Practice information:

Lee Cassels is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who sees clients in her office which located in the Port Moody area. 

Often people find themselves drawn to counselling sites when they have reached a final point of personal frustration.  Is that where you are?  Have you turned to friends and family for support? Family and friends, well meaning as they often are, want to be supportive but find it hard to be objective.  Or, are you dealing with something too difficult to share with anyone in your life?  Wanting to sort out very personal issues can be tough without a confidential sounding board.  It may be you have heard counselling works but you are really unsure and nervous about the prospect of sharing your life with a stranger.

My goal in working with people is to create a safe environment for them to reveal as much about themselves as they feel comfortable.  As the client-counsellor relationship is built over time individuals generally come to feel safe enough to share more about themselves and their lives.  Clients come in with concerns ranging from personal growth issues to grief, depression, anxiety, communication or difficulties in relationships.  I help people pinpoint areas that they would like to focus on and set realistic, achievable goals.  

Counselling is a very rewarding profession.  I feel honoured to have clients share their challenges in life with me.  It is wonderful to see people take charge of their lives in new directions in a relatively short period of time.  It is not uncommon for clients to say they felt a sense of relief even after the first session.  Having someone to share the problem with eases the stress. At the same time, I know it takes an enormous amount of courage.

My desire is to help you feel more confident in your life as quickly as possible.  I provide support based on current counselling research on what works best such as how to:

• communicate effectively
• set boundaries
• deal with life transitions
• establish a healthy balance in your life
• find the keys to making your relationships a success
• learn steps to manage depression/anxiety
• express anger in healthy ways
• process loss
• incorporate mindfulness into your life 
• parent children and teens positively

One of my goals is to help you rediscover your strengths, deep beliefs and values.  Those will guide you in the process of making positive changes, tailored to your life.  Before you know it, you will know what you need to do to have the life you want.

Having many years of experience in this field has allowed me to work with a variety of people (teens, children, families, couples and individuals).  I have worked in a variety of settings (schools, agencies providing support for survivors of abuse and agencies focussing on separation/divorce). I pride myself with keeping up with the latest research.  I am an EAP affiliate counsellor.  I am registered with  Crime Victims Assistance Program and BC Centre for Ability, as well.