True Peace Counselling
Virtual Therapy for Anxiety in BC
Is anxiety stopping you from engaging with life, enjoying meaningful relationships, or pursuing your dreams? We can help.
Anxiety makes you feel isolated. Reach out for support today by booking a free 15-minute consultation with one of our Registered Clinical Counsellors.
Not sure who to book with? Contact us and we will find you a therapist match.
Do I Have Anxiety?
If you are experiencing high anxiety, you will likely relate to some of the following statements:
My thoughts are constantly racing.
I cannot make decisions for fear of making the wrong choice.
My muscles are always tense. I clench my jaw, and my shoulders feel sore.
My friends and family would describe me as “on edge.”
When anxiety spikes, I feel absolutely panicked, like the world is ending.
I worry all the time – sometimes about a specific topic, and sometimes about generally everything.
Sometimes I get headaches or stomachaches that doctors cannot explain.
I have a hard time focusing, and I cannot quiet my mind when it is time to sleep.
How Counselling Can Help Anxiety
Retrains your nervous system
Your nervous system is designed to keep you safe from perceived threats, but sometimes it struggles to tell the difference between a real threat and an imagined one. We use evidence-based approaches to help you retrain your nervous system, which helps you regain peace in your life.
Strengthens Sense of Safety
Have you noticed how tense your muscles are when you feel anxious? Or how your breathing becomes quite shallow? Our counsellors are trained to help you tune in to your body cues so that you can consciously release the tension. Reducing physical tension significantly reduces anxiety.
Teaches Emotion Regulation
Practicing new skills can be frustrating, but when you practice new skills with the support of a counsellor, everything changes. Counsellors provide nonjudgmental and unbiased support, while sharing expertise about emotion regulation skills. With their support, you can learn to regulate anxiety.
Addresses Underlying Beliefs
Life isn’t always easy, and when we go through rough patches, we can develop beliefs and thinking patterns that fuel anxiety. Counsellors provide a safe space for you to process past experiences, and guidance as you learn to release beliefs that no longer serve you.
Our Team of Registered Clinical Counsellors
Gillian Saxby, MA, RCC
Gillian uses a holistic, trauma-informed approach that helps clients understand and manage anxiety. She integrates mindfulness practices, somatic awareness, and lifestyle considerations into sessions to support well-being on multiple levels
Natalie Hope, MA, RCC
Natalie uses Somatic Experiencing to help you retrain your nervous system, and effectively manage anxiety. Her approach is trauma-informed and compassionate.
Kala McKenzie, MA, RCC
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
About Us
We are a group of counsellors dedicated to providing excellent services to British Columbian clients. Through trauma-informed care, our counsellors foster empowerment and growth as they develop deep and genuine connection with clients.
Our clients come to us because they feel stuck in unwanted behavioural patterns, and they are tired of repeating the same fight, either with themselves or others. These patterns may stem from current life circumstances, or they may be born from past experiences in emotionally painful environments.
Whatever your story, we are here to support you.
What can I expect from virtual counselling for anxiety?
We believe that our client’s confidentiality is of utmost importance, and so we do not provide client testimonials, even if clients offer.
In lieu of testimonials, we have written fictional depictions of what a client may experience during virtual counselling for anxiety. These anecdotes are created based on true stories.
Somatic-Based Therapy for Anxiety
Amanda chose online counselling for anxiety because she has to travel frequently for work. She liked knowing that she could have her sessions on the go.
During her first session, Amanda explained that anxiety was impacting her relationship. She wanted to be confident, but couldn’t seem to stop second guessing her decisions. She would frequently ask her partner for reassurance, and her partner had expressed that the pattern was becoming exhausting. Amanda decided to seek online therapy with a Registered Clinical Counsellor who specializes in anxiety.
Amanda’s counsellor took a somatic approach. She explained that what Amanda feels in her body tells her brain that she needs to “watch out!” By tuning in to her body, Amanda could start interrupting the anxious response.
First, Amanda and her counsellor identified situations that increased Amanda’s anxious feelings. Then, her counsellor asked her to notice what she felt in her body. Amanda noticed that she was clenching her jaw, fidgeting with her hands, and holding her breath. Her counsellor walked her through a relaxation exercise to calm the tension in her body.
Between sessions, Amanda practiced calming her body at home. It didn’t take long for her to experience a situation that spiked her anxiety. Amanda remembered to breath, and used some relaxation techniques to unclench her jaw, and stop fidgetting. It wasn’t a magic fix, but Amanda noticed a difference. She felt more in control.
Amanda continued to work with her counsellor to develop skills for managing anxiety. After a number of sessions, she felt much more confident, and reduced the frequency of her counselling. She felt proud of herself for facing anxiety, and learning how changing her body’s response resulted in changing her mental response.
Managing Anxiety to Manage Anger
Joe started counselling because his boss told him that he needed to find a different outlet for his anger. After doing some research, Joe decided that virtual therapy with a Registered Clinical Counsellor might actually help.
Through counselling, Joe learned that his anger flared whenever he felt threatened. He admitted that he felt insecure and struggled with low self-esteem ever since he had been bullied in high school. His counsellor suggested that being angry made him feel untouchable, and it kept people away. In reality, it was a mask for anxiety.
Joe’s counsellor taught Joe how to recognize when anger was present. He learned how to redirect anger to healthy outlets, and how to soothe the anxiety that was quietly driving his anger.
With time, things started to change for Joe. He didn’t become angry as easily, and he was more confident when sharing his ideas. At work, his boss was impressed when Joe thought of a solution to a problem that his team had been dealing with for quite some time.
As Joe improved his anxiety management skills, he noticed that he was drinking less. He joined a local basketball team with some of his friends, something that he would not have dreamed of doing in the past.
As he reflected on his time in therapy, he was amazed at how much better he felt now that he knew how to handle tough situations.