(she/her) Andrea is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Social Worker and a Registered Professional Counsellor. She is a member of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, BC College of Social Workers and the Canadian Professional Counsellor’s Association. She has a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts degree, and a Diploma of Professional Counselling with a focus in sexual abuse counselling and substance abuse counselling. Andrea has been providing counselling and mental health & support services for more than ten years. In those ten years, she worked in a variety of settings, gaining experience that provides valuable insight into her work as a counsellor. Andrea joined the team at Living Bridges Therapy Collective (formerly C&C Resources for Life) in 2019. Andrea’s philosophy when supporting her clients is in line with a quote from Ann Voskamp, “Shame dies when stories are told in safe spaces.” She recognizes that healing is often messy work and that for many clients, it can be like a roller coaster. Andrea partners with her clients to help them navigate the unique twists and turns in their healing journey. She offers a client-centred approach that is both open-minded and deeply accepting, and clients often note that she “doesn’t shock easily” as they come to her for support. Andrea uses a grief-informed and trauma-informed lens in her work with clients. She has specialized training in Observed & Experiential Integration (OEI), an approach that is very useful to reduce the impact of traumatic experiences and address symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. She also draws from other counselling modalities, including cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical-behaviour therapy (DBT), compassion-focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and more, to deliver an integrated and personalized treatment approach for each client. Andrea is a lifelong learner, and her endless curiosity about human behaviour means she is always completing some kind of schooling or training to add to her existing tool kit. Andrea provides counselling for concerns related to grief & loss, suicide & self-harm, depression, anxiety, infertility, adoption, birth trauma, relationship struggles and more. Specialized training in trauma & addiction counselling has equipped Andrea to work with individuals, couples, and families whose lives have been impacted by intergenerational trauma and substance use.   Andrea is a compassionate, warm, and dynamic person. She grew up in a ski town in the Kootenays and enjoys the small-town vibe of Kamloops and its easy accessibility to nature. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her family, camping, skiing, hiking, or wandering the shores of Vancouver Island (her favourite place to retreat).