Susanne Leach
Areas of practice
- Adolescent Issues
- Anxiety and/or Panic
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Family Caregiver Stress
- Family Issues
- Marriage and/or Relationship Issues
- Neurodiversity
- Parenting Issues
- Perfectionism
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Professional Burnout
- Self Harming Practices
- Teen Adjustment Issues
- Trauma Counselling
Approaches used
- Adolescent Therapy
- Brief Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Communication Skills Training
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
- EMDR
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
- Family Systems
- Family Therapy
- Mindfulness approaches
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution Focused Therapy
Counselling practice website:
bigtreecounselling.caPractice information:
Do you want to build a life that is worth living, filled with healthy balanced relationships with friends, family and important people in your life? Do you want to build a stronger understanding of yourself and navigate things that get in the way of you living the life you want to lead? Do you want to challenge your anxiety, anger, sadness and other intense emotions? Do you want to address issues such as self-harm, unhealthy eating habits, feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Do you want to work towards goals that create connection and meaning in your life? Have you tried talk therapy and feel like you are still stuck and are looking for other possibilities?
You have come to the right place, it is possible.
I'm a counsellor with extensive experience and training, which includes Dialectic Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Emotion Focused Family Therapy, Radically Open Dialectic Behaviour Therapy as well as others. I am a trauma informed counsellor who is trained in EMDR.
I have worked as a counsellor for over 13 years. I work on a community based adolescent mental health team where I meet with teens with complex mental health concerns. I facliltate a 14 week DBT program that includes both caregivers and their teens.
I work with caregivers and other family members to build their skill set to provide love and support for children and youth who need advanced caregiving skills. I have worked on an eating disorder team. In my private practice I work with adults and caregivers to help build a strong rich life which is sustainable and continues to help provide opportunities to thrive.
I have a Master in Social Work and am a Registered Social Worker from the BC College of Social Workers.
You have come to the right place to start making positive changes in your life. It is possible.
I always start with the relationship and meet you where you are, so we can work together to best meet your needs. I have a warm, compassionate and genuine style. I am passionate about helping people build strong relationships.
I have an office based in Burnaby and Vancouver and meet in person, I can also meet virtually.
I always start with where the person is at and bring in skills from different types of counselling. I have extensive training in a number of different types of therapy.
Sometimes its useful to know what each type of therapy is and when it might be helpful.
Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is really helpful for people who have big emotions and struggle with keeping relationships, knowing who they are, setting and sticking with goals and sometimes doing things that may not be healthy and helpful to try to help reduce the intensity of the emotions they feel.
Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is really helpful for people who have experienced all types of trauma. This could be relationships ending, loss of jobs, struggling with feeling stuck, sexual abuse, relational trauma. It can also be helpful if talk therapy just is not your thing or if talk therapy has not helped to get you unstuck.
Radically Open Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (RODBT) is really helpful if you struggle to feel connected with others, feel lonely, tend to get stuck with perfectionism and being harsh on yourself and people who are important to you.
Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and Circle of Security (COSI) are both helpful for caregivers who are struggling with their loved ones behaviours and feeling a strong connection with their loved one. Maybe you feel a disconnection to your child or you are worried everything you do might make it worse- this is for you!
I am registered provider under First Nations Health Authority and can bill directly to the Autism Funding Unit.
With counselling, fit is important. Its also hard to reach out and talk with someone. Please feel free to call or email me. I'd be happy to talk with you about my services, approach and answer any questions you may have. I can also give you an outline of what counselling can look like. Please reach out to me for a complementary consultation
Specialized training:
- Emotion Focused Family Therapy- Helpful for caregivers who are stuck and are looking for ways to connect with their loved one https://efftinternational.org/efft-practitioners
- Radically Open Dialect Behaviour Therapy- helpful for individuals who are lonely and would like to build strong connections https://www.radicallyopen.net/find-a-therapist/canada/page/2/
- Circle of Security Facilitator- Helpful for caregivers who are stuck and looking for building connection with their child https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/circle-of-security-model/what-is-the-circle-of-security/
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing- EMDR- really helpful for past traumas, when you are stuck and as an alternative to talk therapy
- Extensive training in Dialectic Behaviour Therapy- including facilitating Teen and caregiver skills groups- helpful for those with big emotions looking for skills
Client fee individuals:
$140.00 Sliding scale is availableClient fee couples/families:
$160.00 Sliding scale is availableAvailability:
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