Lavender Counselling

10/17/2026

Clinical notes are part of caring for our clients, and they don't have to feel uncertain.

Our Clinical Note Taking Workshop is a two-hour live session on Zoom for counsellors and counselling students. Facilitated by Carolynn Turner, MA, RCC-ACS, it covers:

- A consistent framework for deciding what goes into a note, including the grey areas
- BCACC Standard 12 and what it asks of you
- Keeping your notes and your practice client-centred

Two dates to choose from:
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 12 to 2 pm PT
Thursday, January 7, 2027, 9:30 to 11:30 am PT

The $60 fee includes our Client Notes Cheat Sheet and a certificate of completion. BCACC membership isn't required.

Details and registration: https://lavendercounselling.com/clinical-note-taking-workshop/

10/16/2026

"I'm fine."

Most of us say it without thinking. For many young men in Canada, it has become a reflex: a way to keep going, avoid being a burden, and skip a conversation that feels too hard to start.

A recent CBC report on young men's mental health got us thinking about what those two words can hide. In a new article, counsellor Andrew Peterson, MA, CCC, looks at why asking for help can feel so hard, the online voices telling men to push it down, and simple ways to show up for the men in your life.

Read the full article: lavendercounselling.com/im-fine-young-men-mental-health-canada/

If you or someone you know is thinking about su***de, you can call or text 9-8-8 any time.

10/08/2026

Introducing Sophie Sparks, a member of our Langley counselling team.

Maybe life has felt heavier than usual lately, or you've been quietly carrying worry, loss or self-doubt on your own for a while. Sophie offers a warm, unhurried space where you can talk about what's on your mind at your own pace. There's no one-size-fits-all approach with her. Together, you'll explore what feels most meaningful to you.

She works with teens (13+), adults, and elders, and supports people who are navigating a major life transition, anxiety or self-doubt, grief and loss, or simply a sense that something isn't quite right.

Sophie is completing her Master of Counselling Psychology, and her work with clients is supervised by a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Outside of counselling, you'll find her with her two cats, trying a new fitness class, or exploring a coffee shop she hasn't been to yet.

As a practicum therapist, Sophie offers sessions at a reduced fee of $50 for 50 minutes. Sessions with a student counsellor are booked as a series of 10 weekly appointments on the same day and time, and you can cancel future sessions at any time.

Sophie is seeing clients in person at our Langley office, and by video and phone across BC. You can read more about her here: lavendercounselling.com/sophie-sparks/

Lavender Counselling offers trauma-informed, compassionate counselling for people navigating anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, life transitions, + more. We provide grounded, practical support and secure online counselling across British Columbia

09/30/2026

Today, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. We join in honouring the children who never returned home from residential schools, the Survivors, and their families and communities.

In Namwayut: We Are All One, Chief Robert Joseph describes reconciliation as a pathway, one that asks us to understand where we have come from and to honour the truth of the stories we tell.

Our reflection for today looks at what that means for counselling: that truth comes before repair, that healing is not only individual, and that cultural humility asks us to keep learning rather than assume we know.

https://lavendercounselling.com/we-are-all-connected-counselling-and-reconciliation/

If today brings up difficult feelings, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line offers 24-hour support to Survivors and their families at 1-866-925-4419. The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available 24 hours a day to all Indigenous people across Canada at 1-855-242-3310.

Every Child Matters.

09/25/2026

We are honoured to have been voted second in two categories in the Langley Advance Times Readers' Choice Awards 2026: Best Counselling/Consultation Service and Best Health Treatment Centre.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for us, and to all who support Lavender Counselling. Another big thank you to our clinicians, who this recognition belongs to and who make Lavender such a special place.

Thank you, Langley!

09/23/2026

Please join us in welcoming David Kazun, MC, RCC, to Lavender Counselling.

Before joining us, David spent over a decade in the non-profit sector supporting teens and adults. He works with adults facing anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, and life transitions. He was an athlete in his youth and has a particular interest in working with young elite athletes (16+), helping them grow as people and not only as players. He also supports teachers and other helping professionals, because the people who support others need support too.

Outside the counselling room, you'll find David with his wife and kids, playing some high-stakes games with his siblings, or relaxing with a good fantasy or mystery, whether it's a book or a show.

David is seeing clients in person at our Langley office, and by video and phone across BC. You can start with a free 20-minute conversation or a full first session, whichever feels right. Read more about him here: lavendercounselling.com/david-kazun/

Welcome to the team, David!

08/28/2026

We have a couple of spaces remaining in our upcoming Living with Chronic Pain & Illness Group.

This four-day therapy intensive is designed for adults living with chronic pain, chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, and other ongoing chronic health concerns.

Everyone begins with a complimentary individual intake interview, which gives them an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about the group, and explore with us whether it feels like an appropriate fit at this time.

07/13/2026

We're delighted to welcome Dom Pakenham to Lavender Counselling.

Dom joins our Vancouver office, offering counselling in person or online across BC. He works with teens (13+), adults, and elders, supporting anxiety, grief, life transitions, and more.

Dom's approach is calm, curious, and collaborative. In his own words: "I hold to a position that has you as the ultimate expert on yourself."

He is accepting new clients now. If you'd like to see whether Dom feels like the right fit, you're welcome to start with a free 20-minute conversation, or book a first session, whichever feels right for you.

Meet Dom: https://lavendercounselling.com/dom-pakenham/

07/04/2026

This past week Carolynn and I loaded up the truck with lavender. A lot of it!

We spent the afternoon in the dirt, planting it all along an old fence line at home. The plan is simple and a little sentimental: by this time next year, we hope to share it with the people who come into Lavender Counselling. Something small, grounding and homegrown.

We are looking forward to next year, and to sharing it with you.

With care,
Neal and Carolynn

06/26/2026

Rights on paper are not the same as belonging. Even with legal protections, many 2SLGBTQI+ people still feel unseen or unsafe in everyday life. This Pride season, our counsellor Heidi Maxwell reflects on why visibility, community, and being accepted without exception matter so much for mental wellbeing. Read her full piece here: lavendercounselling.com/pride-and-the-healing-power-of-belonging/