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About

Please note: Due to other responsibilities within the Student Wellness Centre, Leah’s availability to accept new counselling clients is limited at this time.

Since 2005 I have been training and working in the counselling field with people of all ages, with a particular focus on working with youth and young adults.

I have settler ancestry and have lived and worked on the land of the Coast and Straits Salish peoples for most of my life. I recently completed my PhD in Counselling Psychology with the University of British Columbia and am a registered psychologist (#2294) with the College of Psychologists of BC. After studying and working on the Lower Mainland and Eastern Canada, I am pleased to return to the community in which I was raised.

I value spending time out in nature and appreciate the ocean, forests, and mountains of the West Coast landscape.

My pronouns are she and her.

Counselling approach

I embrace an interpersonal and humanistic approach to counselling, which means I value individuals' expertise on their own lives/lived experience, and I view the therapeutic relationship as key in supporting change/growth. From a strengths-based perspective I work to support students to develop new skills to cope with life demands and distress and to achieve their own unique goals.

I believe in an individual’s capacity for change and growth. I recognize that people are part of a larger network (such as family, community, romantic partners) and I am sensitive to the role different systems may play in an individual's life, struggles, and resilience.

In addition to expertise in interpersonal and cognitive-behavioural therapy, I also bring a developmental and contextual approach to my work. In addition to providing counselling to all students, I have a particular focus on working to support students of diverse backgrounds.

I have engaged in training related to providing culturally competent care, supporting trans and non-binary folks, and am part of the BC Network of Trans Service Providers. I work collaboratively with individuals to determine their needs and develop a counselling plan moving forward to address main concerns.

Areas of interest

• Relationships and relationship with self
• Identity and gender identity
• Depression and coping
• Self-compassion and mindfulness approaches