Elise Hartin, RCC

I am committed to helping you overcome both your mental and emotional obstacles to achieve the health and happiness you are seeking.

An obstacle, as defined by Dictionary.com, is “something that obstructs or hinders progress.”

Every person is unique. I believe that by exploring together to understand your emotional and mental obstacles, we can collaboratively work to overcome those obstacles.

Together, we will gain insight, develop skills, and overcome challenges.

My Professional Biography

I pursued a career in counselling because I enjoy listening to people, trying to understand their experiences, and helping them to overcome their challenges. The idea of supporting people through whatever experiences they are struggling with is something that excites me. In my experiences as a counsellor over the past decade, I have continually been inspired by the resiliency I have seen in the people I’ve worked with, and I appreciate what I learn about life from my clients.

In 2011, I earned a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology. I spent the summer of that year employed in England with an organization called Wellspring Camps. At the time, Wellspring was the leading organization in providing weight loss camps for children, adolescents, and young adults. I was responsible for teaching skills and supporting campers individually and in group settings. During my time at Wellspring, I was often encouraged by the amount of dedication and effort displayed by the campers I worked with.

For 7 years, I worked as a Stopping the Violence counsellor at a community agency (https://endingviolence.org/about-us/programs-we-serve/). My work in that program involved individual and group counselling with adults who had experienced trauma and abuse.

In 2015 I completed Level 1 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. My intention in pursuing this training was to develop a framework and gain tools in a therapy method that had empirical support for its effectiveness. If you’d like more information about the Gottman Method, please see this web page: https://www.gottman.com/about/the-gottman-method/

In 2018 I completed the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Training because I wanted tools to help the people I was working with overcome traumatic or adverse experiences in their past. Since that time I have attended multiple advanced EMDR trainings for working with people with complex trauma histories. If you’d like more information about EMDR, please see this web page: https://www.emdria.org/page/what_is_emdr_therapy

Additionally, I attended a two-day workshop “A Competency-based Approach to Clinical Supervision”, facilitated by Carol Falender, Ph.D. This workshop was designed to teach ethical supervision practice, competencies, guidelines, best practices, and evaluation strategies.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor in good standing with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

My Counselling Services

The mental or emotional obstacles preventing you from achieving health and happiness are as unique as you are; together, we will identify these challenges and work towards overcoming them.

I offer counselling to adults, as well as to couples seeking to improve their relationship. Some examples of challenges I have experience working with are:

• impact of trauma (e.g. triggers, flashbacks, dissociation, shame, hypervigilance, etc)
• difficulties with:
– managing emotion
– communication or boundaries
– low mood or anxiety
– self-esteem or self-acceptance

I integrate multiple therapy modalities to best suit your personal needs. Concepts and interventions from the following theories are integrated:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Solution-focused Therapy

• Narrative Therapy

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

• Observed and Experiential Integration Therapy (OEI)

• Gottman Method Couples Therapy

I am registered with the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) as well as ICBC.

Book a 15-min free consultation with Elise Hartin today.