Clinical
Counselling
Where stories meet, healing happens, and community thrives.
counselling Team
Robin Ashforth MC, RCC
Blending existentialism, an internally-focused exploration into recurring problematic patterns you experience in your life, along with social models of wellbeing in exploring external influences and their impact on you, my approach is both integrative, drawing on the wisdom of multiple theories, and collaborative, working together with you as the focus. With you as the expert of your lived experience and me with my counselling insight and practice, together we can work to achieve your goals during our time together. I am here to help you through curiosity and collaboration. You will be seen, heard, understood and respected.
*I offer limited appointments reserved for reduced-rate counselling. Please get in touch with me directly at robin.ashforth@bravesinergy.com to inquire about reduced-rate counselling.
Types of therapy and approaches that can
be integrated into our sessions are
- Compassion-focused
- Existential
- Humanistic (person-centered, collaborative, relational)
- Integrative
- Positive psychology
- Social models of mental wellbeing
- Neurodiversity model
- Solution focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Strengths-based
- Trauma informed
My Personal Background
As a neurodivergent, privileged, mature, cisgender female colonial settler, my personal background reflects the many interests I’ve been passionate about over a lifetime of learning, including psychology, counselling, alcohol use, and end-of-life.
Having only recently understood that I have been trying to live a neurotypical life and finding that detrimentally challenging, my current area of focus is on providing neurodiversity-affirming counselling, especially to others like myself.
Living with unrecognized neurodivergence, I spent many years turning to alcohol for support. I have been alcohol-free for over 12 years, during which I have taken the time to learn about and understand the impacts of alcohol use while exploring and researching ways and means of living life on life’s terms without it.
I have always worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector which supports my learned experience, including:
- Counsellor at Citizens’ Counselling Centre;
- Working at the BC Cancer Foundation raising funds for the research centre;
- As a volunteer in the psycho/social department of Victoria BC Cancer Center providing relaxation and therapeutic touch services to patients, families and caregivers;
- Working for the Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation;
- As a volunteer supporting hospice patients at or near end of life.
- Each of these experiences has led me to do a deep dive into the issues surrounding neurodivergence, alcohol use and end of life.
Credentials
Master of Counselling - City Seattle University in Canada - 2024
- Certified Autism Specialist, PESI – 2025
- Certified End-of-Life Doula, Quality of Life Care, 2022
- Positive Psychology Certificate, Wilfred Laurier University – 2020
- Psychology of Human Relations, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute – 1986
Validated Knowledge
- Foundations of Neuro-affirming Practice, PESI
- Neurodiversity in Women, PESI
- Highly Sensitive Person, PESI
- Cultural Humility at End of Life, Victoria Hospice
- Victoria Hospice Volunteer Training
- Citizens’ Counselling Centre Volunteer Training
- Reiki Master
- Feel free to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. I look forward to connecting with you.
Fees & Cancellation Policy
- Individual Sessions: $150 CAN (60 minutes)
- Our Counsellors have limited appointments reserved for reduced-rate counselling. Please get in touch with our counsellors directly to inquire about reduced-rate counselling.
- Coming Soon: Celina will accept insurance from Telus Health (Canada Life, Blue Cross, Desjardins Insurance, etc.) and Green Shield.
- Cancellation Policy: Life happens, and things can change quickly. However, we will encourage you to cancel or reschedule your appointment 48 hours before without charge. Otherwise, and because our counsellors booked my time to work with you, we require you to pay for the full session if you cancel the appointment at the very last minute.
Codes of Ethical Conduct
All our counsellors follow the Code of Ethics of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). Here you can find the links:
BCACC Code of Ethical Conduct: https://bcacc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/BCACC-COEC-Effective-Nov.-1-2023.pdf
BCACC Standards of Practice: https://bcacc.ca/code-of-ethical-conduct-and-standards-of-clinical-practice/
- CCPA Code of Ethics: https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CCPA-2020-Code-of-Ethics-E-Book-EN.pdf
