Feminist and Anti-Oppressive Counselling with Kristina in Kitsilano

Counselling with Kristina Belyea

Registered Clinical Counsellor
Master of Counselling in Counselling Psychology
She/Her

“If you evade suffering, you also evade the chance of joy. Pleasure you may get, or pleasures, but you will not be fulfilled. You will not know what it is to come home.”

Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed

Please note that Kristina’s waitlist is currently full

To find alternative options, please see our counsellor list HERE, or use our Connect with a Counsellor form below to be matched with a counsellor who is the best fit for you.

If you’re here, you might be used to feeling alone with your problems, managing with old strategies that don’t really address the underlying issues. Maybe you’re experiencing a period of loss or change, where old ways of doing things just don’t serve you anymore, keeping you stuck in old patterns. Sometimes it takes  getting to the point where just getting by is no longer good enough; and this is where counselling can help..

Together we can find some new ways of being in the world, and expand your capacity for making changes. 

Many of my clients are thoughtful, caring people, who know how to be compassionate to those around them, but struggle to apply that same care towards themselves. Perhaps they learned at a young age how to be strong for others, but not how to be vulnerable -- to feel their feelings, slow down, and think about their own needs. It might be a very new experience to let someone in to see their struggles. I love to work with people who have big inner lives -- creative folks, either those who have an artistic practice themselves, or who see the world through music, movies and books and love to get lost in other worlds.

Common counselling concerns, focuses & clients I love supporting:

  • Anxiety & Generalized Anxiety  

  • Depression & Chronic/Long Term Depression

  • Self Esteem & Self Worth

  • Grief & Loss

  • Chronic Pain

  • Suicidal Ideation, Chronic Suicidality & Self Harm

  • Complex Ptsd & Childhood Trauma

  • Borderline Personality Disorder

  • Gender & Sexual Identity Exploration

  • Young Adults & Related Challenges

  • Body Image Issues, Fat Acceptance & Liberation

  • Compassion Fatigue & Burnout

  • Self Compassion Challenges

  • Reproductive Grief Including Miscarriage & Abortion Related Challenges

  • Supporting those working within oppressive systems (ie. frontline workers, compassion fatigue, burnout)

A Bit About Me as a Counsellor

Within the space of the therapeutic relationship we build together, I see my role as offering a safe harbour, where you can know your body, thoughts and feelings, not as burdens to be managed or avoided, but as precious parts of yourself to care for with tenderness. I believe in the innate human impulse towards healing, growth and connection; in listening with acceptance; and in creativity, humour and joy as radical acts. I hope to help you find compassion (for yourself, and others) as you build the life that is right for you to come home to. 

I work using evidence-based counselling theories, while attending to the systemic forces which influence our experiences, bringing values of collaboration, solidarity, perspective, value for the strategies that got you here, and the firm belief that you are the expert in your own life.

My Approach to Counselling

My worldview is influenced by the work of Feminist, anti-racist and anti-oppressive thinkers, and as a white, settler, cisgender woman, (and many more things, too!) I strive to be accountable for how my identities show up in the counselling room with each and every client. Together, we will ask the question, “How do you thrive when the systems in which you find yourself are not invested in supporting you, (or may even undermine your best interests)?” I work using evidence-based counselling theories, while attending to the systemic forces which influence our experiences, bringing values of collaboration, solidarity, perspective, value for the strategies that got you here, and the firm belief that you are the expert in your own life. 

Aside from my work,  I love playing music, listening to comedy podcasts, reading novels, riding my bike, and going for walks with my friends. My more recent hobbies have included learning how to cross-stitch and gently tending to my plants. 

I welcome clients of all cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and relationship styles.

COUNSELLING APPROACH

My integrative and client-specific approach to counselling includes the following education and approaches:

  • Person-Centred and Trauma-Informed Therapy

  • Feminist & Narrative Therapy

  • Attachment Oriented Approaches

  • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Compassion Focused Therapy

COUNSELLING FEES

50 min session: $150 + GST
75 min session: $220 + GST
90 min sessions: $265 + GST
- suggested for EMDR -

50 min sliding scale sessions: $110-140+ GST
- please inquire for availability -

We accept e-transfer and cheques

In efforts to keep our overall rates lower, we also offer the option to pay by credit card with a 2.4% processing fee

Connect with Kristina for Counselling

To learn more about Kristina’s approach to counselling or ask questions about how she might be able to support you, connect with us here or send Kristina a direct email below with a bit about what you’re looking for support with.