Adrienne Cossom

- Experience: I’ve been counselling for twenty-five years and learned a lot during this time that I will share with you. I’m not going to tell you what to do. However, if you would like me to share my ideas, perspective, strategies, and what has worked for others, I will.

- Treatment that works for you: It’s a significant decision to start counselling. I want you to get the help you need and see things change for the better. I’ll tailor a counselling plan just for you, bring in current approaches that are effective, and ask for your feedback along the way.

- Comfort: What I commonly hear from people at the end of a first session is that I’m easy to talk to and helped them to feel comfortable. People also notice that I’m professional and committed to ethical practice, especially confidentiality. I strive to create safety in counselling. This means that I bring respect for all identities and orientations and strive to work with everyone in a collaborate way.

**About me – professionally and personally**

There are several educational pathways to a career in counselling. I chose to pursue a Master of Social Work because I was drawn to its focus on people within the context of their relationships, communities, and identities, including family, friendships, neighbourhoods, culture, spirituality, race, gender, and other meaningful forms of belonging.

I also value Social Work’s commitment to equity and social justice. This perspective shapes my counselling approach by recognizing that our wellbeing is influenced not only by our inner experiences, but also by the environments, systems, and communities we are part of.

After getting an MSW from the University of Toronto, I stayed in Ontario for another seven years and worked as a counsellor at a women’s health centre and a sexual assault care centre and also helped survivors of crimes navigate the court system. This included working with men who had been sexually abused when they were young.

I grew up in Victoria (with a few years in both Regina and Waterloo) so my partner and I returned to British Columbia when our kids were young to be close to family. We eventually settled in Port Coquitlam where we have lived for the past twenty years. During this time, I worked at SHARE Family and Community Services providing subsidized and free counselling to individuals, families, and couples in the Tri-Cities. I’m comfortable with having more than one person in the counselling room and welcome spouses, family, and support people to join in.

I’ve facilitated a lot of groups, including for depression, anxiety, mindfulness and addressing addiction, and I’ll often recommend groups as a way to learn more about a particular issue and get relief from knowing you are not alone.

It’s important to me to help people with whatever they bring to counselling, so I haven’t limited my practice to a narrow set of issues. However, there are some issues in which I have more extensive experience and training. See my areas of focus at the top of this bio.

Part of my development as a therapist has been to regularly update my knowledge and skills. Here’s some of the more recent trainings I completed:

- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (externship)

- Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level One)

- Trauma Informed Care

- Phone and Internet Counselling

- Narrative Therapy

- Feedback Informed Therapy

- Indigenous Cultural Competency

**What is the benefit of working with a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW)?**

A Registered Social Worker has met the qualifications and standards set by the BC College of Social Workers and is required to do professional development every year.

A Registered Clinical Social Worker (which I am) is an additional designation which recognizes advanced training and skills in mental health, counselling, and human development. An RCSW has 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised clinical experience and passed a comprehensive North American clinical board exam.

RCSWs are covered by many benefit plans, including Canada Life and Green Shield. If you have coverage, check to see if a Social Worker is covered.

I would be happy to talk with you for a free consultation. Reach out to me directly to book this at 236-978-1455.