Hi! My name is Jessamine (she/her) and I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor and uninvited settler on stolen xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) lands. I am a cisgender, queer, first generation Filipino-Taiwanese immigrant and diasporic writer, artist, and facilitator.
####Areas of Focus:
My areas of focus include but are not limited to:
- anxiety
- depression
- self-esteem
- complex family dynamics
- grief, including anticipatory grief
- identity exploration, including navigating diasporic connection/ disconnection to ancestry & culture
- exploring sexuality and gender identity
- neurodivergence
- COVID concerns
- 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, QTBIPOC identities
- relationship conflict
- navigating organizing and activism work
- repairing harm & accountability
- individual counselling & relationship counselling
####Approaches & What to Expect:
My approaches to counselling are intersectional, social justice-oriented, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed. I believe that experiences like healing and trauma are multi-layered, non-linear, and rarely occur in isolation to systems, communities, and the environment. (I love embodying the vibe of that Charlie Day meme of the conspiracy theory board, but in therapy!)
I hope to be able to co-create spaces to dream alongside one another, collaborate together, and foster space for QTBIPOC magic, ancestral wisdom, and learning from non-human kin. You can expect me to be warm, collaborative, and curious.
I have an eclectic and integrated approach to therapy but am drawn to Expressive Arts Therapies - Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, Generative Somatics and Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems/ parts work, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
####Selected Trainings
- Generative Somatics I with Fayza Bundalli
- Radical Mental Health First Aid with Oumou Sylla
- Somatic Therapy 101 (with a focus on working with queer & trans clients) with Andrea Gutiérrez-Glik
- SW 101: Demystifying Sex Work and Working in Solidarity with PACE Society
- Trans Care BC Trainings:
- Caring for patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery with Trans Care BC
- Gender-Affirming Relational Practice with Trans Care BC
- Gender-Affirming Sexual Healthcare: Pleasure, Desire, & Sexual Expression with Trans Care BC
Outside of counselling, I find joy in anime and manga, music, video games and board games, collaborative and parallel art-making, and community and community organizing work.
I am fully vaccinated, regularly boosted, and will wear a mask for in-person sessions. You are welcome to wear a mask, but are not required to.
