Meet Vanessa V

About

I was born and raised in a small rural community in Southern Alberta, a visitor on Treaty 7 land - the traditional and ancestral territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina Nation, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, and the Metis Nation (Region 3).

I came to Victoria, an uninvited visitor on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, in 2021 to complete my pre-doctoral internship training at UVIC Student Wellness – and have now shifted into the role of sessional counsellor. I identify as queer and my pronouns are she/her; they/them.

 As a sessional counsellor, I offer Wellness Consultations to support students in exploring possibilities for making sense of and addressing the challenges they are navigating. I come from the belief that having many different ways of understanding and addressing challenges is better than having few, and that there is no one right way. Together, we can discuss your concerns and existing ways of managing them, review relevant resources, consider possibilities, and get you connected with a way forward that feels most meaningful for you. 

I completed my MSc in Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary in 2017 and am currently in the process of completing my doctorate in their PhD program. Through my training, I have had the opportunity to support children, adolescents, and adults of all ages, with diverse backgrounds, as they navigated a wide range of challenges in their lives, relationships, and families. I have had experience providing counselling at various settings, including child and adolescent mental health, developmental and cognitive support programming, family therapy, and student wellness at both the UofC and UVIC.

* Please note, that as a sessional counsellor I am only in office two days per week and do not provide ongoing counselling support.

Counselling approach

I come from the belief that having many different ways of understanding and addressing challenges is better than having few, and that there is no one right way. In my role as a counsellor, I have had the opportunity to support children, adolescents, and adults of all ages, with diverse backgrounds, as they navigated a wide range of challenges in their lives, relationships, and families. I have received training at various settings, including child and adolescent mental health, developmental and cognitive support programming, family therapy, and student wellness at the University of Calgary. 

As a counsellor, I draw from a range of different approaches with the aim of supporting people in ways that are most meaningful to them. Most readily, my approach is informed by feminist and narrative traditions, and I strive toward a collaborative, respectful, and creative practice, with the foundational belief that the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem. I believe in the importance of finding the right “fit” with your counsellor to ensure that you are supported in ways that are affirming and... actually helpful!

Areas of interest

To give you a better sense of our potential fit, these are some of the common challenges I have supported clients in navigating: 

• Body image
• Confidence and self-esteem
• Mood challenges (anger, anxiety, depressed mood)
• Gender and sexuality
• Grief and loss
• Identity exploration
• Life transitions of all kinds
• Lived experiences of adversity and/or trauma
• Relationship dynamics and challenges (colleagues/peers, family, friends, intimate partners, etc.)