Associates
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Tommy Spence
MSW, RSW Pronouns: He/him I am excited to be working with Tommy Spence as an associate in my practice. Tommy is an experienced therapist who is passionate about working with both teenagers and adults who find themselves facing challenges in their lives. He believes that meaningful change happens when problems are understood within the context that they occur and when individuals are supported to reconnect with their values and hopes. Tommy often works with individuals facing challenges such as:
Tommy has trained extensively in a therapeutic model called Narrative Therapy, a collaborative and conversational approach to therapy that helps individuals to renegotiate their relationship to unhelpful stories and patterns and to develop deep connections to their values, hopes and preferences. Tommy is a skilled meditation instructor. For those interested, mindfulness practice can be included as part of the therapeutic process to support well-being and a deeper connection with oneself. Tommy has many years of experience in the helping profession including in non-profit, healthcare and independent practice settings. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Social Work and has been an invited guest lecturer at several post-secondary institutes on topics such as Narrative Therapy and collaborative therapy with youth. A Registered Social Worker (RSW) in the province of British Columbia, Tommy holds both a Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW) and a Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BSW) from the University of British Columbia. It is Tommy’s sincere privilege to be invited into the lives of those he works with. To book a time to meet with Tommy please contact us. |
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Jess Lenihan
MSW, RSW Pronouns: She/her I am thrilled to have Jess Lenihan join as an associate in my practice. Since 2005, Jess has worked in diverse social service programs supporting both adults and youth addressing a wide array of challenges. The majority of her past work is related to resisting housing insecurity and working alongside community members to navigate systems related to food security, health care and income/employment. These experiences have gifted Jess with an understanding of the complexity of how problems present themselves and an ability to walk alongside those she works to navigate through the issues they are dealing with. Jess’s practice is informed by Narrative Therapy, feminism, post-stucturalism and anti-oppressive practice. Jess holds the understanding that people are not problems, that problems are problems. She knows that you are an expert in your own life and thus have the unique skills and knowledge that will sustain you in the collaborative act of therapy. Your own expertise will support you in finding movement towards preferred ways of being. She recognizes that people/relationships/communities are multi-storied. Not one experience or story captures the totality of who that person/relationship/community is. She is excited to explore this with you. Jess has a Bachelors (BSW) and Masters degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Victoria and is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in British Columbia as well as a member of the BC Association of Social Workers. She has additional counselling training through a feminist-narrative praxis immersion program with the Prochoices Narrative Therapy Community Clinic. To book a time to meet with Jess please contact us. |
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Pau Compean
MA Pronouns: She/her Pau comes to our practice from Mexico and has worked in private practice for over 8 years. She recently decided to leave her practice in Irapuato, México to come to Vancouver to learn about different cultures, be near family and experience the West Coast of BC. As a practitioner, Pau is influenced by narrative practices which makes her hold her clients´ own experiences, background, values, and knowledges as the guide to answer any questions they might have and help navigate the concerns they are coming to counselling with. She speaks both English and Spanish and brings a special warmth and levity to the counselling sessions making her clients feel comfortable and safe. Pau always pushes herself and never assumes she is experienced enough to stop learning and consulting with other professionals and her own clients. She has a Bachelor´s Degree in Psychology, a Master´s Degree in Systemic Family Therapy (MSFT) and a Narrative Therapy Yearlong Training In Evanston Family Center in Chicago, among other courses. She is currently studying a diploma in Aboriginal Studies at Langara College. Pau es una terapeuta mexicana que ha trabajado en la practica privada desde hace 8 años. Decidió dejar su consultorio en Irapuato, México para venir a Vancouver y aprender de diferentes culturas. Como terapeuta Pau esta influida por las practicas narrativas, lo que le hace mantener las experiencias, historia, valores y conocimientos del cliente como guía a cualquier pregunta que los mismos clientes puedan tener. Habla tanto inglés como español, y una de las cualidades que trae a la consulta es calidez y ligereza haciendo que sus clientes se sientan cómodos y seguros. Siempre se reta a sí misma y nunca asume que tiene la experiencia suficiente para dejar de seguir aprendiendo y consultando con otros profesionales o con sus mismos clientes. Pau tiene una Licenciatura en Psicología, una Maestría en Psicoterapia familiar sistémica, y un diplomado de un año en prácticas narrativas en el Evanston Family Center en Chicago entre otros cursos. Actualmente se encuentra estudiando un diplomado en Estudios aborígenes en Lagara College. To book a time to meet with Pau please contact us. |
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Carmella Van Drunen
Student Pronouns: She/her I am excited to be working with Carmella as a student this year. Carmella is a student of the Masters of Social Work program at Wilfrid Laurier University and comes to our practice with many years of experience supporting adults and youth in mental health through her work with government and non-profit agencies. Carmella joins our practice with a decade of work experience where she has contributed compassionately and positively to the well-being of others in many mental health settings. Carmella holds a strong passion for working collaboratively with people as they work to renegotiate their relationships to various problems in their lives. She believes that peoples are the experts of their own lives and aims to work alongside their knowledge helping people to find freedom from their struggles. Since completing her Bachelor of Arts with a psychology major at Simon Fraser University Carmella has had the opportunity to support individuals through depression, anxiety, neurodiversity, trauma, challenges related to parenting or pregnancy, chronic medical conditions, life transitions, death, spirituality or existential crisis, addiction, social and relationship struggles, as well as a variety of mental health diagnoses. Through her training in Narrative Therapy, Carmella believes that the problems we face in life do not need to define us; through some of life’s biggest challenges, people can find resilience. She uses an analytical and creative approach to collaborate with her client to understand the story they are living and then explore how they can use their strengths and values to create a life that feels more manageable for them. |
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