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My Approach

Kathryn Saunders Counselling

My approach is relational—I’m a real person with thoughts and opinions that I will share with you. I take firm stands on some things (e.g., injustice, violence and safety) and have a lot of flexibility on others.

Kathryn Saunders

Canadian Certified Counsellor, BSW, MA

I have an easy-going manner and a relaxed style, our time together will be a conversation and a collaboration. I have some expertise in counselling, but you are the expert in your own life. While I rely on training and education to guide my interventions, critical approaches are a constant presence in my practice—I welcome your boundaries about what works and doesn’t work for you. It will always be your choice to engage in work we do together and how you feel may change from session to session—hopefully for the better.

I am a life-long activist and believe that personal change and social change are deeply connected. I consider the effects of systems of power on the lives of my clients, using an interpersonal and anti-oppressive approach in our work together.

 

Trauma informed

Experiences that overwhelm our ability to cope and our nervous system’s ability to protect itself may cause enduring symptoms of trauma such as increased heart rate, "panic attacks", pain, sweating, stomach-related problems, overwhelming emotions, nightmares and dissociation. The body is often where the focus needs to be.

Trauma-informed practice acknowledges that our physical experiences, thoughts, emotions, spiritual and relational connections are linked, both harm and healing in one area will have an effect on the whole and may require different support.

Training

I have degrees in social work (BSW) and counselling psychology (MA) from the University of Victoria. 

I am a registered as a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

I am undergoing further training in Somatic Experiencing™ as an approach to working with trauma, violence and stress. I’ve also had training in:

  • Cultural safety and the impact of colonization
  • Anti-racism
  • Consent and healthy sexuality

Techniques

Once I know who you are and what your goals are for therapy, I’ll share with you what I think might work, this could involve:

  • Talk-therapy
  • Somatic Experiencing™ (a method of working with trauma and stress, based on Peter Levine’s work on how our natural responses to trauma are often halted, and need to finish in the body).
  • Grounding and containment skills
  • Boundary work

While I do employ some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques, this is not the focus of my practice.

Topics

Together, we can work on a variety of challenges that you are experiencing. These could look like:

  • Anxiety
  • Attachment related work
  • Boundaries
  • Childhood abuse, trauma
  • Chronic pain
  • Depression
  • Experiences of systemic harms (e.g., Racism, Colonization, Sexism, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Homophobia, Ableism)
  • Family of origin work
  • Front-line worker stress
  • Gender exploration and affirmation
  • Grief and loss
  • Illness and resulting life changes
  • Intergenerational trauma
  • Medical trauma (surgeries, procedures)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Relationships
  • Separation and divorce
  • Sexual assault
  • Sexuality
  • Substance use
  • Suicidality
  • Trauma and violence
  • Work related stress