Amber Louie

M.Sc. , RCC

Primary location:

Amber Louie, Registered Clinical Counsellor and Relationship Therapist Chinatown Vancouver, V6A 1X7

Office is wheelchair accessible

Proximity to Transit and or Intersections:

2 blocks to Hastings, 1 block to Main St., by transit: #3, #4, #7, #8, #16, #19, #22, #135

Other (nearby) Locations Served:

East Vancouver, Strathcona, Downtown, Downtown Eastside, Gastown, Yaletown, Commerical Drive, Mt. Pleasant, Hastings-Sunrise, Online, Telephone

See in Google Maps

Areas of practice

Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual
Compassion Fatigue
Cross Cultural Issues
Divorce and/or Separation
Family Issues
First Nations Issues
Gender Identity Issues
Intimacy Issues
LGBTQ Issues
Marriage and/or Relationship Issues
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Professional Burnout
Sexual Assault
Sexuality

Approaches used

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cross Cultural Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
EMDR
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)
Expressive Arts Therapies
Feminist Psychotherapy
Online/ Virtual Counselling
Sex Therapy
Visualization

Counselling practice website:

www.amberlouie.com

Practice information:

To assist you in reaching your goals, I support you to focus on developing your strengths. As an anti-oppression psychotherapist, I value your experiences based on culture, race, indigeneity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexuality, age, (dis)ability, and spirituality. I often work with people who are of mixed ancestry, racialized, people of colour, migrant, queer, trans, Two-Spirit, non-binary, and intersex. With over two decades of experience in group facilitation, peer support, and community organizing, I am passionate about creating safer spaces for people of all communities, bodies, and backgrounds.

I work primarily with racialized couples and individuals who seek empowering ways to deal with stuck patterns, interpersonal issues, and stress. I specialize in recognizing intersectional experiences in areas such as intergenerational trauma, burnout, reclaiming desire, and identity building. Many people have come to see me for support around navigating power dynamics, work, family, sex, and creativity.

I work from an integrated anti-oppression approach, drawing from my training in techniques such as trauma-focused CBT, DBT, EMDR, somatics, and emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for couples.

COUPLES

Life struggles can take our relationships off track, sometimes to the point of feeling stuck or fearful of conflict. Ruptures will happen in all relationships. Some conflict is necessary to have real intimacy. But most of us were not shown by our parents how to do the repair and resolution needed for a relationship to grow and thrive. For people who have inherited intergenerational trauma, intimacy can be like extreme sports — requiring new skills, emotional first aid, and a solid support team. To feel more alive and connected in your relationship, no matter how long it has been, there are ways to reunite as a team and to experience more love, intimacy, and pleasure. There are ways to restore the chemistry that attracted you in the beginning. It is possible to reconcile the tension between domesticity and passion.

I collaborate with couples to rebuild trust, limit negative patterns, understand relationship desires, and explore new ways of interacting, verbally and non-verbally. In my work with couples and relationships, I combine my intersectional understanding of intergenerational trauma with Emotionally Focused Therapy, which has shown high rates of recovery from relationship distress. I also draw from the Gottmans’ research on the antidotes to common patterns (e.g., defensiveness, withdrawal, criticism, and disrespect), and on what sustains connectedness in the long term.

How I Work

To get us started, I begin with separate individual sessions to get to know each person before meeting with a couple or family. I find it crucial to first establish trust and understanding with each person to get to the roots of what is happening. We can discuss issues that feel the most urgent as we do the individual sessions and get started. I find that with this initial preparation, our joint sessions gain traction more rapidly and make more lasting improvement.

Issues

Moving from blame to understanding, and from defensiveness to responsibility
Reconnecting through emotional withdrawal and conflict avoidance
Rekindling, exploring and expressing desires
Creating shared dreams, traditions and goals
Honoring family, community, cultural values and practices
Negotiating support needs, boundaries, and power dynamics
Traditional and non-traditional families and relationships
Navigating parenthood, infertility, adoption, and fostering
Understanding intergenerational trauma and oppression
Clarifying commitments and agreements

What if my partner is not interested in couples counseling?

You are welcome to work with me individually to discuss how to develop a more secure and loving relationship. I have been able to improve relationships by working with one partner to understand their situation and communicate more effectively.

Client fee individuals:

$200

Client fee couples/families:

$250

Availability:

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Amber Louie M.Sc. RCC