My name is Karl (He/Him). I like to believe that we are both on a journey together, as a practicum student training to be a counsellor and as a client on your journey to navigate your experiences and discover more about yourself. As with many journeys, we may find ourselves in unexpected and unfamiliar territory (Believe it or not, I graduated with a degree in history before considering a career in counselling), but whether your decision to come to counselling is unexpected or unfamiliar to you, I’d still like to hear your story regardless.
As a history student who graduated from SFU, I have spent a lot of time reading about how different events shape the world we live in, but what I have become especially interested in is the experience people have navigating this world. That said, I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know people’s lived experiences through my time as a crisis line volunteer. Through my time volunteering, I’ve come to recognise that people’s internal worlds are complex, with ideas, rules, and knowledge that make them unique. But I also came to understand that expressing that internal world can be difficult.
I like to approach counselling with an “I’m all ears” mindset. I provide an open, non-judgmental opportunity to express your internal world because what you have to say about your experience is important, and how you feel about it is real. In addition, I also have training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and have done a lot of person-centred and solution-focused work during my time in the crisis line.
I hope that, as we get to know each other, we can explore your strengths, values, and what brings you meaning, get into what makes you, well… you, and help you work towards being your most authentic self.
Exploring Stagnation, Transition and Creating Direction
Stagnation and lack of direction can be major roadblocks to achieving a meaningful life. I know this very well after graduating from my undergrad without a plan and spending two years feeling directionless and unfulfilled. That feeling of a lack of direction can come out of nowhere, negatively affecting our self-esteem and our sense of self-worth. Maybe you’re in a major life transition, and you’re trying to figure out what to do next? Creating feelings of anxiety, unfulfillment or stagnation, or maybe you’re still contemplating change.
Counselling can help you explore the stagnation and lack of direction you may be experiencing, as well as other roadblocks that may prevent you from finding direction or fulfilment in your life and moving towards change. My goal with counselling isn’t to point you in a particular direction or purpose, but to explore what a meaningful life looks like to you and help you find the next steps to achieve it.
Men’s Mental Health
As a man, I have a personal stake in men’s mental health, especially in my own continuing experience grappling with my feelings about what it means to be a man, and who I am because of it. What 28 years of existing has taught me is that being a guy can be tough; we’re expected to suck it up, toughen things out, and constantly feel that pressure to live up to people’s expectations of men, and this can be stressful and exhausting.
Counselling is an opportunity to create a space to have a conversation, and explore the complex thoughts and emotions you can experience as a man when navigating both your internal and external worlds. It took a while for me to be comfortable with exploring my own feelings and talking about my struggles, so I can recognise the challenge when trying to be vulnerable as a man. The pressure of suppressing your emotions can make it hard to explore them, more so when you’re expected to have it together, even through stress, loneliness, or difficult life events.
I aim to build a relationship where we can speak man to man, in a space where vulnerability does not need permission. Using a non-judgemental approach, I aim to help you explore the meaning behind ideas like what masculinity is, what that may mean to you, and the type of man you want to be.
Religion: Faith, Religious Trauma and Residue
Faith can be an anchor in someone’s identity, for better or worse. As someone who has served the Catholic Church and community for the better part of a decade, I can recognise how one’s faith can play a very important role in their lives, shaping who you are, how you act, and what you believe. On the other hand, I also know what it’s like to grapple with a religious identity, while struggling to define who you are outside the expectations of the church or the secular world. Maybe you’re questioning long-held beliefs, or you’re grappling with where your relationship with your faith is. You could also be trying to grapple with the harm, trauma or shame you may have experienced. Your faith could also be a past experience or identity, but the beliefs, values, habits, and relationships you had with it still linger.
My aim with counselling is not to convince or direct you towards or away from your faith, nor is my role to offer spiritual guidance. The work we will do together is grounded in the exploration of both who you are as a person, and what faith may mean or meant to you. Exploring one’s relationship with their faith can elicit feelings of vulnerability; but it can also provide an intimate opportunity to reflect on where you were, where you are, and where you want to be, giving you the chance to heal and the strength to further move on from it or deepen your faith.
Identity, Acceptance, and Self-Confidence
We can often be caught up in being too hard on ourselves with our own expectations, constantly trying to live up to both what we think we ought to be and what people expect us to be. Counselling students like me know this very well, and we often experience imposter syndrome as we work to become better counsellors. I believe that this feeling can and has been felt by most people, regardless of the field they’re in.
I recognise that the value of constant improvement can be a way to justify who you are or your value as a person. Don’t get me wrong, self-improvement is important. As a counselling student, I’m obligated to always be improving my counselling skills. But we often forget to appreciate the strengths and skills we have developed that have made us skilful and resilient. Through counselling, I hope to work with you to support you by exploring your strengths, skills, and experiences that have brought you to where you are, and foster both acceptance, trust, and appreciation in your abilities.
Outside of Counselling, I usually spend time with my friends, family, and dog (she’s a chubby corgi named Kay). I also love going on multi-day hikes in the mountains and travelling across BC. Still, I can also appreciate cozying up with a book, a video game session, or a good documentary (war documentaries are a particular favourite of mine).
You can also find me learning new dishes to cook, or maybe just walking and exploring the city. When we meet, I would also like to learn about the things you enjoy outside our time together.
You can view my Informed Consent form here.
Affordable Counselling with a Practicum Student – Quality Mental Health Care at Reduced Cost
A note from Peak Resilience: Practicum Counsellors are counsellors. They are fully trained, and receive regular supervision to ensure they deliver the same quality mental health care clients expect from Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and Registered Social Workers (RSW). Practicum is the final stage before registration. Counselling Rates for Practicum Students are $35/50 minutes, with no eligibility questions asked, no limits to services and no waitlist.