Everyone deserves to feel more at home in their
body.
We live in a world that forces us to disconnect from our bodies to stay safe.
Experiences of violence, identity-based oppression, and disability or illness can make connecting with our bodies feel dangerous. Together, we can identify the edges of possibility to support you in living a more embodied, accessible life.
Working with me
I do my best to show up in a way that make clients feel welcomed, safe, cared for, believed, and respected. Counselling is about building a safe, supportive, and collaborative relationship, so I try to be as authentic as possible.
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You can’t build a relationship with a “blank slate”, and I absolutely will talk about my love of Lord of the Rings! I bring my own experiences, sense of humour, values, and dedication to justice to my work.
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I am currently accepting a waitlist for virtual sessions across Canada, and in-person sessions in Victoria, BC on the lands of the lÉ™k̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Selkie Counselling may be the right fit if you want support with:
Disordered Eating
and/or wanting to improve your relationship to food and movement
Identity-Based Violence & Trauma
support externalizing systemic oppression & building safety
Self-Esteem &
Body Image
building self-compassion and embodiment practices
Anxiety
stress processing & management
Emotional Regulation
identify, feel, & process your emotions
Boundaries
support identifying, implementing, & maintaining boundaries
A little bit about me:
I came to counselling because I desperately needed a counsellor like me - someone who understands the pain of experiencing anti-fatness from infancy, someone who lives in a fat body, and someone who isn’t going to tell me to just change my thoughts when dealing with identity-based violence.
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While I’ve been a pseudo-counsellor since childhood (parentified children, iykyk), I officially became one in 2021 when I graduated from City University with my Master’s of Counselling degree.
I continue to take trainings and workshops in my areas of passion around fat liberation, trauma, and anti-oppressive approaches to counselling.
“I am so grateful for my sessions with Alexandra. I always feel seen, heard, and accepted. Alexandra has kindly offered me perspectives and asked questions supporting my growth while keeping me safe. We also have some good laughs, and I always look forward to our time together.”
-Client
Here’s how I approach therapy:
I see counselling as a collaborative process. We will each bring our unique perspectives, experiences, identities, and beliefs into sessions to help understand the difficulties you're facing.
I believe that all problems must be located within their context.
Our identities, experiences, relationships, and life circumstances influence how we experience distress.
Together we can explore how you have adapted to your context and understand whether or not those patterns are still serving you.
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You might be thinking, “Why do I always do this? Why can’t I stop doing xyz?” I think it’s helpful to explore, “How did you learn that response? How has it kept you safe? Where does it feel safe enough to try something different?”
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I collaborate with my clients to understand their context in hopes that this will externalize oppression and build self-compassion, connection (to self and others), pleasure, and safety.
None of us exist in a vacuum.
My approach is grounded in fat liberationist, anti-racist, gender/sexuality affirming, intersectionally feminist, decolonial, and anti-oppressive practices, all of which I continue to grow into.
Through counselling I can support you in feeling safer in your body, divesting from diet culture, improving your relationship with food and exercise, managing stress/anxiety, understanding and shifting patterns of behaviour, and destigmatizing how you’ve adapted to your experiences.
A few elements I am deeply committed to in the therapy room:
Fat Liberation
Fat liberation means divesting from beliefs and systems that enact violence based on body hierarchies.
Counselling fees
The process begins with a free 20-minute consultation to ensure I am the right counsellor to support you.
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$150+GST / 55-minute
individual session.
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I have availability for a limited number of sliding-scale clients. Please email or ask in the consultation about this.
I am currently accepting a waitlist.
My waitlist is 3-5 months.
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updated on my offerings.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you offer sessions in-person or virtually?Both! My office is located at 201 - 26 Bastion Square in Victoria, BC. The space is flat to entry, has an elevator, and 5, single-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms. There is a small waiting room before the main office. I offer sessions virtually through my JaneApp booking system.
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How do I book a free, 20-minute consultation?Check my schedule at: https://selkiecounselling.janeapp.com/ Email me at alexandra(@)selkiecounselling.ca with a bit about what you’re looking for from counselling and a few times that work for you
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How do I book a first session?First sessions can be booked during the consultation, or after a consultation via email at alexandra(@)selkiecounselling.ca Please check my calendar first and include a few available times in your email: https://selkiecounselling.janeapp.com/
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Will my insurance cover your services?I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). Most insurance policies will cover my services, but it is up to you to check with your provider.
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What payment methods do you accept?I can accept e-transfer or credit card payments.
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What does each session cost?I charge $157.50 ($150+GST) per session. I have limited number of spots available for sliding scale - please email me at alexandra @ selkiecounselling.ca to see if I have any spaces open currently.
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How long do we work together through the therapy process?The pace of sessions is your choice. I understand that therapy is taxing on our money, time, energy, and emotions. I’m happy to work on whatever schedule you have access to, and find that having our first 3-4 sessions weekly/biweekly helps build momentum. After that we can space out as works best for you.
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Where is your office located for in-person sessions?My office is located at 201 - 26 Bastion Square in Victoria, BC. The space is flat to entry, has an elevator, and 5, single-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms. There is a small waiting room before the main office.
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Do I have to live in BC to work with you?Not specifically - I’m insured to work with clients across Canada, however I need to limit the number of clients I see in certain provinces. Another consideration is that insurers outside of BC might not cover my services. If you're out of province, please reach out to see if it's possible to work together.
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What can I expect from my first session?In a first session I start by reviewing ethical/legal information like confidentiality, complaints process, and fees. Then I’ll recap what sessions with me generally look like (structure, types of questions, etc.), and share a bit about myself as a person, not just counsellor. Then we’ll explore what’s bringing you in, what you hope to get from counselling, and why now is the right time to start this process. First sessions are general. I like to think of them as laying a foundation or identifying the pieces of the puzzle (to mix metaphors, which I do often).