Rachel Keyzer

MACP, Clinical Counsellor

Rachel Keyzer is currently accepting new clients.

Rachel (she/her) believes that your wellbeing is uniquely yours. She sees her role as being someone to support and guide your growth and healing. From her lived experiences, she understands that this process can be messy, heartbreaking, and uncomfortable. As your therapist, she will honour your journey and empower you, with compassion and curiosity, to uncover what makes you the person you are. Together, you can nurture a new relationship with yourself and others.

Her approach to counselling is person-centered, feminist and trauma-informed. She views each client from a holistic perspective, incorporating what the mind and body communicate, and the cultural and social factors that influence us. When working together, she encourages clients to be themselves in a safe and welcoming space.

She primarily incorporates Experiential, Existential and Attachment-based therapies and Queer theory, but adapts her approach to meet her clients’ needs and personalities. She embraces the diverse and countless ways of being and expressing oneself.

rachel@rachelkeyzercounselling.com

Areas of Practice

Anxiety
Life Transitions
Sexuality and Sexual Health
Ethical Non-monogamy and Polyamory
Body Image
Shame
Grief and Loss
Sexual, Relational and Religious Trauma
Chronic Pain

Approaches Used

Humanistic Approach
Attachment Theory
Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed
Polyvagal Theory
Somatic Therapy
Existential Therapy
Queer Theory
Gottman Method

What experience or background do you bring to your counselling and supervision practice that is uniquely yours?

Before counselling, I was a project manager in the social work field. Having spent many years working alongside some of Vancouver’s most marginalized individuals, I have learned that empathy and patience are key to supporting people. I also understand what it is like to lose loved ones to the impacts of trauma, depression and addiction. From these experiences I have learned to be present and compassionate, with myself and others.

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

The privilege of working with people who continuously demonstrate vulnerability and openness when facing fear, pain and oppression. I love being a part of my clients’ process of learning about themselves, releasing what is no longer needed, and choosing personal growth. I consider myself fortunate to be able to spend my working time doing something I enjoy so much.

What have you learned from your work?

The beauty of life lies in its complexities. Ultimately, we all need to feel a sense of belonging and connectedness. How we have learned to cope with life’s challenges demonstrates our strength and capacity for survival. But sometimes, these coping strategies begin to do more harm than good, which is where therapy can help.

Blog Contributions

Counsellors Practice Updates