2) hopefully feel even more safe/comfortable when you come in for counselling.
Alright, let’s chat with Anna!
Q: How long have you worked at Peak Resilience?
A: I joined Peak in January of 2020.Q: What is your favourite thing about being a counsellor?
A: My favourite thing about being a counsellor is putting love into action. Every one of us is important, and I get to demonstrate that truth by getting to know my clients and supporting their quality of life. It’s amazing.
Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be?
A: I would like my super power to be a ray gun that when pointed towards a space/place, restores it to eco-systemic balance. I worry about the negative impacts that some human activity is having on our plant and animal friends, and so I sometimes fantasize about a way of undoing all of that.
Q: What is one cause you are really passionate about?
A: I am really passionate about ending violence. As an effort to end violence in individual lives, I maintain ongoing trauma-sensitive therapy training. It’s very motivating to me to help people heal from these cycles.
Violence is also really possible to change on a larger scale. When you look at the attitudes and beliefs that underpin causing harm to others, we can change these things in our daily interactions. Sexually objectifying others, taking hierarchies of class or race for granted, and undermining indigenous leadership, are examples of harmful themes that show up in our everyday conversations. Research and experience shows that if these go unchallenged, we end up writing each other off, being self-serving, or even directing physical violence to those whom we have discounted in these ways.
Q: What is your favourite color?
A: Salmon. Which is either pink or orange depending on how deep into the argument we are, haha.
Q: How do you practice self-care?
A:I do all types of holistic stuff, but one of my favourites is starting my day with a really good album (Solange’s When I Get Home, for example) and stretching, lifting and just moving my body in ways that feel good. I mix in my recommended physiotherapy exercises and yoga. This is a way that I easily spend about an hour loving the music and working through my body head to toe, and I feel entirely wonderful at the end.
Q: What is the best advice someone has given you?
A: That some things just hurt, and there’s nothing wrong with you for feeling deep pain. Some things in life are just plain awful; it’s humbling and a very honest experience to have.
Q: What ‘theory’ of counselling do you practice?
A: I am an eclectic person who wants to be accessible to lots of types of people, so I start from Person-Centred counselling. I am always training in different tools and strategies that compliment this compassionate and non-judgmental foundation, one of which is Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. This approach works from body sensations and impulses, taking talk therapy to a deep place. When you think about it, every experience has sensory components to it; from the very painful (say, a trauma) to the light-hearted (smelling warm-baked bread). In therapy I can guide you into your moment-to-moment sensory experience gently and safely, so that you can not only become aware of your body’s wisdom, but integrate it into your life.
Q: Why is intersectional feminism important to you?
A: Intersectional Feminism has allowed me to see the real world, and more or less how to hold up others and myself, versus feeding the status quo. For me, this understanding was merely intellectual until I began to work in intersectional feminist spaces. My experiences of oppression became clear- both in terms of how I suffered or I have made others suffer. We have these conversations and we hold each other accountable.
In counselling we can critically examine the status quo as well, and start rejecting the various unwanted influences on our lives. Why should anyone ever think they’re not worthy of a good life? Babies are not born ashamed or depressed, they’re born squirming, reaching and calling out. My offering is to co-create a space of celebration for you in your fullness, led by your truest values.
Interested in knowing more about Anna? You can check out her profile, watch her intro video, or send us an email at connect@peak-resilience.com
If you’re still not sure who might be a good fit for you, you can also fill out our GET MATCHED form– we’ll match you with the best counsellor for you within 48 hours.
