Hi, I’m Steph!
I know firsthand that seeking out new supports can be daunting. Sometimes getting ‘curious’ about oneself, and making space for vulnerability, can feel like the last thing we want to engage in. It takes courage and resiliency to live within oppressive social conditions and to heal from individual and collective experiences of trauma.
I believe that if our supports are rooted in safety and trust, we might find the space for healing hurts and connecting to more joy, more pleasure, and crafting a world many of us dream of. Part of building trust requires you to know a bit about me!
I am a cisgender, queer, Latinx, uninvited settler living on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, which includes the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
My own experiences with trauma — being both impacted by and working to resist oppression — inform the work I do alongside clients and in my communities. I know firsthand the gifts that this work can make accessible and would like to support you as you connect to a version of yourself that feels more whole and more able to dream.
My longing to support individual and collective healing led me pursue my Masters of Counselling and I am honoured to extend my offerings into community with compassion, warmth, and transparency. I am grateful to be able to walk alongside folx in their unique journeys and hold space as an accomplice while we disrupt and dismantle oppressive systems. I value collaboration and am committed to co-creating a safe, affirming, and non-judgemental environment for each client.
In my spare time, I enjoy being in the ocean or lakes, making playlists for all my moods, and spending time in my East Van neighbourhood. These days you can usually find me in cozied up with my heating pad, a book, and a peppermint tea.
Licensure and degrees
Registered Clinical Counsellor, BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
Master of Counselling, City University of Seattle - Vancouver
Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography, University of British Columbia
ADDITIONAL TRAININGS COMPLETED
The Sexually Competent Therapist Training - Allura Sex Therapy Centre - Oct 2020
Somatic Therapy 101 with a Focus on Working with Queer and Trans Clients, Andrea Glik - June 2021
EMDR Comprehensive Basic Training, EMDR Consulting - August 2022
San'yas Core Indigenous Cultural Safety Mental Health Training - completed December 2022
Heart, Politics, and Healing: An Introduction to Generative Somatics' Methodology - in progress March 2024