Who is Skylark?

Our practice tailors to working professionals looking for new solutions to life challenges and personal goals

We offer therapy at our office downtown Vancouver, Abbotsford as well as online from all corners of the world. You can attend sessions in the comfort of your own home or at a location of your choosing that better fits your schedule.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT US

Why did we choose Skylark as our name?

Similar to a Dove symbolising peace, a Skylark is a bird that symbolizes hope and joy. What caught our eye specifically though, was that this bird represents “joy not understood by empirical methods” which we find to be so valuable in the pursuit of happiness. Although we use scientific methods in our treatment, there are elements to life that are unmeasurable, intangible, and sometimes, without words. One of these elements, is the feeling of liberating, tremendous joy that we all strive for.

There’s a famous poem, that we came across in our Skylark research, about social justice and the difficulties of enduring the disappointments and disillusionments of daily life – and how people long to be a like a Skylark: a bird without fear of these things, when really, everyone experiences them. As counsellors, we are here to support people in navigating towards that sense of hope and joy.

The Skylark, as a bird, is visually quite a non-remarkable animal, and we really liked that. It’s a typical brown spotted bird that blends in with most other songbirds of similar stature. It’s not an awe-inspiring eagle, or colourful peacock or something else exceptional….it’s just a real, average bird, that interestingly, only sings in flight. We found its averageness grounding. We live in a society where everyone is made to believe that we always need to be better, do better, act better, and anything less is insulting. Being the best employee, the best friend, best parents… Societal values deem us as consistently not good enough, leaving us while feeling stuck in our realities. In essence, we are all searching for immeasurable joy, and in joy, we are liberated to be our best selves, breaking the glass ceiling of perfection. It’s ok to dip into the clouds, but in joy, we can really sing.

Our Promise

To provide flexible therapy solutions for the working and busy individual

We offer a variety of insightful solutions, based on a specialized skillset while being well-rounded and adaptive to our client’s varying life situations. We are informed, always learning individuals. We use this knowledge to draw awareness to underlying needs, and further build on the unique strengths within each person. We work together to make sure your therapy is always ethical, empirically supported and tailored to achieve a happier, more balanced life for you.

Meet our Team

A Group of Really Great People Coming Together to Provide the Best Therapy

We’re a team of Certified and Registered Clinical Counsellors specializing in supporting busy working professionals with a diverse variety of needs. All of our practitioners possess a Master’s level degree and above and are each experts in various therapies grounded in science, combined with extensive training and real world experience in their specified fields of work.

Kalie Brown

MCP, RCC

Mafe Boucher

MCP, RCC

Lorraine Schembri

MCP, RCC, CCC

Angela Pattria

MEd, RCC

Scott Arner

MCP, CCC, CT, RCC

Clayton Andres

MEd, RCC

Kailtin Harvey

MCP, RCC

Jasmine Gill

MEd, RCC

Anna Nicol

Starting Nov 2023

Elizabeth Medina

MCP, RCC

Karina Rampal

MCP, RCC

Kevin Kraussler

MCP, RCC

Heather Deans

MCP, RCC

Rupinder Sidhu

MCP, RCC

Abby Wong

MEd, RCC

Danielle Holtjer

MCP, RCC, CCC

Barrett Carter

MCP, RCC

Leia Newland

Masters Practicum Student

Laurie Hollingdrake

MCP, RCC, CCC

WANT TO KNOW WHO SKYLARK IS?

Who We Are, and Who We Aren’t

We are not rigid or know it all’s. We aren’t shocked by disclosures, or shaken by secrets. We don’t criticize or assume. We aren’t gossipers or half-listeners. We don’t label because of preferences, decisions you’ve made or decisions you are making. We aren’t burnt out, and we aren’t unresponsive.

We are people that have it together, but still are human. We have families, hobbies, and passions. We are always learning, friendly, open-minded, and practical. If we don’t know the answer we’ll find it, if we don’t understand, we’ll ask. We are dedicated to improving people’s lives through honesty, understanding, and individual empowerment. We strive to redefine trauma, challenge stigma and stereotypes, and specialize in growth, resilience, and change.

Our Mission

We strive to live true to our values of integrity, understanding, and individual empowerment. A portion of proceeds from every session will go towards someone’s therapy who does not have the means to pay for private counselling, but who is also striving for self-improvement and change. 

Get in touch with us!

Our team is ready to serve you locally in Vancouver BC, Abbotsford or online.

Contact Us