HI! I’M AUTUMN.
COUNSELLING CAN BE NERVE-RACKING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET. READ ON TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
GET TO KNOW ME
Hi! I’m Autumn, Canadian Certified Counsellor (#12284) and Relationship Specialist. I’m a wife, mama, counsellor, entrepreneur, and coffee enthusiast, who has spent over a decade studying the science of relationships and human connection.
I have completed my Masters in Counselling Psychology and have taken further training in Gottman Methods Couples Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couples & Family Therapies, all of which have helped shape the way I work with my clients.
I serve individuals and couples who deeply desire and value fulfilling relationships with the people who matter most- whether this be with themself, a family member, friend, or spouse. I do this by offering a variety of services with compassion, a dash of science, equal parts humour and authenticity, and a good helping of practical tools. People often describe me as warm, calm, and nurturing.
When I’m not busy running a business and doing further research about the human connection, you can find me cooking up a storm (currently obsessed with the perfect soup!), going on hikes around this gorgeous island, practicing yoga, connecting with friends and family, chasing after my little ones, playing with my pup, and trying to beat my husband at Cribbage.
Ready to work together?
MY STORY
Read on if you want to know all the details
MY STORY
On Becoming a Counsellor
As long as I can remember, I have hoped to become a counsellor; when I was younger, I was often the friend people would come to to discuss their relationship woes and found myself consuming books about the complexities of the human condition. I analyzed the deep friendships I experienced, my family’s unique dynamics, and constantly wondered why we all do what we do in our interactions with others.
I grew up in a suburb outside Portland, Oregon. My parents filled our community with a vibrant group of friends of all sexualities and ethnicities, and I learned that love was love from a very young age. I remember learning that you could make a living talking to people about their lives and I thought, “that sounds like a dream!”
When I graduated highschool, I set out on a fairly straight path to make that dream a reality, completing education and training that would bring me closer to my goal, and every step further solidified this field was for me. I learned that I love the science of attachment, the importance of close relationships, and the benefits of having partners to navigate life with.
Although my formal education and training have greatly influenced the therapist I am today, it is my intimate relationships that have truly shaped the work I do.
My relationship with my partner, children, family and friends are some of the most important work I will ever do. Each day they teach me something about myself, the world, and the nature of close relationships.
WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY.
My personal and professional history have shaped the counsellor I am, and I acknowledge that my experience as a white cisgender woman has shaped me and the work I do. As I continue to actively learn and affirm the distinct histories of BIPOC communities, I aim to unlearn dominant racist and oppressive narratives that may have influenced me.
I feel so lucky to do the work I do. For me, building this practice is the chance I have to make ripple effects in our community, making it a little happier, healthier, and filled with a little more love.
I am on a mission to support you through your journey and reinvent the way we think about counselling.
If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to working with you.
12 THINGS YOU LIKELY DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME
I grew up in a small town in Washington, also called Vancouver
I moved to Canada when I was 13
I lived in a Westfalia Vanagon for three months one summer with my now husband (before we moved in together - what an adventure that was!)
I have a deep love for mac and cheese and potato chips
I swam in the Aegean Sea
I love LOVE … OK this one might be obvious by now!
I fractured my tailbone cliff diving in the Dominican Republic...and have subsequently developed a fear of heights
My partner and I went to couples counselling before we got married and it was one of the best things we ever did for our relationship
I am a certified yoga teacher, although I took the training primarily for my own practice
I am a dog mama to my Mini Australian Shepherd, Westy (after the van!)
Even though we felt prepared, the transition to parenthood was not easy for my partner or myself. We both struggled and sought professional support to navigate the early months
Being a mom has been equally one of the most difficult, surprising, growth inducing, and joyful experiences of my life
Still have questions? I’d love to hear from you!
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Great Sex For Couples: Integrating Attachment Theory & Sex Therapy For Couples Therapists-George Faller & Lori Watson- 2021
Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health- Postpartum Support International- 2021
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Externship- VCEFT, ICEEFT- 2020
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Facilitator’s Training- Dr. Marisa Collins- 2019
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training- Brahmanda School of Yoga- 2019
Motivational Interviewing Advanced Certificate- Paul Burke- 2019
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy-Basic & Advanced Training-Mental Health Foundations-2018
Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 Certificate- Gottman Institute, Seattle- 2016
Couples Counsellor Training- Citizens Counselling Centre- 2015
Masters of Counselling Psychology - University of Victoria- 2015
Volunteer Counsellor Training- Citizens Counselling Centre- 2012
Bachelors of Art, Psychology major, Business minor- University of Victoria- 2010
