Choose Courage Over Comfort
"Our bodies are the unwavering historians of our lives. They harbor every fear, every memory, every joy we've ever encountered. In the silent depths of our being, every trauma leaves its mark, etching its narrative into our very flesh. While our minds may falter, our bodies remain steadfast, faithfully remembering the stories our brains have long forgotten." - Gabor Mate
My Counselling
I am a licensed professional counsellor who treats the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspects of mental health. I work primarily with individuals seeking to promote a healthier lifestyle, identify personal stressors and levels of functioning, and/or people who may not know what is wrong, but just want someone who can listen in a nonjudgmental and objective way.
I have a specific interest in somatic therapy. ‘Soma’ is a Greek word meaning body.
Somatic Therapy is a body-based approach to addressing mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. This holistic therapy helps clients discover how their beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations are all interconnected.
Rather than being trapped in painful patterns, through mindful awareness one can practice embodied interventions that interrupt the cycle of old behavior, in order to create positive change.
While we cannot change the past, we can change how the body holds the past.
I am in the process of completing specific training in relational somatic work, which I am very excited about!
I have a Professional Counselling Diploma through Rhodes Wellness College.
I am also Trauma-Informed, CBT-informed, (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT-Informed, (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), and Narrative Therapy-Informed.
If you would like to connect, please book a 15 minute discovery call to determine if we are a good fit for one another.
My Coaching:
I am a certified life skills coach.
When I reflect on my own life, the times that I have gone through the most profound growth, change, and successful transitions is when I have worked with a coach. It is my belief that each and every one of us would benefit from working with a coach at any stage of our life, but especially when there is a lot of change that we are trying to navigate.
Coaching is a collaborative relationship between a trained coach and a client looking for self discovery, self-awareness and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Coaching really can change your life!
Coaching happens in an environment where you can freely express your emotions, be profoundly heard, manage your internal blocks, clarify your intentions and desires, and become more self-directed.
Coaches are trained in fundamental skills including listening, empathy, cultivating insightful reflections and asking powerful questions. A variety of tools and techniques are used to help clients brainstorm and think differently.
Sessions are client-centered. My aim is have each client be held with unconditional positive regard, compassion, dignity, and respect.
If this resonates with you please book a discovery call and let's determine if we are a good fit for each other.
Benefits Of Counselling
-improved sense of self
-improved self confidence and trust in self
-increased awareness of one’s own patterns, defaults, and ways of being in the world and moving through the world.
-increased ability to regulate one’s own emotions
-increased acceptance of self
-feeling of greater empowerment to be the person you want to be
-increased patience and understanding of the healing process. That it is a journey, and it takes time.
- increased commitment to growth and change
Benefits of Coaching:
-accountability
-improved relationships
-improved communication
-builds confidence
-builds personal awareness
-personal development
-goal-setting
-increased clarity
-increased productivity
15-minute free discovery call
$120/60 minute counselling or coaching session
$150/ 90-minute session counselling or coaching session
Services
At this time all sessions will be held online, (telehealth). In-person sessions may be offered in future based on demand.
If you are interested in having in person sessions and live in Nelson, BC, please contact me directly at mona@inwardpassagecounselling.com and we can set something up.
Book a free discovery call
About Me
Hi, my name is Mona. I am a Professional Counsellor.
My healing journey started about 25 years ago and took me down a long and winding path that continues to unfold. It started when I was about 30 and led me to a series of personal empowerment courses over the span of about 10 years, I then moved into some plant medicine work for several years, and eventually started working with a counsellor who specialized in somatics. I started to see the enormous impact that counselling was having on my life, which led me to end my career in the wellness industry as a Pilates Instructor at age 52 and go back to school to get my Professional Counselling Diploma.
My healing journey has led me to many amazing people to which I will be eternally grateful. At this stage of my life, it became very important to consider what I wanted my next chapter to be about. The next phase of my journey. I wanted to be of service and give others the guidance and support I was provided so many times along my journey. I want to help others understand that it is never too late to start your healing journey. It is always the perfect time to start. I fully believe that at any point in our life we can make a choice to heal and to do ‘our work’. When we make the choice to do this, we are giving a gift to ourselves as well as all the people around us- our family, friends, and even people we have not met yet. We are choosing to look at the way we are in the world and work on becoming our next best selves. Once we start, we may realize that we simply want to continue, (with rests of course), along this path.
I believe in life-long learning and love the concept of plasticity. Our brain and our being can change continually, right up until the point that our time on earth is done.
I also believe in the deep wisdom of the body and if we are willing to look and lovingly hold what needs to be held and witnessed, the body will help us to uncover the deep strength that resides there. It is slow, tender work that asks a lot of each of us, but also grants us so much in return.
I am very interested in trauma counseling, working through the lens of somatic experiencing and am currently enrolled in a course that specializes in relational somatic work. Somatic processing incorporates concepts like emotional regulation, polyvagal theory, mindfulness, and talk therapy. These theories are woven together to create a healing experience that is unique to each person’s needs and life.
I am informed in the following areas: Trauma, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Somatic (body-based therapy).
My aim is to create a warm, safe environment where you are free to come as you are and feel welcomed and accepted.
If this message resonates with you, please click on the link below and let’s book a discovery call to see if we are a good fit for each other. It would be a pleasure to connect.
Online Sessions:
I currently ONLY offer virtual, individual sessions.
Things you need for online sessions:
-A good Wi-Fi connection
-A phone or laptop
-A private space, (you can attend private sessions from your home, a park, your office, or any other space you feel free to express yourself).
Counselling Areas of Focus:
-trauma processing
-anxiety
-grief and loss
-overwhelm
-loneliness
-end of life
Coaching Areas of Focus:
-life transitions
-communication skills
-retirement
-assertiveness
-menopause
-job loss
-divorce
Contact me
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions
