Olivia is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia. She has experience counselling adults who have severe, persistent mental illness including: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders (e.g. bipolar and major depressive disorders), as well as co-occurring disorders such as personality disorders, substance abuse, and other mental challenges. She also has experience counselling adults struggling with addiction and addictive behaviours, including drug abuse/addiction, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, and problematic addiction to other substances and activities, while supporting them with learning tools for addiction recovery. Additionally, she has experience counselling family members and caregivers of people with mental health and substance use difficulties, providing information and resources to ensure they are as well-supported as possible in caring for themselves and their loved ones.
In her first year of clinical work at The New Westminster UBC Counselling Centre, she appreciated the learning challenges of counselling individuals of varying ages with different disabilities, and from a diversity of cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and life situations.
Olivia has two years of experience working in the rehabilitation Recovery Program at Coast Mental Health by helping clients to increase their awareness and knowledge about their skills and vocational interest and prepare them to find a job when they are ready to get back to the community have shown her that she has both the passion and the aptitude for this type of work.
In addition, with ten years of experience working as a pharmacy assistant in a retail pharmacy, she has excellent interpersonal and communication skills with clients from different backgrounds and illnesses. She also has knowledgeable about Psychosocial Rehabilitation principles when she completed her program and practicum for the Graduate Diploma in Psychosocial Rehabilitation at Douglas College.
Olivia’s approach to counselling is client-centered, and she works collaboratively with her clients to determine the approach to therapy that will work best for them. She strives to create a strong and positive working alliance in order to help people make positive changes and resolve their issues. Her practice is influenced by mindfulness practices, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) and Personal-Counselling with an ability to be flexible based on client needs.
Olivia is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful space. She has the aspiration of working with a diverse clientele presenting a broad range of counselling concerns. With creativity, flexibility and intention she creates an approach that works best for you.
Olivia offers individual, couples and family therapy and may be booked for phone or video sessions. She speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Samuel Romero (he/him) is an Expressive Arts Therapist, Artist, Musician, and Professional Member of OEATA (Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association). Samuel’s work engages the imagination through movement, painting, writing, sculpture, play, sound and music to facilitate healing and growth. Grief and trauma, anxiety and depression are complex matters that can be difficult to put into words. By exploring creative modalities, Samuel offers other forms of communication that can be supportive and healing. He works with children, refugees, couples, BIPOC, and individuals from all life paths. Samuel is Salvadoran-born and offers sessions in Spanish and English.
Shalene Takara, MA, RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor trained in providing brief and long-term counselling to individuals, couples and families. Shalene specializes in supporting individuals, couples and families impacted by daily stresses, life transitions, relationship/couples/family conflict, anger management, separation/divorce, violence/abuse, grief/loss, alcohol/drug/behavioural addiction, crises and co-occurring mental health issues (anxiety, depression, etc.). For more information about Shalene, please visit: www.safespacecounselling.ca/about
