Derian Julihn
Counselling Practice Website
Practice Information
For over 20 years, I’ve supported people experiencing anxiety, depression, shame, trauma, intrusive thoughts, difficulties with self-acceptance, addiction, and relational struggles.
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and self-aware, yet find themselves stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand. They may be doing “fine” on the outside while feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or like an imposter on the inside. They may have spent years trying to make sense of their struggles, yet still find themselves pulled back into the same reactions, emotions, or ways of coping.
I believe people are innately resilient and have an inherent capacity for healing and growth. My role is not to tell you who you should be, but to help you access and build on the wisdom and abilities you already carry within you.
The symptoms people bring to therapy are often ways of adapting to the dangers and challenges in their world. What feels like a problem now may have once been an important way of staying safe, connected, or getting through something difficult. Understanding where these patterns came from can create space for greater self-understanding, compassion, and change.
Together, we can explore the roots of your struggles and develop new ways of relating to yourself and others. My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and collaborative, with a focus on nervous system regulation, integrating experiences that continue to affect you, and developing compassion for the ways you have learned to cope and survive.
I aim to bring empathy, curiosity, and sometimes humour into the work we do together.
I am committed to creating a counselling space that is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, LGBTQ2+ allied, neurodiversity-affirming, and committed to decolonizing practice.
I recognize that people’s struggles are shaped not only by personal experiences, but also by the systems, relationships, communities, and broader social contexts in which they live. I aim to practice in a way that respects those realities rather than placing the responsibility for every struggle solely on the individual.
My work draws from neuroscience, Attachment theory, Somatic approaches, Mindfulness, Observed Experiential Integration (OEI), and Parts Work, including Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Structural Dissociation. Rather than focusing only on eliminating symptoms, I’m interested in understanding what those symptoms and patterns may be communicating and how they may have helped you cope.
If you’re tired of judging yourself for how you cope, or wondering why you keep getting stuck in the same patterns, therapy can be a place to slow down, get curious, and begin making sense of what you’ve been experiencing. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.
Specialized Training
- Observed & Experiential Integration (Level 2)
- Sanyas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training