Lavender Counsellors

Finding the right counsellor to support you is incredibly important.
Finding the right counsellor to support you is incredibly important. You want someone who is professionally trained in supporting your specific issue and who feels comfortable for you to talk with. Research has consistently shown that the relationship you have with your counsellor contributes more to you making change than any other factor.1 Relationship is considered the single most curative component in therapy.2 It might surprise you that your relationship with your counsellor has so much influence on you making change. But, take a moment to consider how much you respond to support from someone you don’t genuinely like or respect. Clients attribute their positive therapy outcomes to therapists3 who are “warm, attentive, interested, understanding, and respectful”.4
Our team is made up of highly skilled counsellors who go through rigorous hiring practices to ensure they meet the Lavender Counselling standard for care. As a group, we value the client-counsellor relationship so highly that all of our counsellors offer a complimentary conversation (20 minutes) so you can get a sense of the counsellor and ensure that it is a good fit. If you don’t feel like you connect, we welcome you to do a complimentary conversation with as many of our counsellors as you wish in order to find just the right counsellor for you. If 20 minutes doesn’t feel long enough for you to get a sense of the counsellor, you can book a full 50 minute session and we will pro-rate your fee to half price to ensure you get the benefit of our complimentary conversation.
Take a look at our individual bios and pay attention to which counsellor you seem to be drawn to. We look forward to meeting you.
Registered Clinical Counsellors
Jenn Moudahi
MA, RCC, CCC
- Teens 14+ | Adults | Clinical Consultation | FNHA
- Parenting
- Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infertility
- Life Transistions, Self-Growth
- Grief and Loss
- Trauma, PTSD
Andrea Colliar
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
- Teens | Adults | Couples
- Anxiety & Depression
- Parenting & Relationship Issues
- Trauma & PTSD
- Grief & Loss
Jane Whitlaw
M.Ed., RCC
- Teens 17+ | Adults | FNHA | Clinical Supervision/Consultation
- Complex Trauma CPTSD
- Attachment
- Relationships
- Anxiety
- Addictions
- PTSD
Andrew Peterson
MA, CCC
- 6+ | Adults
- Depression/Anxiety
- Self-Harm
- Neurodivergence
- Gender Identity
- Stress/Burnout
- CVAP
Caitlin Zalm
MCP, RCC
- Adults
- ADHD/Neurodiversity
- Anxiety/Depression
- Trauma/PTSD
- Self-worth/Not good enough
- Gender Identity
Hannah Nguyen
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
- Children | Teens | Adults
- Anxiety & Depression
- Intercultural concerns
- Relationship & Boundaries
- Teachers & Administrators
Heidi Maxwell
MA, RCC
- 13+ | Adults
- Post-Trauma
- Meaning & Purpose
- Emotional & Somatic Work
- Gender Identity
- Grief & Loss
- CVAP
Chantel Van Vliet
MC, RCC
- Teens | Adults | Couples
- Chronic Pain
- Chronic Illness
- Infertility
- Womans Health
- CVAP
Jo Sawa
MC, RCC, RSW
- 13+ Teens | Adults
- Anxiety & Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Overwhelm, Stree & Burnout
- Identity Exploration & Self-Development
- Parent-Teen Conflict
Brittany Lasanen
MA, RCC
- Adults | Clinical Consultation
- Feeling inadequate
- Perfectionism
- Grief & Loss (pet loss)
- Fear & Overwhelm
- CVAP
Allison Esau
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
- Teens | Adults | Clinical Consultation
- Challenges for Teenagers
- LGBTQ+ Issues
- Religious /Spiritual Trauma
- Regulating Emotions
- CVAP
Selena Light
MA, RCC
- 15+ | Adults | Couples
- Interpersonal/Familial Issues
- Depression/Anxiety
- Life Transitions
- Self Esteem Issues
- Emotion Dysregulation
- Grief & Loss
John Murray
MA, RCC, CCC, CT
- Adults | Couples
- Clinical Consultation
- Trauma, PTSD
- Chronic pain
- Suicidal thinking
- Grief & loss
Kate Mackay
M.Ed., RCC
- Teens | Adults
- Academic/school related issues
- Anxiety & Depression
- Emotional distress
- Relationship issues
Carolynn Turner
MA, RCC, CCC, CT
- Only working with
- Counsellors
- Supervision, Supervision of Supervision,
- Consent Agreements
Ali Alexander
MA, RCC, CCC
- Teens | Adults | Clinical Consultation
- Sports related stress & anxiety
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- CVAP
Jenn Moudahi
MA, RCC, CCC
Sometimes in life we experience a loss of connection with ourselves and those around us, leaving us feeling unfulfilled and looking for change. Perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed, distressed, numb, or detached. Maybe you bounce around feeling many of these things, frustrated to be stuck on an emotional rollercoaster.
Counselling can help with navigating and making sense of these emotions, moving you towards connection, clarity, and purpose. In our sessions together, I commit to creating an environment of warmth and acceptance. I encourage curiosity and openness. And I believe that you are the expert of your story.
My path to counselling was a winding adventure. I grew up dancing and am truly at home in the dance world; previously teaching and performing as a semi-professional dancer. However, this lifestyle wasn’t a good fit for me, so I shifted into a Registered Massage Therapy career—the human body amazes me! Aside from my clinical work, I taught and supervised massage therapy students at Vancouver Career College and assisted with continuing education courses for RMTs. But…I felt like I was missing an important part of the human experience. Turns out, I don’t just love the biology of the human body, I love PEOPLE and everything we encompass. I completed my MACP and have found another place that I am at home…here at Lavender Counselling. In addition to 1-on-1 counselling, I enjoy leading workshops and psychoeducational groups, and have co-authored an Advanced Empathy group for counsellors and Burnout workshop for health professionals. Currently, I am grateful to engage in many passions; working as a counsellor, teaching dance fitness, and authoring children’s books. You can also find me reading or crafting, exploring BC’s beautiful outdoors with my husband and kids, or playing board games a little too competitively.
I offer counselling for individuals 14+ looking for support in various areas such as: parenting and pregnancy, miscarriage and infertility, stress and life transitions (eg. becoming a parent, pursuing new passions/changing careers, or any change in your life), trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, emotional distress or numbness, and personal development and growth. I would love to meet you and find out if we’re a good fit! Staying connected to my own Indigenous background, I am delighted to be a Mental Health Provider with First Nations Health Authority. If you are able to access support through FNHA, please send me an email to confirm availability and discuss pre-approval. Rate: $165/ 50min Session
Email:
jenn@lavendercounselling.comLocation
Andrea Colliar
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
Phone
Location
Jane Whitlaw
M.Ed., RCC
Email:
jane@lavendercounselling.comPhone
Andrew Peterson
MA, CCC
Location
Caitlin Zalm
MCP, RCC
Location
Hannah Nguyen
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
Location
Heidi Maxwell
MA, RCC
Location
Chantel Van Vliet
MC, RCC
There is immense change that can occur through being heard and seen and I believe that every person deserves such a space, especially when facing life’s challenges.
I offer counselling for adults, teens, and couples, with a specialization and lived experience in supporting individuals and couples navigating chronic pain, chronic illness, and infertility. I offer a safe and understanding space to process your experiences — whether that involves the emotional and psychological toll, feelings of invisibility and invalidation, exhaustion and uncertainty, or the trauma and dismissals that can arise, especially within medical settings.
I also support caregivers— including parents of children with serious or chronic illnesses, as well as those caring for adults or others in need—who may be experiencing burnout, grief, or isolation. Other areas I work with include women’s health, anxiety/ OCD, trauma, depression, first responders, grief/loss, sexuality/sex therapy and CVAP.
I work from a person-centered, trauma-informed perspective that integrates emotion-focused and somatic approaches. For whatever reason you find yourself here, the space we create will be one where we can explore your thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences at a pace that meets you where you are—grounded in empathy and fostering meaningful change.
Through my lived experience and volunteer work with support groups and the support line at Pain BC, I’ve gained a multidimensional understanding of chronic pain and illness and how to best support individuals facing these challenges. Additionally, my graduate capstone explored the mental health impact of infertility in women, which has deeply shaped my counselling approach. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Counselling. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my adorable cat Nyah, and my loud and large family of 7.
I recognize the courage it takes to begin counselling, and I look forward to exploring your story together.
$155 ind. / $170 couple
Location
Jo Sawa
MC, RCC, RSW
Email:
jo@lavendercounselling.comLocation
Brittany Lasanen
MA, RCC
Location
Allison Esau
M.Ed., RCC, CCC
Location
Selena Light
MA, RCC
Location
John Murray
MA, RCC, CCC, CT
Email:
john@lavendercounselling.comLocation
Kate Mackay
M.Ed., RCC
- -anxiety & depression
- -stress & life transitions
- -relationship issues
- -trauma
- -grief & loss
- -personal development & growth
- -academic/school related issues
- -emotional distress
Email:
kate@lavendercounselling.comLocation
Carolynn Turner
MA, RCC, CCC, CT
Ali Alexander
MA, RCC, CCC
Email:
ali@lavendercounselling.comLocation
Master’s Level Practicum Student
Zahra Remtulla
Master's Level Practicum Student
- M.Ed.
- Teens | Adults
Stephen Anderson (he/him)
Master's Level Practicum Student
- Student, Masters of Counselling
- Teens | Adults
Zahra Remtulla
Master's Level Practicum Student
Phone
Location
Stephen Anderson (he/him)
Master's Level Practicum Student

