Trauma-informed counselling in Vancouver and online across Canada
WELCOME
Hi – I’m Sandy Kirkwood. I have been a therapist for 15 years with a mission of contributing more healing, kindness, and love in the world.
Whatever is going on for you, I am here to support you with warmth and steadiness.
Ways I can support you
About
As a therapist and clinical supervisor, I have come to think of myself as being in the business of helping clients to build greater self-trust. Self-trust is a quiet inner knowing of “I’ve got this”. It’s the clarity of: “I know what is true for me and from there I have options and power.” It is the feeling of being grounded, integrated, whole, secure and enough, just as you are.
I believe that a grounded sense of self-trust and self-worth are the ultimate resources for all of us, no matter what may be going on externally. My favourite thing is helping clients who are ready to do the deeper work of healing the root causes of what is blocking you from feeling truly at ease in yourself. I believe that once the awareness of self-trust and self-worth evolves in you, it remains constant.
Would you like to stop feeling that your life is a struggle? Are you someone who is curious about the root causes of what keeps you feeling dissatisfied, or not quite great? Are you motivated to dig deep into your psyche to discover what is blocking you from shining uniquely as you? Are you ready to deepen your connection with yourself and your relationships?
If you are, joy awaits you.
Individual Counselling
If you are here seeking counselling, you know that life can humble us all at certain times. You may be feeling stuck or confused or perhaps struggling with the impact of past trauma. This may include feelings of anxiety, burnout, overwhelm, anger, grief or questioning of your self-worth. I am experienced in helping clients to navigate sudden complex life transitions and move towards clarity.
I use trauma-informed, attachment-based counselling approaches including EMDR, Gestalt, Transpersonal, spiritual and experiential methods. Whatever is getting in the way of your well-being, I’d love to help.
Please book a free 15-minute consultation to see if I would be a good fit for you. I look forward to connecting with you online or in person.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a body-based, trauma therapy. It is designed to help you process and heal from trauma, stressful events, or negative experiences. It is not talk-therapy, although we use talk-therapy to help you to cognitively integrate the learning. EMDR is a proven trauma therapy backed by decades of research.
If you’ve experienced trauma or intense emotional pain, you may find it hard to move forward. The painful memories stick with you and can affect how you feel and act in everyday life. I have found that EMDR therapy can be very beneficial for some clients in reducing their reactivity to triggers and in calming their nervous systems. The goal is to reduce the emotional charge that the old memories carry so they no longer negatively impact your life. If you are interested in learning more about how EMDR might benefit you, please book a free consultation.
Specialties & Areas of Expertise
These are areas where I feel I have a lot of experience in guiding clients towards positive outcomes:
- Clinical Supervision and Consultation for therapists
- Healing past trauma
- Complex or sudden life transitions/losses
- Chronic pain or illness
- Burnout
- Self-worth
- Adult children of difficult or toxic parents
- Boundaries
- Imposter syndrome
- Abandonment
- Co-dependence
- Perfectionism
- Anger
- Power dynamics in family systems or workplaces
- Counselling with a spiritual lens
Credentials
- MA, Counselling Psychology
- Registered Clinical Counsellor #18414
- Member of EMDR Canada
- Member of EMDRIA
- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
- Diploma in Transpersonal Therapeutic Counselling, Clearmind International
- Registered Clinical Counsellor #18414
- BCACC Approved Clinical Supervisor
- Member of EMDR Canada
- Member of EMDRIA
- Approved Yorkville Practicum Site
- Facilitator Certification in Connect Parent Group Training
- Contractor for Stopping the Violence and Doctors of BC
- Master of Business Administration, U.B.C.
- Diploma in Education, McGill University
- Bachelor of Arts, French Language and Literature, McGill University
- EMDR Training: Integrating EMDR Into Your Clinical Practice, EMDR Consulting
- Clinical Supervision Foundations Certificate – City University Canada
- Advanced Clinical Supervision Certificate, Feminist Supervision 101, Course #1
- Clinical Supervision – Skills for Developing Counsellors, CTRI Continuing Education
- Enhancing Trauma Recovery in BIPOC Communities with EMDR Therapy, EMDRIA conference
- EMDR in Child Sexual Abuse Survivors and cPTSD Dealing with Intense Disgust and Negative Self-concept, EMDRIA conference
- Developmental Repair with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Neglect, EMDRIA conference
- San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training
- Treating Complex Trauma: Beyond Competency course
- Couples Experiential Relational Life Therapy seminar with Terry Real
- Transpersonal Counselling Practitioners Training Program (390 hours), Clearmind International
- Motivational Interviewing, Levels 1 and 2, UBC Continuing Education
- Workshops in Solution-focused Brief Therapy, SFBT for Couples, Mindfulness-based CBT, DBT, EFT for Individuals, Play Therapy, EFFT for Eating Disorders, Janina Fisher Trauma Recovery, Counselling Students with Developmental Disabilities, Assist Suicide Prevention
- Former Volunteer, Vancouver Crisis Centre, suicide prevention
- Former Teacher, High School Counsellor and Vice-principal