Individual Counselling
A therapeutic space to be human, be cared for, and experience change.
Life can get complicated. Sometimes you know exactly what is wrong and just need somewhere to sort through it. Other times, you may know that something isn't quite right, but figuring out what's needed seems impossible. Individual counselling gives you a space to slow things down and make sense of what is happening. Together, we can look at what you're experiencing, where some of it may be coming from, and what you want to be different.
Counselling at The Wholehearted is collaborative and personalized. Your counsellor isn't there to tell you what you should do or give you a list of things to fix. Instead, we work together to understand what's going on and figure out what might actually be helpful for you.
Sometimes counselling happens through talking things over, you might spend a session working through something that happened that week, making sense of a difficult relationship, or finally saying out loud something you've been carrying for a long time. Other times, it can be helpful to look under the surface—at patterns, beliefs, emotions, or experiences that may be affecting how you see yourself and relate to others.
And counselling doesn't always have to involve sitting and talking for 50 minutes. Depending on what you're needing, we may use art, our sand tray, movement, or other creative and experiential approaches to help you explore what is difficult to express (or what simply goes beyond words). You don't need to be “good at art,” and you don't need to know what you're doing. These are simply other ways of making sense of what is happening.
Counselling that looks at the whole picture
We take a systemic approach to counselling, which means we don't look at you as though you're separate from the people, relationships, family, culture, and circumstances around you. The ways we cope, respond, protect ourselves, and understand who we are often make sense when we look at what we've been through and the environments we've lived in. Understanding those patterns can be an important part of creating change.
We work with a broad range of concerns and life experiences, including:
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Shame and isolation
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Trauma and difficult past experiences
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Anxiety and panic attacks
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Anger and emotional regulation
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Depression and low mood
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Grief and loss
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Relationships and major life changes
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Loneliness and social anxiety
You don't need to have a diagnosis or a clear picture of what the “problem” is before you come to counselling. Sometimes you simply know that you don't want to keep feeling the way you've been feeling, or that a particular area of your life isn't working the way you'd hoped.
A space to work at your own pace
There isn't one right way to do counselling, and there isn't one timeline for change. Some people come for a few sessions around a specific concern. Others find that having an ongoing space to reflect and work through deeper patterns is what they need. Your counsellor will work with you to decide what you'd like to focus on and how you want to use your time together. As things change, your goals and the direction of counselling can change too.
Ultimately, counselling is a place where you can come as you are—not as the version of yourself you think you need to be. A place to be honest about what's hard, understand yourself a little better, and begin making changes that feel meaningful to you.
Sessions are available in person and virtually for clients in Maple Ridge and surrounding communities.
For more focused concerns, you can learn more about our counselling for trauma and counselling for anxiety.