About Elizabeth
I welcome you to Elizabeth Larsen Counselling and Consulting. I am a counselling therapist with a private practice in New Hazelton, BC. It is an honor to offer this service on Gitxsan territory, at the foot of a majestic mountain and near the confluence of life giving rivers, grateful for the inspiration they provide. I will share with you some information about myself so that you can make a decision about whether you would like to connect with me for a consultation or to book a counselling appointment.
I moved from Alberta to BC in 1996, spending close to four years in the community of Atlin before moving to the Upper Skeena communities that include the Hazeltons. I have worked in front line residential and community roles to support children, youth and families challenged by trauma, addictions and the inevitable losses that life brings. I have provided mental health services in a high school setting. Most recently I have been, and continue to be working as a therapist with men in the Domestic Peace program at Northern Society for Domestic Peace
I believe strongly in the importance of honoring the experience and perspective of individuals and families as they develop and grow, shaping themselves through their perceptions and connections with those around them.
"When you are faithful to the risk and ambivalence of growth, you are engaging in your life."
— John O'Donohue
photo by Brian Huntington
Approach to Therapy
"To come to ground is to begin the courageous conversation, to step into difficulty and by taking that first step, to find the support and foundation that has been beneath our feet all along."
— David Whyte
Living is not easy, and so often we are confronted by a sense of disconnection and uncertainty. I believe that therapy is like a guided discovery of what already exists within this vulnerability - the potential to create a rich and meaningful experience of life, no matter what has happened. I use trauma-informed, response-based principles to tap into this potential within a supportive and collaborative therapeutic relationship. The mindfulness-oriented approach central to my practice encourages attention to the present moment, in all aspects of experience; mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
My practice includes the following interests/concerns; life transitions, men's health, healthy relationships, traumatic experience and recovery, strategies for reducing stress, understanding mental health concerns, awareness and regulation of emotion, parenting challenges, personal growth and resilience, self-care and compassion, cultural fluency, conflict facilitation and group process.
Education and Registration
I hold a Bachelor of Psychology and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary, and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Athabasca. I am certified as a Canadian Counsellor through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, and registered as a Clinical Counsellor in the province of British Columbia.
Areas of Practice
Anxiety and Depression
Downs as well as ups spice life, but need to be in balance. — Daniel Goleman
Anxiety is a natural reaction to life, part of our basic human need to pay attention to cues from our bodies and our environment in order to survive. Depression is a mental and physical response to/of fear and sadness. Both can affect us profoundly in all aspects of life, and make it difficult to pay attention to what is happening.
Relationships
The more love you give away, the more you will have. — John O'Donohue
Human beings are by nature in relationship. Having a sense of connection and belonging are crucial elements of feeling well in the world. Awareness of strengths and challenges in our ability to relate to others in intimate and social relationships, as well as to ourselves, is key to building the kind of connections we would prefer to have.
Men's HeAlth
We do not have to improve ourselves ~ we just have to let go of what blocks our heart. — Jack Kornfield
It is not easy to ask for help. To reflect on experience and find a supported way through personal and relationship challenges can be of value to men who choose to attend counselling. Health concerns, parenting questions and coping with emotions, your own or those of others, can be important reasons to take that first step.
Grief and Loss
Only by learning how to touch the ground of our own emptiness can we feel whole again. — Mark Epstein
It is inevitable that over the course of life we are presented with losses ~ of loved ones, of plans and dreams, of identities. Understanding and exploring our own unique experience of grief can connect us to the love we have for what we have lost, as well as for what still remains possible.
Trauma
Not only is trauma curable, but the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening. — Peter A. Levine
Trauma is human suffering that overwhelms our ability to cope. It may be that you have experienced a single traumatic event, or that you have a complex of lifelong traumatic experience. An understanding of the unique origins and effects of traumatic experience can be created as we develop a sense of safety, and a graduated therapeutic approach that meets your particular situation and concern.
Addictions
We constantly seek something outside ourselves to curb an insatiable yearning for relief or fulfillment..the substances, objects or pursuits we hope will soothe it are not what we really need. — Gabor Mate
Craving and desire exist for all of us, but an imbalance in these realities can cause them to become a destructive force in our lives. Attention to the emotional and physical elements of addiction can help with the return to or moving toward a preferred way of living.
Mindfulness
The strength of mindfulness is that it enables us to hold difficult thoughts and feelings in a different way ~ with awareness, balance, and love. — Sharon Salzberg
Mindfulness is a way of being in the present moment, a willingness to be aware of what arises as an emotion or thought, memory or physical sensation. Through this paying attention, it is possible to identify and transform difficult experience . Essential elements that assist the healing process include non-judgment, understanding and compassion.
Self Compassion
At the end of the day, you are only being asked to relax, allow life to be as it is, and open your heart to yourself. It's easier than you think, and it could change your life. — Kristin Neff
It is a common practice to be our own worst critic rather than being our own best friend. Self compassion means to bring a measure of kindness, acceptance and comfort to ourselves, and to recognize our own worth.
photo by Kristin Jones
There is a teaching that says that behind all the hardening and tightening and rigidity of the heart, there's always a fear. But if you touch the fear there is a soft spot. And if you touch that soft spot, you find the vast blue sky. — Pema Chodron
Fees and Funding
My session fee is $90 per hour for individual and $110 for couple therapy plus GST. For group process and consulting, fees are determined based on the specific needs of each situation. I am a service provider through a number of Employee Assistance programs, and through the First Nations Health Authority. I would be pleased to speak with you about costs and coverage at the time of referral.
Please note that I am not accepting new referrals at this time ( as of June 1, 2023). Thank you for visiting my website, and I wish you all the very best.
ELIZABETH LARSEN, BA Psyc, BSW, MC, RCC
3228 Bowser St. New Hazelton, BC V0J 2N0
778-202-1670
counselling@elizabethlarsen.net
