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About

Hi, my name is Mara (she/her/they). I am one of the practicum counsellors here at the SWC, completing my MA in Counselling Psychology at UVic. As a white settler and uninvited guest, I hold deep gratitude for residing on the unceded lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən, Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. I grew up on one of the beautiful gulf islands, lived in Vancouver for nearly 10 years — home of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and have since settled in Victoria.

I am passionate about relationships with family, chosen family, friends/loved ones, and my community. In my day-to-day, I enjoy frequenting farmers markets, cooking, treating myself to an iced oat milk latte, camping, biking, and spending time by the ocean.

In my counselling practice, I take an integrative approach to meet each person’s unique needs. I draw from person-centered, strengths-based, intersectional feminist, and anti-oppressive frameworks — incorporating mindfulness and grounding techniques and fostering self-exploration. Creating a safe and empowering space is central to my work. I often focus on themes such as:

• Anxiety or stress
• Low mood or depressive symptoms
• Identity exploration and gender diversity
• 2SLGBTQ+ experiences
• Relationships, attachment, and boundaries — including non-traditional relationships (i.e., ENM, Polyamory)
• Neurodiversity-affirming care
• Life transitions and navigating change