Counselling & EMDR Trauma Therapy in BC
Explore what’s beneath the surface and find new ways forward.
Supporting thoughtful people to find insight, healing & growth.
If you’re ready for counselling that goes deeper, I’d love to work with you.
Saffron W. Rose
Registered Clinical Counsellor
EMDR Trauma Therapist
Focus Areas
-
![Silhouette of a person behind a frosted glass door or window with vertical ridges.]()
Anxiety, Overwhelm & Self-Criticism
For the part of you that always feels on edge.
You may look like you have everything under control, but inside, there’s a constant undercurrent of worry, pressure, or self-judgment. Together, we’ll explore the roots of these patterns, gently loosen their grip, and cultivate more ease and self-trust in your nervous system. -
![Close-up of dark green Monstera leaves with water droplets]()
Trauma, PTSD, CPTSD
Making space for the parts of your story that were too much.
Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, stuck in cycles you can’t quite name, or emotionally numb. I offer trauma-informed therapy that meets you with compassion and safety, integrating EMDR, relational attunement, and parts work to support deep healing and integration. -
![White and yellow plumeria flowers in the foreground, ocean and cliffs in the background, with a bright moon in the evening sky.]()
Relationship Patterns & Attachment
For when closeness feels both deeply wanted and terrifying.
Maybe you long for connection but find yourself pulling away when things get real. Maybe certain dynamics keep repeating with partners, friends, or family. Through a relational and psychodynamic lens, we’ll bring awareness to these patterns and support new ways of relating that feel safe and authentic. -
![A mountain silhouette against an orange sunset sky.]()
Health Care & First Responders
For those who show up for others — even when it takes a toll.
Working on the front lines means carrying stories, images, and responsibilities that most people will never fully understand. Over time, the weight of constant exposure to crisis, trauma, and systemic pressures can quietly overwhelm us — sometimes showing up as irritability, emotional numbing, trouble sleeping, relationship strain, or a sense of disconnection from yourself.
-
![Ocean waves crashing with a large wave curling and breaking in the foreground.]()
Life Transitions, Purpose & Identity
When the old ways don’t fit anymore, but the new path isn’t clear yet.
Big changes—ending a relationship, moving, changing careers, or simply feeling lost—can shake our sense of self. Therapy can provide a space to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what truly matters to you. -
![Snow-covered landscape with a lonely frost-covered tree in a field and a forest in the background, under a clear pale blue sky.]()
Perfectionism
For the part of you that never feels enough.
Perfectionism often starts as a strength — a way to excel, belong, or stay safe. But over time, it can create a painful cycle of self-criticism and disconnection. Therapy can help you understand the roots of perfectionism and build a kinder, more balanced relationship with yourself.
Grounded Support for Health Care Workers
I often work with those in healthcare roles — paramedics, dispatchers, nurses, doctors, social workers, OT’s, ect — who carry the weight of what they witness every day. My approach is trauma-informed, culturally attuned, and grounded in real understanding of the challenges that come with serving on the front lines.
As a former health care worker, now a critical incident coordinator and a therapist, I get what it takes.
You’ve been busy taking care of others. Lets make some space to take care of you.
Check out my bio to learn more about my experience with BCEHS
I use an integrative mix of evidence-based tools depending on your individual needs. These modalities aim to release blocked emotions, rewire limiting beliefs, heal traumatic memories, and expand your capacity for self-compassion and self- regulation.
My Therapeutic Approach
RELATIONAL:
Attunement is at the core of my work. Genuine healing happens in the context of safe, authentic connection, and I believe that compassion is one of the most effective catalysts for change. Relational safety and nervous system regulation are emphasized, while always honoring pacing and your inherent resilience. This builds on my training in AEDP, person-centred, and trauma-informed practice.
PSYCHODYNAMIC:
Psychodynamic principles allow us to explore how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape the present. Together, we will work toward cultivating greater self-awareness, heal the unmet needs of the past, break patterns that are holding you back and reconnect to your authentic self.
PARTS WORK:
Using ‘parts’ or ‘ego states’, we can explore how the different sides of you show up, perhaps to protect, to soothe, to be heard, or to show strength. This work allows the different parts of you to communicate, integrate, support one another and help you feel more whole. I love this perspective because it helps us to understand your parts as clever survival strategies instead of unwanted behaviours. Modalities using parts work include Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ego states, and Trauma Informed Stabilization & Treatment (TIST).
EMDR:
EMDR is a powerful therapeutic tool that targets the mind-body connection to help the brain process and integrate traumatic memories, allowing distressing experiences to be re-stored in a way that reduces their emotional charge. Through this process, it can help you cultivate healthier beliefs about yourself, reduce flashbacks, and help you attain lasting relief from both emotional and physical trauma symptoms.
POLYVAGAL THEORY & INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY:
Understanding how the nervous system shapes our thoughts, feelings, and relationships is central to healing. Drawing on polyvagal theory and interpersonal neurobiology, I help clients notice how safety, connection, and stress responses influence their experiences. By working with the body and the mind together, we can co-regulate, expand resilience, and strengthen your capacity for connection, curiosity, and self-compassion.
Curious if EMDR is right for you?
Heal from the past without having to retell every detail of your story.
Whether you’ve experienced a critical incident at work, an abusive relationship, emotional neglect in childhood or any other experience that has impacted you. EMDR can help. Reach out and we can create your personalized treatment plan.
Interested in working together?
In person in Kitsilano through New Tides Counselling and wellness.
& Virtually throughout BC through Wild Rose Counselling using secure video software.
Services & Rates
-
A little check in to introduce ourselves, discuss what you’re hoping to work on, and ask me any questions you have.
-
Trauma-informed, relational, person centered and aimed to connect the mind and body.
-
EMDR is gold standard treament for trauma, PTSD. It can be integrated with IFS and somatic work.
My Values
Trauma-Informed
I provide trauma-informed counselling that prioritizes safety, agency, choice, pacing, nervous-system awareness, and attunement. Clients can expect a space where their body and story are met with care and regulation-focused support.
Non-Pathologizing
I use a non-judgmental lens, recognizing that your patterns and behaviours are adaptations—not flaws. Together, we explore the wisdom behind these survival strategies with compassion and curiosity.
Collaborative
Healing happens in relationship. My counselling approach is collaborative and client-centred, meaning we make meaning together. You bring your lived experience; I bring therapeutic tools and guidance.
Anti-Oppressive
My practice is grounded in anti-oppressive counselling principles. I work to notice power dynamics, challenge harmful systems, and create an inclusive, affirming space where all identities and intersections are respected.
Multiple Ways of Knowing
I integrate evidence-based therapeutic approaches with respect for cultural, land-connected, and community-rooted perspectives. I believe healing deepens when we allow different forms of knowledge—scientific, intuitive, cultural—to sit side by side.
Check out the blog
for more info on special topics you might be interested in.
My wish for you
That our work together leaves you feeling lighter, more self-aware, and more at home in yourself. That you begin to trust your inner world, relate to your emotions and body with more kindness, and move toward a life that feels more authentic for you.
I welcome clients of all ages, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.
Have more questions?
Fill out our contact form and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!