Tracey Dahl MA, RCC
Phone/Text 778-401-8670
Do you feel unsettled, worried, or stuck? Do you have a sense that you are in a rut, created from doing the same things over and over, and not getting different results? Do you feel unsatisfied with your relationships? Do you feel that your life lacks meaning? Exploring these dark places alone may feel overwhelming, but healing comes when you connect with someone you trust.
My professional life began in education. As an elementary school teacher, I worked in private schools in the Fraser Valley. I took a hiatus from work outside the home to welcome and care for our four children. As the kids moved into middle school, I returned to graduate work. My interest in the field of counselling began after I battled complex postpartum depression after our fourth baby. Exhausted and anxious, I felt the sting and stigma of needing mental health support. The experience of postpartum depression was isolating and lonely. When I finally reached out to a therapist I learned that it was possible to recover. I began to believe I was going to be ok and, most importantly, I knew I was not alone in my suffering. The trust, acceptance, and empathy, I experienced were critical to my healing. I was no longer alone with my pain.
My greatest desire is to create a similar space where others feel safe to process the experiences in life that keep them stuck, anxious and unsettled. I believe that healing involves creating safety and undoing aloneness. Healing is a whole body experience: mind, body and spirit. I work collaboratively and experientially with clients exploring the areas that need healing and transformation
I work within this approach using emotion-focused, experiential and attachment based therapies. I have Level 2 training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, (AEDP) and passionately pursue opportunities for further professional development and personal growth. AEDP is an experiential approach where we privilege the positive and help you live more fully and freely. Through the experiential work we do, my hope is that you experience freedom from old patterns of relating to the world, learn to express difficult emotions, challenge limiting beliefs and create more meaningful life experiences.
I offer individual counselling focussing on issues related to:
- life transitions (divorce, parenting, an "empty nest", retirement)
- self-esteem and assertiveness
- relationships and healthy attachment
- trauma
- anxiety and stress
- emotional regulation
- depression
- personal and spiritual growth