Ciara (she/her) has spent the past 10+ years working in support and educational roles in traditional, outdoor, and alternative settings. Regardless of the role, Ciara’s work has always been driven by relationships and the desire to authentically connect with people; an approach she maintains in her warm, grounded, curious, and non-judgemental counselling practice. Ciara’s relational approach encompasses our relationships with ourselves, others, and nature; honouring our interconnectedness with the world around us and the inherent healing potential held within these important relationships.
Ciara has a Bachelor of Education from McGill University and has been a science teacher for the past six years and still works in education settings; loving connecting learning with community, nature, experiential, and inquiry-based approaches. Inspired by relationships always being at the forefront of her work, she then decided to also get a Masters of Counselling Psychology degree through Yorkville University. Having had the privilege to work with diverse individuals and communities, Ciara prioritizes inclusive, reflective, and responsive practices. Her experiences combine in her counselling approach by using experiential, relational, and warm inquiry into understanding what is currently happening for you, while also facilitating new experiences that allow for shifts to start to happen.
Above all, Ciara seeks to empower your capacity to navigate life’s complexities by providing a safe space where you can be deeply seen and heard. Ciara truly believes we all have these things inside of us that nothing can take from us, even if it feels like we lose touch with them at times in our lives. She believes healing comes from “undoing aloneness”; so she aims to walk alongside you and support you in accessing that inner strength and potential you already have within you, and develop together concrete ways to apply that in creating the life and relationships you want for yourself and your loved ones.
Ciara takes an integrative and relational approach that enables flexibility to pull from different models and theories to best match your unique needs and goals. Ciara is especially drawn to aspects of Person-Centered/Child-Centered Therapy, attachment theory, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Adlerian theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and strength-based approaches; all supported and enhanced through integration with nature-based therapy.
In her free time, Ciara loves reading, spending time with loved ones, and anything that gets her outdoors including running, hiking, surfing, and camping. Ciara is grateful to have the privilege to live, learn, and work in the beautiful traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, Nuu-chah-nulth nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.
Ciara is a Certified Nature-based therapist, level 1.