We are uninvited settlers occupying the unceded and 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 the ongoing impacts of colonization and decolonizing our practices in and out of the counselling room.
SUPERVISED BY ABBY CHOW, MA, RCC-ACS #14742
Hi there, thank you for being here. I work with clients who often feel overwhelmed by what life is bringing, and who may be re-visited by the past in ways that are painful and difficult to manage. Does this sound like what you’re going through as well? If so, I would love to support you as you journey through these tougher landscapes. Each of us has unique layers of wounds and protections that play a role in our lives. As we work together by engaging your healing capacities, you can move through and re-process challenging experiences and anchor in your strengths, so that they can be more helpful to you and the future you want to create. It is absolutely possible to experience life with more love, connection, and a vivid sense of well-being.
I ground my practice in approaches that support trauma healing, including trauma theory, mindfulness and body-based exercises, EMDR, parts work and narrative therapy. What can you expect from this? I will invite us to lean in with our expertise to build a collaborative relationship. For example, I can offer prompts for deeper insights and tools to help manage overwhelming emotions — but you are the expert of your lived experiences and the decision-maker for what is to come. To best support our therapeutic relationship, I strive to co-create safer, accepting, and anti-oppressive environments. With your permission, I will also welcome mind, body, and spirit to be part of the process.
I work with both individuals and relationships. I do not believe there is one way of being in relationships — relationships are defined by the people in them, and I invite a collaborative approach in determining the goals and the paths to get there. Compared to individual counselling, the focus in relationship counselling expands from the needs, wants and experiences of one person to include the needs, wants and experiences of others in the relationship. The theories I use for this work include Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Satir, and the Gottman Method. Click here to find out more about relationship counselling.
A bit more about me… I am an able-bodied cis/het woman, born and raised in BC with South Korean ancestry. Prior to pursuing my vocation as a counsellor, my work was centred in leadership development consulting, coaching and facilitation. I currently live with my husband and two cats on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. I was raised with Christian traditions, although I do not identify with a particular religious community. I regard spirituality to be a connection with that which is sacred, and I believe we can encounter the sacred in ways as unique and diverse as we ourselves are.
I have also lived through my own share of wounds and can relate to the courage it takes to begin working with a counsellor. If you are interested in exploring whether we might be a good fit for each other, please email or book a session with me. I would love to meet you, and I would be honoured to be part of your process.
*In 2021, all MA Counselling Psychology degree requirements (including courses, exams and practicums) were completed except for the academic thesis, which I am pursuing to explore the relationship between developmental trauma healing and spirituality.
Esther is expecting to go on maternity leave from May 1, 2023 to July 2, 2023. These dates may change and current clients will be notified via email about any changes. While on leave, Esther will not be available to see clients or respond to emails.
Additional Clinical Training:
