Find Balance with KONECT Counselling Services
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as a I am,
then I can change" - Carl Rogers
Welcome
If you are feeling like life’s challenges are stressing you out, and getting in the way of you being the person you want to be, then you have come to the right place. KONECT COUNSELLING SERVICES can support you to a place of calm and help enact lasting change so you can know yourself as peaceful, complete, whole, and safe.
Problems can appear insurmountable, and our ability to find a way through to a resolution impossible. When we are able to tap into ourselves, new possibilities emerge, and we experience a renewed sense that change is possible. The counselling process is meant to not only help you find positive change and increased well-being, but also to help steer you back home to your true self.
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My Services
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I integrate strength-based techniques to help clients achieve powerful change. Modalities I use include Client Centered Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Mindfulness/Self-Awareness Therapy. I am also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions, Family Systems, Child and Adolescent Development, Trauma and Crisis, Cultural Diversity, Disordered Eating and Harm Reduction/Change Models for addiction.
Taking a goal-orientated approach places focus on a client’s present and future circumstances rather than past experiences. The therapy types I use help clients to envision their future, and offer skills, resources, and abilities needed to achieve that vision successfully.
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anxiety
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depression
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self-esteem issues
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trauma & loss
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substance use issues
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disordered eating
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relationship difficulties
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separation & divorce
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issues with life transition
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What is Counselling?
Counselling can help you identify and overcome the causes of your negative patterns, depression, and anxiety, and to create lasting change in the way you experience your life and relationships. Life throws many surprises at us, and while we cannot predict the outcome of any situation, we can take control of how we respond to certain situations. In counselling, you learn about acceptance and how to exert your power of choice over whatever life may throw your way. Discover how to:
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Nurture relationships with yourself, friends, coworkers, and loved ones
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Cope with stress, anxiety, and depression
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Be mindful of enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning in life
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Improve your love life by learning to develop intimacy and trust
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Overcome addiction and self-destructive habits
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Improve self-esteem and self-image
Learn to focus on what matters most across the three big life domains – self, relationships, and work. Use the necessary tools to facilitate change and maintain a flourishing and sustainable holistic life balance. ​
A Little About Me
Geraldine Potter MA, RCC, CCC
My journey into the field of mental health has been a long, unpredictable road, filled with every kind of experience imaginable - some beautiful and some not. I have learned about the healing process both through my own life as well as through rigorous education and training, all of which has shaped the necessary tools to help you. I discovered on my way that the road to healing is not about ‘fixing'. Rather, it is about developing an internal atmosphere that can address imbalances and create a blueprint for flourishing in life. This type of introspection moves the focus of healing beyond one specific problem to establishing total equilibrium: health, a quiet mind, and growth.
I have worked closely with adolescent girls and young adults for over 30 years, first as a professional dancer/ teacher/choreographer and now as a mental health worker and counsellor. My earlier career exposed me to a variety of experiences and the opportunity to work with individuals from different cultures, traditions, and socioeconomic backgrounds, through organizations such as CREPS (France), Adoma (Switzerland), Women Against Violence Against Women (Vancouver), Edgewood Treatment Centre, Vancouver Island Mental Health and Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA). I continue to offer my services at NFLA as a co-facilitator for the volunteer counsellors' training program.
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I work in private practice with clients seeking support for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship issues, and life transitions. My primary methods are person-centred, solution-focused and family systems therapy, drawing upon other modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy, depending on each client's unique needs. My sessions incorporate practical problem-solving skills that focus on stability, inclusion, respect and independence. I believe in the power of collaboration, safety, and connection with my clients and I am passionate about providing a nonjudgmental space for individuals undergoing challenges and life transitions. My goal is to empower and support them in finding balance and meaning in their lives, whether their problems are related to work, relationships, or self.
My degrees and certifications are designed to help individuals who may be suffering from whatever stress, anxiety, or issues they may be facing. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Master of Arts degree in psychology. I am a registered clinical counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and a certified clinical counsellor with the Canadian Counselling Psychological Association (CCC).
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSEWORK/CERTIFICATIONS
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Professional Education Systems Institute (PESI)​
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Training for Children and Adolescents
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National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM):
-How to work with emerging defence responses to trauma (beyond fight/flight/freeze model)
-How to work with clients who are stuck
-How to work with clients resistance
-How to work with a client's emotional triggers
-Expert strategies for treating Narcissism
-How to work with Shame
-The advanced Master program on the treatment of trauma
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British Columbia Association of Clinical Counselling (BCACC)
-Understanding eating disorders
-Working with children: Getting comfortable with different levels of risk
-Families, family breakdown, and the Law
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Seminars and Workshops
Therapy in a Nutshell - Processing Emotions - 30-day course
-Beyond Sleep Hygiene: CBT Solutions to Improve Outcomes and Resolve Insomnia in Clients with Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression
-The Biology of Loss: How to Foster Resilience when Attachments Are Impaired​
-Transforming Trauma with Emotionally Focussed Therapy
-Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication
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Training and certification in progress:
-Certified Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Professional (C-DBT) Training - Advanced accreditation​
-ADHD Clinical Services Provider Certification - Strength-based Interventions
-Complete IFS Therapy Immersion: Integrating the Internal Family Systems Model Across Clinical Applications
-First Nations Approaches to Healing Trauma
-Shameless Imperfection: A guide to Help Clients Break Free of Perfecitons using ACT, MCT and IFS-Informed Interventions
-Complex Trauma Certificaiton - Lebvel 1 & 2 (CCTP/CCTP-II)
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Konect Philosophy
Self-healing begins with awareness and recognition that there is inner discord that has perhaps sounded from the beginning of your existence. Understanding how this separation from self may have resulted and learning to recognize to care for yourself is a vital part of the journey toward self-discovery, self-repair, and re-connection – a journey that can require patience and courage.
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When trust and security are established between client and counsellor, recovering those lost elements of self becomes a possibility. It can be challenging to be vulnerable, to express oneself authentically, and to be seen by others. KONECT provides a safe space to explore these elements of self. The goal is to help clients become the centre of their own life story, and to live it whole-heartedly.
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The Origins of Konect
“Konect” has Latin roots and means “to unite”, “to become” – both essential components of counselling. Konect Counselling endeavours to help you find the courage to unite with and become your authentic self.
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"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are" - Carl Jung
FAQs
What Can I Expect for the First Session?
You can expect a 55-minute meeting consisting of gentle exploration at your own pace. The first few sessions are often guided by conversations aimed at developing a good understanding of who you are, the challenges you might be experiencing, and your wishes or goals. You (or your caregiver(s)) might be asked to share information to aid in assessment and the development of a counselling plan. Although it can be difficult to identify specific goals at first, a conversation about your wishes can help guide the type of counselling we engage in together.
What are your fees?
55-minutes - $145 (including GST)
Fees at Konect Counselling Services are based on standards and recommendations of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC).
Will My Contact with You Be Confidential?
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What Is Your Cancellation Policy?
As per private therapy practice standards, a full 48-hour notice is requested for cancelling all counselling appointments. If you cancel or reschedule with less than 48 hours before your appointment time, or if you miss an appointment, you will be billed the full cost of your appointment.
How Long Will I (Or My Youth) Be In Therapy?
Everyone is different. Some individuals might feel ready to leave therapy after 12 to 20 sessions, while others may stay in therapy for months or years. Therapy length, sessions, and duration depends on many factors such as one's goals, connection with the counsellor, developmental history, symptoms and symptom history, level of impairment, motivation level, and many others.
Confidentiality is a legal construct which prevents the disclosure of the events of therapy. Counsellor confidentiality gives the client the assurance they can share whatever they want with KONECT. Nonetheless, there are a number of critical limits of confidentiality in counselling. Exceptions to confidentiality in counselling include:
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where the counsellor believes on reasonable grounds that disclosure is necessary to eliminate or reduce significant, imminent risk of serious bodily harm (includes physical or psychological harm) to the client or anyone else, e.g. suicide, homicide. Note: If the counsellor believes a significant, imminent risk of serious bodily harm exists.
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where disclosure is required under the Child and Family Services Act, 1990 for example, where the counsellor has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is in need of protection due to physical harm, neglect or sexual abuse by a person having charge of the child;
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where necessary for particular legal proceedings (e.g. when the counsellor is subpoenaed)
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“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do”
- Brene Brown
Schedule a Session
Contact me today to schedule a session.
(250) 734 3863
1223 College Drive, Nanaimo, BC