Stillwaters Counselling offers therapeutic support tailored to the needs of the LGBTQ2S+ community. We serve clients in-person in Vancouver and online throughout British Columbia. We know that everyone’s journey is unique, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Our therapists have the specialized training and lived experience needed to offer you compassionate, nonjudgmental, and empathetic support.
Whether you are figuring out your identity, struggling with a recent breakup, social isolation, or just need a safe space to talk about your experiences, we’re here for you.
Our therapists see individuals and couples. Some of the issues we regularly work with include relationship challenges, coming out, exploring gender identity, family conflict, and working with the pain of gender dysphoria.
Meet Andrea (she/her)
We all have moments in our lives when our challenges seem insurmountable. As a social worker and counsellor, my goal is to help you make sense of what is going on and offer strategies to improve your situation. I know that understanding your unique circumstances is key to effective therapy tailored specifically to you.
My specialties include supporting individuals, youth, children and families with life transitions and distressing life events. I have particular expertise helping individuals who have a child or loved one struggling with mental illness.
As a settler on this land, I have had the honour of working alongside Indigenous communities. I am committed to providing ally-ship as a counsellor and I work from a social justice, non-judgemental, trauma-informed, and strength-based perspective. I am skilled at providing therapy in an online format, in the comfort of your own home. My therapy style brings warmth, empathy and maybe even some cheeky humour into each session. Our time together will be collaborative and productive.
I am a registered social worker in good standing with the BC College of Social Workers and a graduate of Dalhousie University Masters of Social Work program
Meet Imogen (they/them)
I specialize in counselling for queer, trans, genderdiverse, and neurodivergent people. I work with individuals, couples, poly folks, and families from the perspectives of social justice and attachment - I believes that the social environment we grew up in, and our relationship histories within those environments, shape how we show up in our present.
I pay special attention to how power functions in our relationships and communities, and how it impacts our internal experiences. I am kink and poly affirming, and excited to work with people with all kinds of relationship structures.
Queer, trans, and neurodivergent people often have unique needs in counselling because of messages throughout their lives saying that they don't fit within their environments. Counselling can support these folks to find community, experience a more consistent sense of self-worth, and build a life that fits for them.
In addition to clinical counselling, as a Registered Clinical Social Worker Imogen offers assessments for ADHD, Autism, HRT readiness, and surgical readiness.
Meet Ben (he/him)
I am a registered social worker with 6+ years of experience working across a variety of mental health programs. Through these experiences, I’ve learnt that mental health can’t be meaningfully or ethically understood without looking at inequalities in our social world: colonization, racism, and other systems of oppression. I’ve worked with people struggling with a wide range of challenges, including gender and sexuality issues, depression, anxiety and relationship difficulties. Although I enjoy working in all of these areas, and strongly believe that each new relationship is a unique and uncharted experience, I am especially excited to work with LGBTQ+ clients.
My counselling approach is grounded in a deep respect for the therapeutic relationship, as I believe that mental health is best understood through the lens of our past and present patterns in relationships. I work hard to be collaborative, warm, and curious – inviting you to remain open to what comes alive in the room between us. In partnership with my clients, my goal as a counsellor is to co-create a space for exploration, reflection, and self-understanding, with the ultimate goal of enhancing your psychological flexibility and freedom.
Meet Jonah (he/him)
Do you struggle with placing trust in your romantic partners? Finding it tough to effectively communicate your needs or boundaries to others? Are you yearning for relationships that provide a sense of security and fulfillment? Perhaps you are having the same conflict over and over again, and can't find a way out of a painful cycle. The answers to these questions all stem from your self-awareness and understanding of your own needs. Collaborating with me can aid you in the establishment and nurturing of meaningful relationships.
My approach involves guiding you to recognize the impact of your upbringing, triggers, and core beliefs on how you navigate disconnection in relationships. I then offer strategies and practical tools to help you manage triggers, enhance emotional regulation skills, and consistently uphold boundaries.
Initiating change begins with small steps and requires self-compassion for the time it takes to adapt to your personal reprogramming. I am trained in EMDR, and enjoy supporting my clients to find freedom from trauma symptoms with this approach.
Outside of the therapy room, a significant portion of my time is spent with my dog Tobey. In 2022, I adopted a mutt from the streets of China. Our activities often include leisurely walks and cuddling. While Tobey enjoys sunbathing in a grassy field, I typically engage in listening to audiobooks or playing online chess on a shaded bench. Apart from my responsibilities as a dog parent, I invest ample time with my partner and friends, whether it's enjoying coffee outings or hosting dinner gatherings.
Meet Imogen
Meet Alexandra (she/her)
Do you need a space where you can sort out the complexities of your relationship with a parent, release the grip of perfectionism, or silence the inner critic that whispers
shame?
Shame can be particularly overwhelming for neurodivergent and LGBTQ people. Family relationships can have extra layers of complexity. As a seasoned therapist, I specialize in guiding individuals through the intricacies of parent-child
relationships, helping them break free from people-pleasing tendencies and perfectionism, and nurturing a greater sense of self. In my practice, I offer a safe space where you can explore your inner world, discover your strengths, and develop authentic connections—with yourself and others.
Drawing from a diverse toolkit that includes Emotionally Focused Therapy, Attachment Theory, mindfulness techniques, Internal Family Systems, and the Gottman couples' method, I tailor each session to your unique needs.
Take the first step toward reclaiming your life and book a session today. I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Therapy for "Square Pegs"
At Stillwaters we work with oddballs, weirdos, and sensitive souls; people living at the margins and outside of norms and expectations in a variety of ways. Many of our clients experience an ongoing feeling of being the "odd person out," whether that be in school, family, or community, and struggle to find the balance between expressing individuality and finding belonging.
One of the most valuable parts of therapy is a deep sense of acceptance and belonging - perhaps unlike anything you've experienced before. We want to help you make sense of how your experiences of being an outsider in the past contribute to your emotions in the present.
If this resonates with you, reach out today to schedule your first session and get started on living your truth.