Trauma-Informed & Somatic Therapy in Victoria, BC
Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified Hakomi Practitioner, Internal Family Systems therapist, and Clinical Supervisor — Victoria, BC
"I am committed to honouring the unique qualities of each individual and helping them discover their own innate resources for well-being."
A Compassionate Space for Your Healing Journey
I'm Vanya. I work with people who are quietly tired — of holding everything together, of carrying old hurts that no longer fits, of being the one everyone else leans on. I work with people who are curious about what lives in their body beneath the noise of their thoughts. And I work with people who are ready to remember that they belong — to themselves, to others, and to the natural world.
My practice is in Victoria, BC, and I see clients in my cozy cottage office near Hillside, online across British Columbia, and outdoors on the trails of the Saanich Peninsula and the Highlands.
How I came to this work
I have spent the last 15+ years immersed in deep nature connection work — first as a learner, then as a guide running nature programs. Somewhere along the way I realized that the slowing down, the sensory richness, the felt sense of belonging that people kept finding outdoors was, in many ways, the same medicine I was offering in the therapy room.
Deep nature connection work has allowed me to go from being a "tourist in the forest" to a mentor who guides others to cultivate a deep understanding and meaningful relationship with themselves, others, and the natural world. That same orientation — patient, curious, embodied — is what I bring to every counselling session, indoors or out.
Training and credentials
- •Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
- •Certified Hakomi Practitioner — the Hakomi Method is a mindfulness-based, somatic form of psychotherapy
- •Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner; IFS Support Staff for IFSCA (IFS Canada) programs
- •Clinical Supervisor and Consultant for new and seasoned therapists
- •Group Facilitator running groups and workshops throughout the year
- •15+ years facilitating deep nature connection work and running nature programs
- •Compliant with BCACC tele-health and clinical guidelines
How I work
My approach is mindfulness-based, somatic, and trauma-informed, with deep nature connection woven through. I draw on Internal Family Systems and the Hakomi Method as my two core modalities. I describe my own basket of skills this way: a body-centered and trauma-informed approach, woven together with mindfulness and nature.
Most people who arrive at my office are tired of "their story." This approach is not about retelling your problems or your emotional history for lengthy amounts of time. Your history lives in the way you do things every minute — in the body, the breath, the small habits. I will be looking and listening for those defining patterns, and inviting small experiments in mindfulness to bring them gently into awareness.
I work slowly. I work compassionately. And I trust that you already carry the wisdom you need — sometimes my job is simply to help you remember.
Who I work with
I see individual adults, couples, families, and other therapists in private practice. I have a particular passion for supporting those who support others — parents, caregivers, helping professionals, and other counsellors.
I commonly work with people navigating:
- • Anxiety, depression, and burnout
- • Trauma and grief
- • Parenting and family transitions
- • Relationship challenges
- • Stress in helping or caregiving roles
- • ADHD and emotional regulation
- • Life transitions and the kind of "now what?" questions that come with them
- • Reconnecting with the natural world
- • Therapist parts — the inner protectors that carry the weight of clinical work
An Inclusive Space
My approach is inclusive — queer-positive, body-positive, gender-affirming, and culturally sensitive. I am committed to feminist and anti-oppressive values in both my counselling and my clinical supervision work.
Identity and land acknowledgement
I am a cisgendered, queer, white woman who uses the pronouns she/her.
I acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional territories of the LƏK̓ʷƏŊƏN and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples — territories that have been stewarded with care since long before my own family arrived on this island. I am grateful for the lands that hold my life and my practice, and I continue to learn what reciprocity and respect can look like in this work.
Beyond one-to-one counselling
Nature-based counselling
Outdoor sessions on the trails of the Saanich Peninsula and Highlands. My flagship specialty, drawing on more than 15 years of deep nature connection work.
Learn more about nature-based counsellingClinical supervision
Nature-informed, somatic, feminist supervision and consultation for new and seasoned therapists.
Learn more about clinical supervisionGroup programs
Including The Grounding Grove (a somatic consult group for therapists), and IFS-focused workshops and consult groups.
See current workshopsWhat clients have said
"Vanya is a highly competent and respectful counsellor who holds kindness and curiousity as her gold standard. We are thriving because of her help."
— Anonymous couple
"Thank you for being a supportive guide as I discovered parts of myself that had been hiding for too long."
— Teacher, Age 39
"Vanya holds a calm, compassionate presence that invites people to feel seen, supported, and at ease. I loved being a part of the Grounding Grove consult group, I didn't know I was coming for the sense of community and all the new skills I learned with Vanya! Thank you!"
— Therapist, age 48
If you are curious
You do not need to know what kind of therapy you need before you reach out. A free 15–20 minute Meet and Greet is a low-pressure way to ask questions and see if working together feels right.
With increased awareness and compassionate support, you get to choose how to live a meaningful life.