Tomorrow’s presentation, that text you haven’t responded to, the state of the world, the big changes coming up, your family’s expectations, questioning whether or not you’re “falling behind” in life… Each thought connects to another, and another, until you’re tangled in a web of worry that feels impossible to escape.
Maybe for you, it’s not just thoughts. It’s the tight chest, the racing heart, the brain fog, the stomach that won’t settle. Your body carries the weight of intergenerationally reinforced systemic pressures, and daily microaggressions.
Sometimes, just existing feels overwhelming.
On the outside, you’re holding it all together. Career, relationships, social media presence – you’ve mastered the art of appearing “fine.” But beneath that carefully constructed surface, you’re exhausted from the constant performance.
When you’re living with anxiety, you might experience:
In a world full of contradictions, uncertainty, pressures to make “the right decisions”, to “excel” and “distinguish” yourself in everything, the rising costs of living, and the systems of global harm that seem so far from our control, what else are you supposed to feel?
Your racing thoughts, your heightened alertness, your need to control what you can – these aren’t character flaws. They’re survival strategies that make sense. They’re the ways your mind and body have learned to navigate a world that often feels unsafe.
We hear you! And we want to support you through this. Let’s take a look at how we can start the shift, together.
We’ve been taught that the opposite of anxiety is certainty. That if we could just plan enough, know enough, control enough, we’d finally feel at peace. But what if that’s part of what’s keeping us stuck?
Looking for absolute certainty in an uncertain world is an impossible task. And it doesn’t really work. Think about it — if you were certain about something bad happening, does the anxiety go away?
And that’s how we approach anxiety counselling in Vancouver here at Venturous Counselling.
We understand that working through anxiety isn’t just about learning to cope. We’ll definitely explore tools and practices that can help you navigate difficult moments, but it’s also about understanding the larger context of your experience, honoring and responding to your body’s wisdom, and finding authentically human ways to exist in a world that often demands robotic performance.
How we work
At Venturous Counselling, we understand that healing from anxiety requires more than just coping techniques (though we’ll definitely explore those too). Our approach supports you to:
whether that’s somatic practices, nature-based sessions, expressive arts therapy, play-integrated sessions, or EMDR.
Our counsellors bring both professional and living experience to this work. We are Master’s level practitioners with specialized training in anxiety counselling, anti-oppressive, intersectional feminist, and anti-colonial frameworks. Most importantly, we understand firsthand the importance of finding therapy that doesn’t require you to explain or justify your identity and experiences.
Our anxiety counselling sessions are offered virtually, all across BC; and in-person in Vancouver and Burnaby. We are covered by most insurance providers (check for RCC or Registered Clinical Counsellor in your plan) and can provide direct billing for certain insurance providers.
You can also access sessions with us through CVAP, ICBC, WorkBC or FNHA.
Start with a free 15-minute video conversation to find out more
Q&A
Your first session is about getting to know each other and establishing safer spaces for us to do this work together. We’ll talk about what brings you in, what you’re hoping for, and what your experience has been like thus far. There’s no pressure to share more than feels comfortable – we follow your lead on the pace you want to go. Some client community members want to dive deep into anxiety’s roots in the first session, other folx want to start with building some more strategies for managing difficult aspects of anxiety first.
Every person’s journey is unique. Some people find relief in a few sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. We’ll work at your pace and regularly check in about what’s helpful and what we might want to try pivoting to. Our goal is to support you in building sustainable, personalized, and effective practices grounded in an intentional narrative and relational shift for yourself, the anxiety you experience, and the relationship you have with our societal contexts.
Both options can be equally effective. Virtual sessions offer convenience, accessibility, and comforts of being in your own space, while in-person sessions might feel more grounding for some. We can explore what feels right for you, and you’re welcome to switch between the two.
You don’t need to have a formal diagnosis or fit a certain profile to benefit from counselling. If you’re experiencing distress – whether it fits colonial definitions of anxiety or not – your experience is valid and worthy of support. We’ll work with you to explore the nuances of your unique situation and navigate its terrains, together.
Anxiety often stems from very real experiences of systemic harm. Our approach looks at unburdening some of the heaviness and responsibility you might be taking on, and giving it back to the contexts that are actually responsible. We’ll look at the ways you’ve discovered how to make sense of the world and draw on lineages of resistance to these systems that we can access for your day-to-day experience.
While medication can be helpful for some people, it’s a personal choice. We don’t prescribe medication, but we can support you in making informed decisions about your care and can collaborate with your healthcare providers if you choose.
Life happens! We ask for 24 hours notice for cancellations or changes. This helps us maintain accessibility for our community and sustainability for our practice.
Yes, we can work with you to create supporting documentation in session when needed. We’ll discuss this during your session to ensure we understand your needs and can support you appropriately.
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occupying the stolen, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Qayqayt, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) peoples. Our relationship with these lands dictates our commitment to understanding and responding to the ongoing impacts of colonization in our practices in and out of the counselling room.
Learn more about the land you’re occupying at native-land.ca
Building reflexive and fulling relationships can be difficult without guidance, support, and effective communication strategies. Our Services Overview provides insights into various therapeutic approaches designed to help individuals and relationships navigate their journey toward deeper connections.
