diploma, Rhodes Wellness College

  • Bachelor of Political Science, University of Calgary

Advanced Training & Professional Development

  • EMDR Basic Training & Advanced EMDR Specializations (including complex PTSD, grief, ego states, neurodivergent-informed EMDR, spiritual trauma, and OCD)

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship & EFIT Level 1

  • Sensate Focus Training with Paula Leech

  • I-CBT Basic Training with Bronwyn Shroyer

  • Motivational Interviewing (Foundational & Addictions)

  • Dissociation & Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (D&Jam)

  • Yoga Teacher training (200-hour YTT + Yin Yoga)

  • Specialized training working with first responders with Dr. Tim Black

  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy with Sheri Van Dijk

  • Clinical Competencies in Treating Dissociative Identities with Jamie Marich

I am also a lifelong learner — continually seeking out supervision, training, and education so I can offer thoughtful, effective, and ethical care.

    • Flash Technique - Basic & Advanced

    • Motivational Interviewing, foundational & Addictions Training with Bill Miller & Stephen Rollnick

    • Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy Level 1

    • Jenina Fisher Shame

You don’t have to do this alone

If something here resonates, I’d love to walk alongside you.

I offer a free consultation so we can talk about what’s bringing you here and whether working together feels like the right fit.

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Have questions before getting started? Read our FAQs or contact me