Hi, my name is Robyn, and I welcome kids/youth and their families with compassion and warmth. I moved to Nanaimo 5 years ago after 25 years in the beautiful West Kootenays. I am a proud mom to a wonderful son, and am also a cat-mom to a cheeky Ragdoll named Nathan.
My undergraduate degree is in Education from the University of Calgary, and I have a Masters degree in Counselling from Gonzaga University. My career path has always been in helping professions including teaching, Community Living, Acquired Brain Injury, and 8 years with Child & Youth Mental Health as a clinician and Team Leader. I have training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), First Responder Health- Occupational Awareness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cyber-Counselling, Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk (RRSR), and draw from other therapeutic modalities based on presenting concerns, goals and needs.
I know that being a young person, and being a parent of a young person, can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s normal to experience challenges that can feel hard to talk about. I provide a safe and non-judgmental space to share what is going on, get support, learn some skills, or get some strategies to manage and cope in different ways.
Some of the things I can help with are:
- Feeling anxious, sad, or stressed
- Friendship or relationship struggles
- Family changes or conflict at home
- Bullying, peer pressure, or school worries
- Low self-esteem or confidence
- Grief, loss, or big life changes
- Big changes, like graduating, changing schools, or moving
I believe that every person and family is unique, and so our work together will reflect that.
For younger kids (under 12): Play, art, and creative activities to help you express feelings in a way that feels natural and comfortable.
For teens (12 and over): Open conversations and activities to help explore emotions, decisions, and goals in a supportive space. Art and creative expression are also part of our work when those expressions are helpful and of interest to you.
For parents: We can talk through strategies and tools to help support your child/youth.
I draw from evidence-based modalities—like mindfulness, creative expression, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)—to support kids and youth to build confidence, manage emotions, and develop healthy coping skills.
I see parents and caregivers as an important part of the journey. As appropriate, families are invited to be part of the process—always respecting the youth’s need for privacy and independence. The younger the child/youth, the more important your role as a parent is.
Keeping your trust is key to our relationship. Kids and youth are entitled to confidentiality with their counsellor. Everything shared in counselling is private, except in rare situations where safety might be at risk. This is explained clearly at the start when we first meet so everyone feels comfortable and supported and knows what to expect.
