Bess McCarville

MSW, SEP, RSW #16249 (BC)

Bess McCarville is accepting new clients.

Registered Social Worker & Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Hi, my name is Bess (she/they).

I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW). I am also a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). I provide virtual counselling support to individuals living in BC as well as the Yukon.

Counselling that trusts your body

I trust in your body’s innate wisdom and capacity to heal from difficult life experiences. I see my role as that of a collaborator, helping you work through areas of pain and stuckness. I believe that you hold the skills and knowledge you need to move forward in your life and toward the things that matter most to you. I am here to support you along the way.

Intersectional and Trauma Informed Counsellor

I hold awareness and curiosity around the ways in which we are each uniquely shaped by lineage, upbringing, community, culture, institutions, and social norms. How we are shaped is often reflected in both our resiliencies and our struggles. I believe there is deep wisdom in the strategies we develop to cope and protect ourselves, even those that may no longer be serving us.

I strive to offer an affirming space in which you can move toward a greater sense of choice, possibility, and alignment with your values.

Queer and Non-Binary Counsellor

As a queer and non-binary counsellor, I am deeply committed to supporting those who have not historically found safe and competent care within health and healing spaces. As a person of white settler ancestry, I am equally committed to the personal work of lifelong learning, humility, and practice informed by the ways in which systems of power and oppression intersect with individual and collective well-being.

Professional Training and Experience

I hold an MSW with a focus in Social Justice and Diversity and have spent the past 15 years working in a variety of community and healthcare settings with children, youth, families, and individuals. I have advanced and ongoing training in somatic therapy, an approach that considers the ways our bodies store and process difficult experiences.

Somatic therapy helps us build capacity to be with challenging feelings in new ways, and can also help us to process and move through past stress and trauma.

I value working with folks navigating a variety of mental health concerns, with a specialized focus on trauma healing, queer and trans mental health, reproductive mental health, and grief and loss. Our sessions will be collaborative and will likely include a blend of conversation and somatic practice, informed by your goals and preferences.

I tend to work mostly with longer-term clients, although I have lots of experience with briefer, more focused counselling work. I’d be pleased to connect to discuss your particular needs if you feel we might be a good fit.

At the onset of our work together, we’ll chat about your hopes and goals for counselling so that we can plan our work together accordingly.

If you’ve read to this point, I welcome you to book your first session or a free 15 minute phone consultation as a next step.

I acknowledge, with respect and gratitude, that I work within the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples – xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as well as the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

Bess’ informed consent form can be found here.

Approaches Used

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Oppressive, Attachment Informed / Attachment Based Therapy, Feminist Intersectional Therapy (FIT), LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming, Mindful Self Compassion (MSC), Mindfulness, Neurodiversity Affirming, Sex and Kink Positive, Sex Worker Positive, Somatic and Body-Centred Approaches, Trauma Informed Therapy

Specialties and Areas of Practice

Accountability, ADHD, Alternate Relationship Structures, Anxiety, Autism, Body Image, Boundary Setting, Break-Ups, Burnout, Career Counselling / Work Issues, Childhood Trauma, Children, Chronic and Life-Limiting Illness, Communication Skills, Creative Blocks, Dating, Depersonalization, Depression, Derealization, Disability, Dissociation, Eating Disorders, Emotional Abuse, Emotional Regulation and Anger, Family Conflict, Goal Setting, Grief and Loss, Harm Reduction, Health Care Workers/First Responders, Identity, Interpersonal Challenges, Kink and Sex Positive, LGBTQIA2S+, Life Meaning and Purpose, Life Transitions, Motivation, Neglect, Nervous System Regulation, Neurodivergence, Pain Management, Panic Attacks, Parenting, Perfectionism, Postpartum, Pregnancy, PTSD / Complex PTSD, Queer Relationships, Relational Trauma, Relationship Issues, Religious Trauma, Reproductive Struggles, Self Worth and Personal Growth, Self-Esteem, Sex Worker Allied, Sexual Trauma, Sexuality and Gender, Shame, Stress Management and Stress Reduction, Student Support, Transgender / Nonbinary / Gender-Nonconforming, Trauma

Bess McCarville is accepting new clients.

How Much Counselling Will I Need?

It depends on what you want. Most clients fall into one of three categories:

One (or two) and done – I just want some advice to move forward on a problem. Cool, just let me know that so I can make sure the session will be focused.
Acute issue – I need some support to resolve an issue, but I don’t want to be in counselling forever. This usually takes 8-12 sessions but could be shorter or longer based on your needs (time, financial, issue complexity). We create the ideal structure together.
Long-term therapeutic relationship – I need a safe space to process life events. Sessions are often booked up to a year in advance so you can count on the structure and support. The topic often changes session to session, but relates back to an overarching theme of self-development, relationship management, or something of that nature.

I can’t tell you which issues fall into which bucket, or guarantee results, because each client is unique. It’s best to let me know which category you think you might fall into, we can check and adjust as needed.

What is your favourite thing about working closely with people every day?

There is an inherent courage and rigor required to show up to the work of healing and change and I am continually astounded that I get to witness these qualities on a daily basis. I feel deeply inspired and galvanized by the vulnerability and willingness folks bring into the counselling space. As a naturally curious and unconventional cat, I also love hearing people’s stories and holding imaginative space for all of the incredible and diverse ways in which we can structure and live our lives, to most fully reflect our personal and collective needs and values.

What have you learned from your work?

Healing the way we relate to ourselves is possible! It is by no means a linear journey and can take us to some really unexpected places at times but sticking with ourselves and this work can and does yield meaningful change. I have also learned that when we heal, we do so not only for ourselves but for one another (including both our human and more-than-human kin). As we learn to relate more lovingly toward ourselves, we bring this integrity into all of our interactions with the people and places we encounter and are better equipped to contribute to the societal changes we long to see in our own lifetimes and for future generations. No small thing!

Blog Contributions

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Counsellors Blog Strength and Courage

Counselling Assistance Following the Car Attack Tragedy in Vancouver on April 26th

Last Updated: September 25, 2026 Created: May 17, 2023

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