Therapy is not about making your problems disappear. It’s about understanding yourself— your reactions, your patterns, and what you genuinely value— so that you can take ownership of your life. Insight is valuable, but it is only the beginning; real change comes from making different choices and deciding how you want to move forward.
The key is learning that you are strong enough to handle life’s challenges, from the smallest annoyances to the most earth-shattering losses. I help you focus on finding your meaning and purpose, showing up fully in your relationships, and knowing your values so you put your time and energy into what really matters. Life is short and you are the only one who gets to live your one, brief, complicated, beautiful life.
My approach to counselling is deeply informed by my many years as a Registered Massage Therapist, where I built a practice rooted in pain science, the nervous system, and the relationship between stress, trauma, and the body. I have also studied and taught yoga for more than two decades— including teacher trainings in India and Bali— and I have advanced training in meditation, yoga nidra, and breathwork.
All of this has shaped how I think about mental health in a fundamental way. When you spend years working with people in their bodies, you see how deeply intertwined the physical and emotional selves are. Pain, tension, chronic illness, and exhaustion don't stay neatly contained in the body; they move into how we think, how we relate to others, and how we see ourselves.
I work with people navigating anxiety, burnout, and the feeling of not being or doing enough. I support those struggling with grief, loss, depression, and existential despair. My background as an RMT gives me a unique understanding of chronic pain, chronic illness, and the particular heartbreak of feeling like your body is failing you. I have experience working with people struggling with addiction, and with the family and friends who love them and don't know how to help. I support women through perimenopause, fertility challenges, and shifts in health and identity. And I work with anyone facing difficult family relationships, questions of purpose and meaning, or the long work of setting and holding healthy boundaries.
Outside of work, I live with my dog and two cats. I walk in nature, cook for the people I love, and take care of my elderly mother. I bake sourdough and make pottery, both of which challenge my perfectionist tendencies and keep me humble. I am holding out hope that one day I will win Survivor, and I’ve been a Swiftie since before it was cool.
I hold a Master of Counselling Psychology from Adler University and am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in English and Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and a Professional Massage Therapy Diploma from West Coast College of Massage Therapy. I am a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) in good standing with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC).
Please Note: Gillian provides counselling services only at Serenity Health. RMT services are not offered by her at this location.
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