Sara Place
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Online Appointments
778-558-1221
sara@peakexperiencecounselling.com
My name is Sara Place and I am a Registered Clinical counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.
I am honoured to have worked for 20 years in the education and mental health field. As a teacher, in my classroom the students were often sharing their stories through their art and language. I went to the school counsellor and confessed that I didn’t always know if I was saying the right thing. She said: “It’s not about what you say, it’s about how you listen”. This is now what I base my practice on: How to really hear what is going on for you; to help you really hear yourself, and the people around you in a deeper more meaningful way; to build personal awareness and a set of practices that support you to be more yourself.
INDIVIDUAL ADULT AND YOUTH COUNSELLING
It is my honour to deeply listen and support your personal journey through whatever life circumstance brings you to counselling. I value your individual experience, and my approach to counselling will be personalized with your identity, expertise, and goals as the driving force of our sessions.
Areas of specialization include: grief, anxiety, depression, addictions, neurodivergence including ASD & ADHD , LGBTQ2S+ affirming support, parenting support, attachment work, somatic work, mood and personality disorders, and emotion work.
COUPLE AND FAMILY COUNSELLING
Relationships take training. Many of us don’t experience adequate supportive instruction, or modelling, that help us to create attuned, meaningful relationships that can grow over time. Through relationship counselling we will create awareness of your relationship dynamic together; your family attachment history; and create specific practices moving forward to support you in a more meaningful, attuned connection. We will work towards moving from long-standing attachment wounds to self and partner assimilation; from old behaviour patterns to emotional attunement; from conflict to healthy communication and collaboration, and from barriers to healthy boundaries.
FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY AUTHORIZED COUNSELLING
Hello! I am a multi-raced person with Indigenous status (Esk'etemc), Italian, British, and Croatian heritage. I grew up on the unceded traditional territory of the Skwxwú7mesh, Úxwumixw and Səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ Nations. I am here to listen to your story. To help you hear yourself, to heal, make sense of important choices, and move forward with integrity.
PARENT AND EDUCATOR SUPPORT
I offer educational support and consulting for parents, students and educators. I have worked in public education for almost 20 years, in a variety of roles including classroom teaching, administration and counselling, and I’m passionate about supporting educators in maintaining vitality, resilience, and connection to self and community.
WHAT TO EXPECT...
A Holistic Approach
A Person Centred Approach
Counselling that takes into perspective the whole person. Biological, psychological, social, spiritual, historical and goal oriented.
Modalities of practice - Trauma, narrative therapy, current psycho-educational tools, Emotion Focused Therapy (individual, couples, family), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural/Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
As much as possible you are in the drivers seat, I am a supportive co-pilot helping guide you a little deeper. I do share psychoeducational tools, and supportive advice at times - but you are the expert in our interaction.
I am a life-long learner and I am open to sharing research, helpful resources and materials if it is helpful to you.
As a counsellor I believe you are the expert. “It’s not about what I say, it’s about how I listen”. I listen to what is going on for my clients, help you really hear yourself, your partner, or your family in a deeper more meaningful way.
In sessions with me you can be assured of a feeling a sense of safety, confidentiality, belonging, and acceptance.
I am now seeing private clients online and expanding my practice, so it’s a good time to reach out. I am happy to have a brief discovery call to see if we may be a good fit to work together. Please reach out and we can find a time to connect.