Counselling in the Comox Valley
Anxiety, Stress & Burnout Counselling in Comox, Courtenay & Campbell River
Maybe your mind won’t quiet down—the what-ifs, the replaying, the bracing for whatever comes next. Or maybe you’ve been holding it all together for so long that you’re running on empty and calling it normal. Whatever it looks like for you, you don’t have to carry it alone.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Anxiety, stress and burnout rarely announce themselves. More often they show up in small, ordinary moments that quietly add up—until one day you notice how tired you are of feeling this way.
- You lie awake replaying a conversation from three days ago—or rehearsing one that hasn’t happened yet.
- Your chest tightens when your phone buzzes, before you even know who it is.
- You’re the one everyone counts on, and you can’t remember the last time you felt genuinely rested.
- “Relaxing” has started to feel like one more thing you’re failing at.
- You snap at the people you love over small things, then feel terrible about it.
- Sunday evenings get swallowed by dread about the week ahead.
- You keep telling yourself “once I get through this week”—but there’s always another week.
How counselling can help
I won’t tell you to “just relax” or “think positive.” Anxiety doesn’t mean something is wrong with you—it usually means your nervous system is working overtime to protect you. So instead of trying to argue you out of your worry, we’ll get curious about it together: where it comes from, what it’s trying to guard, and why it’s been working so hard for so long.
My work is grounded in attachment theory and Emotionally Focused Therapy, because anxiety so often carries old messages about needing to be perfect, prepared, or endlessly capable to be okay. When we slow down enough to hear what’s underneath the racing thoughts, something softens. Alongside that deeper work, we’ll build practical, real-life tools—drawn from CBT and other approaches—that actually fit your days, not someone else’s idea of what calm should look like.
And if what you’re feeling is burnout—that hollowed-out, holding-it-all-together exhaustion—I understand it from the inside. Before becoming a counsellor, I ran a wholesale bakery for more than a decade. I know what it’s like to be the person the whole operation leans on, and how long you can run on fumes before you realize the tank has been empty for a while. You don’t have to earn your rest by collapsing first.
What we might work on together
Every person’s anxiety has its own shape, so our work will too. Depending on what you need, we might focus on:
- Understanding your anxiety patterns—what sets them off, and what they’re trying to protect
- Practical ways to settle a nervous system that’s been working overtime
- Untangling burnout from your identity—learning to rest without guilt and set boundaries without panic
- Quieting the inner critic that never seems to take a day off
- Building a different relationship with uncertainty—one that doesn’t leave you feeling trapped
- Noticing your early warning signs, so overwhelm doesn’t get to run the show
Questions you might be holding
Do I need a diagnosis to book?
Not at all. You don’t need a diagnosis or a “good enough” reason to reach out. If anxiety, stress or burnout is affecting your quality of life, that’s reason enough. We’ll start from wherever you are.
Is this burnout or anxiety — does it matter which?
They often travel together, and you don’t need to label what you’re feeling before we begin. In our first sessions we’ll simply make space for what you’ve been carrying, and clarity tends to follow from there.
What happens in the free consultation?
We’ll spend a short call getting to know each other—what’s bringing you in, what you’re hoping for, and any questions you have about how I work. There’s no pressure and no obligation; it’s simply a chance to see whether it feels like a good fit.
Can we meet virtually or by phone?
Yes. I see clients in person at Comox Valley Counselling in Courtenay, and virtually or by phone across BC—including Comox, Cumberland and Campbell River. Choose whatever feels most comfortable for you.
How long does counselling for anxiety take?
There’s no set timeline, and I won’t promise a quick fix. Some people come for a season; others stay longer. We’ll go at a pace that feels right for you, and we’ll check in regularly about how it’s going.
You’ve been holding it together for everyone. Let someone help you hold it for a while.
A free consultation is a small, low-pressure first step—a chance to talk about what’s been weighing on you and see whether working together feels right.
Book your free consultationIn person in Courtenay · virtual & phone across BC · individuals aged 10+