At Advanced Women’s Health, clinical counselling is about more than symptom relief — it’s about understanding yourself deeply, building resilience, and creating sustainable change. Our counsellors take a collaborative, trauma-informed approach, working with you and when helpful, with other practitioners at AWH to ensure your care is personalized and holistic. Whether you’re navigating life transitions, managing stress and anxiety, healing from trauma, or seeking support for your mental and emotional wellbeing, we’re here to provide compassionate, evidence-based care.

What is Clinical Counselling?

Clinical counselling is a collaborative therapeutic process focused on supporting your mental, emotional, and relational health. Our counsellors are trained mental health professionals who use evidence-based approaches to help you understand patterns, process difficult experiences, and develop tools for lasting change.

At AWH, our counsellors take a whole-person approach — recognizing that your mental health is deeply connected to your hormonal health, physical wellbeing, and life circumstances. We work closely with you, and with other members of your healthcare team, to create care that’s trauma-informed, personalized, and empowering.

Clinical counselling at AWH may include:

• Individual therapy tailored to your unique needs and goals
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to shift unhelpful thought patterns
• Trauma-focused approaches including EMDR and somatic work
• Mindfulness-based strategies to regulate your nervous system
• Relationship and communication support
• Life transition counselling and grief support

Together, these approaches:

• Reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and overwhelm
• Support healing from trauma and difficult life experiences
• Improve emotional regulation and stress management
• Enhance self-awareness and personal growth
• Strengthen relationships and communication skills
• Build long-term resilience and coping strategies

Benefits of Clinical Counselling

When your mental and emotional health are supported, your whole life functions better. Clinical counselling is not just about managing symptoms — it’s about understanding yourself more deeply, processing what needs to be healed, and building skills that support you long-term.

With regular counselling, you may experience:

• Reduced anxiety and stress – tools to calm your nervous system and feel more grounded
• Improved mood – relief from depression and emotional heaviness
• Greater emotional awareness – understanding your feelings and responses
• Trauma healing – processing difficult experiences in a safe, supportive space
• Better relationships – clearer communication and healthier boundaries
• Increased self-compassion – learning to be kinder to yourself
• Enhanced coping skills – practical strategies for life’s challenges
• Support during transitions – navigating pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, career changes, and loss
• Long-term resilience – building a foundation for sustainable mental health

How Does Counselling Work?

Many people wonder what happens in counselling. Here’s what you can expect:

• A safe, confidential space – Your sessions are completely private and judgment-free.
• Active listening – Your counsellor is fully present with you, hearing not just your words but the emotions beneath them.
• Collaborative exploration – Together, you’ll explore patterns, beliefs, and experiences that shape how you feel and respond.
• Evidence-based techniques – Your counsellor uses proven approaches tailored to your needs.
• Tools and strategies – You’ll learn practical skills you can use between sessions.
• Progress at your pace – Therapy moves at a speed that feels safe and sustainable for you.

The result? You feel heard, understood, and equipped to navigate life with greater ease and confidence.

What Conditions Does Clinical Counselling Help?

Clinical counselling supports both specific mental health concerns and overall emotional wellbeing, including:

• Anxiety & panic attacks
• Depression & low mood
• Stress & burnout
• Trauma & PTSD
• Grief & loss
• Life transitions (pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, career changes)
• Relationship challenges
• Low self-esteem & self-worth
• Hormonal mood changes (PMS, PMDD, menopause-related anxiety/depression)
• Body image & disordered eating patterns
• Chronic illness adjustment
• Wellness counselling: building resilience, self-awareness, and emotional health

Meet Our Counsellor

Connie Pickett, RTC, RPC-C, CHT
Clinical Counsellor

Available online in BC and in person at our Vancouver Clinic, Connie is passionate about helping clients navigate life’s most challenging moments with compassion and clarity. She integrates evidence-based practices like ACT, CBT, DBT, somatic therapy, and brainspotting into care, with a strong belief that no one should have to face difficult experiences alone.

Connie has a special interest in supporting women through anxiety, grief, medical diagnoses like cancer, and major life transitions, while also helping clients of all backgrounds heal from trauma, build resilience, and move forward with confidence.

Ready to Get Started?

We offer a complimentary 15-minute meet-and-greet to answer your questions and see if counselling is right for you.

Our Approach: The Clinical Counselling Program at AWH

Our counsellors combine clinical expertise with a trauma-informed, collaborative approach. That means we listen deeply to your story, honor your lived experience, and design care that not only addresses immediate concerns but supports your long-term wellbeing. We value teamwork — both with you and with other practitioners at AWH — to make sure your care fits your life.

1. Comprehensive Assessment

Your first session is all about understanding you. In this 60-minute initial appointment, we’ll:

• Explore your history, current challenges, and goals for therapy
• Discuss what brings you to counselling and what you hope to achieve
• Begin building a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship
• Create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs

2. Individualized Therapy

Evidence-based counselling tailored to your unique needs, whether that’s CBT, trauma work, mindfulness practices, or relational therapy.

3. Practical Tools & Strategies

Skills you can use in daily life to manage stress, regulate emotions, and navigate challenges with greater ease.

4. Collaborative Care

Integration with our naturopaths, nurse practitioners, and other AWH providers to support both your mental and physical health.

5. Ongoing Support

Regular sessions to process, heal, and build resilience, with the flexibility to adjust frequency as your needs change.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

The number of sessions depends on your goals, what you’re working through, and how you respond to therapy.

Here’s what a typical plan might look like:

• First few sessions: Weekly or bi-weekly sessions help establish safety, build rapport, and begin addressing immediate concerns. Most people start to notice shifts in mood, perspective, or coping within the first 4–6 sessions.
• Short-term counselling: For specific concerns or life transitions, many clients work with their counsellor for 8–12 sessions and feel equipped to continue on their own.
• Longer-term therapy: For deeper work around trauma, complex patterns, or significant life changes, therapy may continue for several months or longer. Sessions often transition from weekly to bi-weekly or monthly as progress is made.
• Maintenance or check-in sessions: Some clients prefer ongoing support once or twice a month to maintain wellbeing and have a space to process life as it unfolds.

Our goal is to help you feel better, understand yourself more deeply, and build skills that last. Whether you’re looking for short-term support or longer-term healing, your counsellor will work with you to create a plan that feels right.