Email: david@lavendercounselling.com

We come to counselling for a variety of reasons. We may be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, exhausted, lost, anxious, longing for something more, experiencing difficulty and pain in relationships, or repetitive self-sabotaging patterns or addictions. We may be depressed, anxious, or struggling with existential angst. We might feel numb and flat emotionally, maybe questioning if life even feels worth living. There may be recent events that keep piling on bringing us to a breaking point in our ability to cope. Maybe we’re recognizing that it’s time to process the present or the past and desire to chart a new way forward. Or maybe you’re just feeling the desire to talk to someone who is able to listen and care.

Through connection and expression in a non-judgmental space accompanied by someone outside the situation like a counsellor, we can cast light on your life experiences and look and find together the truth of your authentic self that longs for freedom and growth. Whatever your goals for therapy, I aim to really see you, know and appreciate you, and accompany you on your path to a more fulfilled life where you feel at home in yourself no matter the external circumstances that you need to navigate. When the mind, body, and spirit are in harmony there is a sense of inner spaciousness that allows movement through life with a greater sense of ease and trust.

My path to becoming a counsellor started with the experience of growing up in a family that lived at a summer camp and retreat centre. Early formative experiences of real connection to community, creativity, mutual caring, nature and inclusion shaped who I am today and what I most deeply care about. After completing a B.Ed. I moved into a career in education, working overseas as well as tutoring neuro-diverse students with a variety of diagnoses here in BC. At some point along the way life fell apart, and I began to see a counsellor for the first time. This valuable experience helped me personally and sparked an interest in pursuing counselling as a vocation, leading me to complete a Masters degree in Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Ontario.

I’ve always been comfortable with the darker emotional spaces that many of us—and the culture at large—tend to avoid. I appreciate and love exploring the deeper inner landscapes of people’s lives; each is a universe unto itself. And I love learning and am fascinated by why we are the way we are.

I work with teens, adults, and couples on a range of issues including; anxiety, depression, loss, life transitions, relationship difficulties, self-expression, LGBTQ issues, codependency, bullying, addiction, and spirituality. My approach is informed by mindfulness, Buddhist psychology, and body-centred and emotionally-focused therapies.

My hope is that we can meet together in an unpretentious, warm, compassionate, authentic, respectful, and down-to-earth space so that transformation can occur.