Hundred Acre Counselling
Who Am I?
My name is Aleigha (she/her) and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor, proud dog mom, sister, daughter, niece, and friend. I have a professional background in education and received my BA from a small liberal arts college in Illinois, USA where I also played varsity softball. I am an avid reality TV enthusiast, chronic jokester, TikTok scroller, and am very passionate about ice cream. After a couple of years teaching elementary school in Spain, I came to realize that the subject I was most interested in was the subject of life itself: joys, heartbreaks, peaks, valleys, grief, growth, healing, and so much more. That's when I made the switch over to the counselling field, and decided to pursue my MA in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria. Now, here I am! Ready to meet you and hear your story.
Areas of Focus
Body Image
Relationship to food and movement
Eating disorders and disordered eating
Trauma
Depression
Relationships
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
My Approach to Counselling
My practice is largely influenced by Feminist Theory, Attachment Theory, Family Systems and Internal Family Systems Theories. Generally, I believe that distress and suffering cannot be understood in isolation from their environment, therefore it is critical to explore the systems at play to understand the interconnectedness of what may be going on. I take an anti-oppressive approach to counselling and mental health: I believe in the power of transforming one's mindset as well as acknowledging the realities of the impacts of our sociocultural systems. There are many things that are out of our control in this world, and one of my core values as a mental health professional and human being is to validate the suffering caused by flawed, racist, xenophobic, and patriarchal systems. In other words, to quote songwriter Alessia Cara: "you don't have to change a thing, the world could change its heart."
​
At the same time, therapy is a powerful resource to address many of the aspects of our wellness that we do have control over. I believe that healing is possible, and that we are inherently equipped with the resources we need to find balance and achieve our own personal goals. Discovering and accessing your internal strength and learning to apply the different parts of yourself to best serve you can be an important part of our work together. Whether you're feeling stuck in a rut of depression, feeling unmanageably anxious, burdened by past traumas, struggling to find health and happiness in your relationships, a counselling approach that aims to understand your whole self and its relationship to your surroundings can help you foster meaningful and sustainable change in your life.
​
By nature, I tend to incorporate a good dose of humour into our sessions together. I firmly believe in the power of laughter and I find comedy to be one of the tastiest spices of life. I aim to provide a warm, non-judgmental space for you to feel seen, heard, and understood. Sharing your story with anyone is a courageous act of vulnerability and I want to acknowledge you for taking this step in kindness towards yourself. I look forward to joining you on your path to wellness, balance, happiness, and whatever else you may be searching for.
​