Olivia Bates, BCACC Student Member

Hi and welcome!

My name is Olivia, and I am currently a second-year student counsellor pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Counselling. My journey to become a counsellor is rooted in a deep appreciation for connection and listening to the stories that make individuals so unique.

I am passionate about working with young adults, adults, and couples struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, loss, life transitions, low self-esteem, and relationship challenges.

I strive to create a safe, accepting, supportive, collaborative, and culturally-sensitive environment to explore all of life's complexities together. My theoretical approach is grounded in Psychodynamic Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). I believe exploring early life experiences and unprocessed emotions is essential to understanding current behaviours, attachment patterns, and defence mechanisms. In working together, I want to help cultivate greater emotional awareness, improve communication skills, and develop stronger and more authentic connections with others and the self. I like to draw upon strength-based and solution-focused interventions as I believe clients are the experts in their own lives and I want to empower clients to recognize their own inherent power, resilience, worth, and potential for growth.

I graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, where I grew passionate about relationships, love, and the power of human connection in healing.

It takes courage to confront your emotions and pain; you do not have to do it alone. I look forward to walking alongside you in your journey towards self-discovery and emotional and psychological well-being! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or think we would work well together!