About Laurel
Laurel graduated with her Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology from Adler University, and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) (member #13124). She specializes in working with individual teens (ages 13+) and adults experiencing major life changes, as well as anxiety, grief, chronic pain/illness, and challenges in relationships.
Laurel has had the honour of supporting numerous individuals in various community, hospice, EAP (employee assistance programs), and clinical settings. Her background includes group facilitation of intensive, personal development workshops at the Haven on Gabriola Island and with Strathcona Park Lodge with participants travelling from as far as China. Through her EAP background with Family Services EAP, Laurel has also conducted workshops for major organizations and school districts across the lower mainland on topics including self compassion, the Wise Mind (DBT), and mental health in the workplace for managers.
Laurel is committed to maintaing a practice that is sensitive to diversity and dedicated to client advocacy. Holding personal autonomy in the highest esteem, Laurel takes a collaborative approach with clients on their goals and therapeutic pace. Her therapeutic approaches are evidence-based and vary according to clients' needs: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with training through the Beck Institute, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR level 1), Play-based CBT and Social Skill development, Emotional Regulation Skills, Motivational Counselling, Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Conscious Breath Work, Solution-Focused Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples.
Outside of work, Laurel enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog (Ollie). She is an avid listener of podcasts (her favourites include: This Might Be Helpful, the Hidden Brain, True North True Crime), enjoys painting and sketching portraits, and getting outside (with a toddler and Jack Russell, she is outdoors every day rain or shine). She also enjoys spending some evenings scrolling on the phone with junk TV in the background.
clientele and issuess addressed
Laurel’s specialties are working with individual adults and older teenagers living with anxiety and/or experiencing life changes.
Below are some descriptions of the clientele and issues addressed:
Individuals experiencing a major life transition and feel overwhelmed (eg. a move, adjustment to university, change in relationship, new job).
Have anxiety that interferes with their functioning (eg. Social anxiety, fear, panic attacks, fear, generalized anxiety).
Live with chronic pain or illness and want support in navigating healthcare options or tools to manage pain.
Have experienced trauma and are looking for ways to support their nervous system.
Are wanting support with grief and bereavement.
Have specific goals but feel stuck in regards to moving forwards (eg. health goals, new entrepreneurs).
Want space to explore concerns about their relationships, or are going through the end of a relationship.
Are wanting to explore current patterns of thinking, feeling, relating, and behaving, to create more opportunity for choice in their lives.
Coming to counselling often requires feeling ready to identify and shift patterns that are no longer working for you. It is often an exciting step towards a better future. With that being said, it requires mental and emotional energy. Sometimes, people in our lives are not ready to support the changes we hope to make. Feeling that you have the time and resources to invest in counselling is important. If it’s determined that working together will not be the best fit, or that it is not the right time for you to start counselling, Laurel will do her best to offer more alternative and appropriate resources.
Laurel's working approaches
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a widely utilized approach for anxiety, depression, and other challenges. Clients are offered support in exploring and readjusting unhelpful patterns of thinking and beliefs about themselves and the world. CBT offers many skills and tools, and opportunities to engage in continuous learning outside of their sessions. Research indicates that this form of therapy is highly effective for anxiety and depression.
Expressive Play Therapy: Often, young children do not yet have the verbal or cognitive ability to discuss the challenges in their lives. Instead, play and art are often how children process what is going on in their lives. Laurel works with children to provide a safe and caring environment for personal expression, while guiding emotional regulation and increasing emotional vocabulary and communication skills. She frequently incorporate Cognitive Behavioural tools with a kid-friendly "twist".
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Emotionally-Focused Therapy for couples addresses interpersonal issues by examining and strengthening the processes of bonding within relationships. By creating safety in vulnerability, couples gain greater insight into the needs of their partners while building a new perspective on points of conflict.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Marsha Linehan's Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is designed to support individuals who experience a high levels of emotional reactivity and intensity. The focus of DBT is on supporting clients in slowing down habitual, reactive thought/emotional processes, to explore ways of self-regulating and self-soothing, and improve personal relationships and support systems.
Mindfulness Approaches: Mindfulness doesn't need to involve committing to 2-hours of meditating each day! Utilization of different breathing and grounding techniques can be beneficial in supporting clients with changing unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. Laurel will often integrate mindfulness tools with additional therapeutic approaches.