Jessica Stokes
INDIVIDUAL AND COUPLES THERAPIST
Locations: Squamish, Online
Office Hours: Tuesday - Saturday | 9am - 6pm
Rate: $150 / session
Bsc, MA (c), CSAT(c)
Experience
I have always been passionate about helping others achieve their goals and make positive changes in their lives. Building meaningful relationships with individuals and walking alongside them on their journey to overcome complex challenges is an experience I deeply value. It can be difficult for people to trust others, especially when they have been through difficult experiences and feeling stuck or hopeless. I consider it a gift when clients choose to be vulnerable and allow me to be a part of their healing journey.
I have a diverse background in advocacy and program development for non-profit organizations. Before my counselling career, I worked with women's and men's centers, a correctional facility, after-school programs, outdoor education, and frontline agencies. Since I was a teenager, I have also volunteered as a literacy instructor for adults and youth in various community settings. I have experience teaching group classes, providing individual tutoring, and creating programs that cater to learning differences and traumatic injuries.
While pursuing further education, I began working in the field of counselling as the director of a women's transition house, where I provided emotional support to individuals healing from trauma and addictions. In 2018, I became a clinical counsellor in inpatient and outpatient settings, delivering one-on-one counselling, group therapy, behavioural skills workshops, and psychoeducational lectures. During this time, I created an 8-week women's intensive therapy program and a complementary workbook to help individuals identify and heal disordered intimacy patterns connected to developmental and sexual trauma.
I approach counselling from a collaborative and strengths-based perspective, using evidence-based techniques to help clients identify their individualized wellness goals. I aim to help them develop healthy coping mechanisms, experience relief from suffering, and gain personal empowerment and renewed self-confidence. My extensive experience includes assisting individuals with various issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, life transitions, substance and behavioural addictions, post-traumatic stress, family dynamics, and relationship and intimacy challenges. I provide support from a trauma-informed lens and am passionate about respecting each person's unique lived experiences. Through empathy and understanding, I guide clients to help them find hope and access their inherent resilience to make positive changes, heal, and nurture inner happiness.
Education
I am currently pursuing a Master's in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and am a member in good standing of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I hold an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and have also studied Psychology at Vancouver Island University, specializing in counselling and psychotherapy. During that time, I conducted research examining the relationship between OCD and PTSD. As a clinical counsellor, I underwent rigorous training to become a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) at the International Institute of Trauma and Addictions Professionals (IITAP). My post-graduate professional training and certifications include:
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Techniques | Portland DBT Institute
Motivational Interviewing Techniques
Best Practices for Providing Telehealth to Clinical Clients | IITAP
Revisioning the Therapeutic Narrative | IITAP
Guidelines for Creating a Sexual Health Plan for Your Clients in Recovery | IITAP
Best Practices in Group Treatment of Women with Sex & Relationship Addiction
CBT for OCD| Canadian Association of Cognitive & Behaviour Therapies
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training | Crisis Prevention Institute
Harm Reduction Training | AVI Health & Community Services