Growing up in Squamish, Rachel developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors and a strong commitment to community engagement. She spends much of her time exploring local trails with her dog and enjoying meaningful connections with friends and family. Recently relocating to Vancouver Island, Rachel is looking forward to being closer to her family and connecting with her new community.

Rachel joined the Pacific Solstice team as a practicum student in May 2025. She has completed her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University as of December 2025 and is in the process of obtaining her Registered Clinical Counsellor designation. She brings a solid foundation in interpersonal skills and human development knowledge, shaped by her experience as a support worker for individuals with neurodivergence, as well as children and youth. Rachel has experience working with Indigenous communities and takes a culturally sensitive, trauma-informed approach to foster a safe and inclusive space for all clients.

Her counselling approach is grounded in strength-based and person-centered practices. She integrates elements of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and attachment theory. Committed to ongoing professional growth, Rachel actively researches and participates in courses so she can apply therapeutic models and interventions that best support her clients’ unique needs.

Growing up in Squamish, Rachel developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors and a strong commit... Read More

Aja believes in the transformative power of hope. She aims to create a safe, nonjudgmental space, often infused with a light-hearted, humorous approach, to help clients find clarity, joy, and expansiveness. Central to her practice is the belief that true fulfillment comes from living authentically. Aja partners with clients to identify their core values and actively integrates practical strategies into sessions, ensuring their choices and actions align with what matters most to them.

Aja specializes in supporting individuals navigating major life pivots, career transitions, personal finance struggles, parenting, aging parents, and significant life changes. Her approach is goal-oriented and future-focused, yet she always ensures time is spent helping clients make meaning of their current and past experiences. She thoughtfully tailors her framework to each client using evidence-based modalities, including Rogerian therapy, Strengths-Based practice, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

As a Registered Social Worker, Aja transitioned from a robust background in community development and social policy into direct clinical care. She brings extensive experience in supporting individuals through pivotal transitions, equipping them with the insight and clarity necessary to confidently navigate their paths forward.

Aja believes in the transformative power of hope. She aims to create a safe, nonjudgmental space,... Read More

About Sam

Adventurer and artist, Sam finds meaning in movement, creativity, and genuine human connection. When not in the counselling space, you’ll find her mountain biking, climbing, and skiing through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Sam expresses her inner world through pottery, mural painting, oil pastels, and linocut prints. She is someone who believes deeply in the power of shared stories and laughter, and who lights up in the company of others.

Sam’s Approach to Counselling

Sam believes that no one should have to struggle alone in the dark. This belief is at the core of everything she brings to the counselling relationship, a deep commitment to ensuring that every client feels safe, seen, and genuinely understood. She creates a space that is warm and nonjudgmental, while also holding clients with care and honest challenge. She meets people exactly where they are while gently supporting them toward growth.

Sam is drawn to walking alongside individuals navigating life transitions, burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression. She helps to reconnect those who feel disconnected from themselves, find their way back. She acknowledges that the inward journey takes courage, and supports with steadiness and compassion.

Informed by Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Person-Centred, and Psychodynamic approaches, Sam tailors her practice to the unique story each client brings. She is especially interested in how the narratives we carry about ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world, shape how we live, and in helping clients author new ones.

About Sam Adventurer and artist, Sam finds meaning in movement, creativity, and genuine human co... Read More

Based in unceded Coast Salish territory, and home of the scəw̓aθən (Tsawwassen) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Peoples, Kate has had the privilege of calling the West Coast home with a deep appreciation for the beauty of British Columbia. Often found near the ocean or on top of mountains, Kate embraces and cherishes the healing elements of nature.

Kate is a compassionate and empathetic clinical counselor who understands that taking the first step into counseling can feel overwhelming. She recognizes that many people may not always know where to begin their journey toward healing, and she is committed to providing a supportive, non-judgmental, and trauma-informed space where individuals can feel safe and heard.

Kate’s approach is grounded in the belief that collaboration, psychological safety, and trust are essential components of effective therapy. She strives to create an inclusive environment where clients of all backgrounds feel respected and valued, ensuring that each person can speak freely without fear of judgment. She is experienced in evidence-based modalities such as Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

With extensive experience supporting both youth and adults, Kate has worked with individuals facing challenges such as depression and anxiety. Her journey is deeply personal as well—having navigated her own near-death experience and extensive knowledge working in emergency management, she brings a unique understanding of complex trauma. This experience has fueled her passion for helping others cope with symptoms of PTSD and manage issues such as understanding our nervous system reactions, the impacts of climate anxiety, and the process of recovering from environmental disasters. Kate has helped support individuals whether working in the school system, healthcare, or alongside emergency responders.

In addition to her counseling expertise, Kate has a background in executive leadership coaching. With her management experience, she is adept at guiding leaders through the challenges of balancing professional pressures with personal well-being, offering tailored support to help them thrive in both their personal and professional lives. Coming from a large family and with two active boys at home, Kate understands the complexity of striving for professional excellence while leading from the heart and home that are her family.

Through her multifaceted experience, Kate has developed a holistic approach to therapy that values everyone’s unique path to healing and growth. She is dedicated to walking alongside her clients, providing them with the tools, guidance, and the support that they need to strengthen resilience and find peace.

Based in unceded Coast Salish territory, and home of the scəw̓aθən (Tsawwassen) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm ... Read More

Madison believes that it takes courage to begin the counselling process. She admires her clients’ courage to work hard to improve their lives by doing deep trauma work, changing unhealthy behaviours, and building stronger relationships. She listens nonjudgmentally and helps her clients to develop self-compassion and self-understanding. Her clients also feel a sense of safety in her direct approach. Clients reflect to Madison that she creates an environment that supports vulnerable engagement which promotes meaningful change.

Madison is passionate about supporting adults and youth who are facing challenges related to recent or past trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges (family, romantic, friendship, and work) and caregiver support. Her approach to therapy is relationship-centred and trauma-focused. She is trained in many evidence-based modalities such as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). She combines these modalities to meet her clients’ needs.

Madison is a Registered Social Worker and a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and has provided counselling and support services to individuals and families for many years. She has extensive experience in working with individuals who have experienced environmental disasters, single incident and complex traumas, complex grief and loss, life transitions and prenatal, perinatal and parental challenges.

Madison was inspired to become a therapist after engaging in her own healing work which made her realize that therapy can be a catalyst for the most profound transformations. Beyond her professional accreditations and experience, Madison is a kitchen-dancer, a glacial-dipper, a whole-hearted mother, an adventure-seeker, a lifelong griever, and a deep appreciator of genuine connection.

Madison believes that it takes courage to begin the counselling process. She admires her clients’... Read More