Get to know me and my approach a little better!

I’m Jackie. A bit about me and my social location:

I am Canadian-born and of Indian (Punjabi, Sikh) descent. I am a cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied woman. I was born on Vancouver Island, and I am a settler on the unceded lands on which I live and work. My lived experience existing between cultures influenced my decision to do therapy work, and to support other people who feel like they’re questioning where they ‘fit’, who they are, or who are looking for space to sort out how conflicted and chaotic life can be.

How this translates into supporting clients:

Social location will influence how you experience stressors and stress in life, as it influences how you interact with the world, and how the world responds to you. I will take this context into account in our work together, all with the interest of supporting you effectively.

That being said, I believe that you know yourself and your lived experiences best, and I firmly believe in your capability to manage (even if it might feel like you’re not so sure about that). I aim to centre your voice and your lived experience as we work together, and hold a safe enough space for you to reconnect to your sense of capability and remember who you are.

Together we can look at things that are working for you/helping you cope as well as things that you might deem unhelpful, both systemic and individual contributions to stress, the nature of the stressors you are facing, and work on getting through tough stuff without making things harder on yourself. I will hold hope for you, even when it might feel hard to find.

A bit about my education and work experience:

My Master’s of Counselling Psychology degree is made stronger by additional postgraduate training in cognitive behaviour therapy, mindful self-compassion, anti-oppressive psychotherapy, narrative therapy, trauma informed practice, dialectical behaviour therapy, and strengths-based listening. 

My varied work experience in the mental health field includes several years working alongside individuals from multiple cultural and ethnic backgrounds, as well as gender identities and sexual orientations, who live with the lasting impacts of trauma, substance use, mental health diagnoses, poverty, and homelessness.  

I am committed to continued growth and education in anti-oppressive and decolonizing therapy work, as well as maintaining an inclusive therapy practice.