Chantal Esperanza | RCC

Nov 1

BACKGROUND

Hi! My name is Chantal (she/her), a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Avery Therapy Centre and Stellium Sex Therapy.

My personal contact with loss, complex trauma, and chronic illness – and my respective healing journey – all strongly inform and reinforce my commitment to supporting others as a psychotherapist today. I have carried a lifelong interest in work that has the capacity to heal and transform, and I have served in non-governmental sectors in areas as diverse as civic engagement, harm reduction, and public health policy before becoming a therapist.

I am passionate about honoring the stories and life experiences of clients with humility, non-judgment, and thoughtfulness. As a human and therapist, I firmly believe that we heal in relationship – and that a strong therapeutic alliance between client and counsellor is built on an essential foundation of felt safety, trust, and collaboration.

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

I work with individuals who struggle feeling safe in their human experience. There might be an emotion, sensation, belief, or experience that carries an unbearable weight that over time we find ourselves wading in the waters of disconnection or defeat. And while this may be true, I strongly believe that the provision of evidence-based care rooted in compassion and kindness can radically transform the trajectory of a human life.

My work is rooted in the principles of humanistic existentialism, Buddhist psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, and anti-oppressive ideologies. I hold each client as the expert of their own lives, and I strive to meet them with unbridled curiosity, warmth, and respect. Across the exploration of the landscape of client lives, there is an ongoing focus on safety through my careful attunement to what emerges in the room on a moment-to-moment basis. My multidisciplinary and personalized approach is tethered to the recognition of the innate human capacity and drive for self-actualization. Together we will cultivate the resources available both within and outside of you – be it your passions, values, dreams, culture, faith, community and more – to build a roadmap towards your therapeutic goals.

The therapeutic process is a deeply intimate one. It involves allowing ourselves in raw form to be seen, heard, and held with tenderness – including the parts we may have spent our lifetimes hiding from or denying. If you have any questions, let’s chat. I offer a twenty-minute virtual consultation that allows you determine if I am the right therapist for you.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology | Adler University
Bachelor of Arts in International Security and Conflict Resolution Studies | Simon Fraser University
Complex Trauma Certification Level 1 and 2 (CCTIP/CCTP-II) | Dr. Janina Fischer
Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 | The Gottman Institute
Observed and Experiential Integration Level 1 (OEI) | Dr. Rick Bradshaw
Foundations of Narrative Therapy Theory and Practice | Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy
Trauma Informed Training Level 1 and 2 | Alyson Quinn, Trauma Informed Practice Institute

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