Arbutus Counselling

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Arbutus Counselling

Created to provide a safe, honest space to explore growth in a perfectly imperfect way. Vancouver.

06/18/2026

"The real problem of humanity is the following:

We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and
god-like technology."

- Edward O.Wilson

06/04/2026

“Unexpressed emotions will never die.
They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” - Sigmund Freud

05/06/2026

At Arbutus you might hear us speak about "low hanging fruit". Low hanging fruit represents the small changes or efforts that build momentum towards the desired direction. Those smaller steps typically lead to larger ones. Examples could be...

Calling your friend back.
Making that needed doctors' appointment.
Returning an overdue library book.
Walking around the block three evenings in a row after dinner.
Waking up 10 minutes earlier so you are slightly less rushed in the morning.

Fnd your fruit and build your momentum!

04/29/2026

"For the past five years, Arbutus Counselling has been a proud supporter of Covenant House Vancouver. Each month, a financial contribution is made to support their important efforts. An important example of that is the newly launched Sanctuary program.

Sanctuary - Sanctuary is a program for youth who face deep trauma, substance use and complex mental health challenges to have a place where they can breathe, rest and just be. Covenant House opened Sanctuary knowing it was needed as youth were falling through the cracks of systems that was not built for complex needs. Lives were literally being lost. Covenant House responded with Sanctuary which includes 28 low-barrier beds with no conditions, and a belief that housing and safety must come first.

A year later, Sanctuary is fully operational with and wrap around support. It is a space built not on expectations, but on choice. In the past year, 86% of the youth who have stayed at Sanctuary have engaged with staff, even though engagement is not a requirement. More than half took meaningful steps toward their goals, such as applying for ID, reconnecting with family, or attending counselling sessions.

We applaud Covenant House in their efforts and thank them for being the caring and effective organizing that they are."

04/23/2026

"Counselling is about creating a brave space where meaningful change unfolds—where you explore your experiences, determine your identity and discover a deeper sense of connection to yourself."

We are excited to introduce you to our newest Graduate Intern Therapist, Risa Yokoi! Risa will be working on Fridays and Saturdays. Please reach out to info@arbutuscounselling or via our website to find out more about Risa or to book a consultation.

04/17/2026

In our often "quick fix" culture, people are often apt to "say sorry" rather than "being sorry". Being sorry or showing sorry involves the attributes of actionable change, accountability, and gratitude. So consider...1. A sincere thanks to the person who has expressed concern, disappointment or frustration. 2. Recognizing where you might want to consider change. 3. Making a verbal and enacted change that we recognize we are following up on.

03/26/2026

With so much noise and influence in the world, it can be confusing to know what to reach for. Sahil Bloom, in his book "The Five Kinds of Wealth" speaks to confusion in describing the two.

Bought Status: is seeking improved social position from buying established status symbols (cars, watches, expensive clothing).

Earned Status: respect, trust and admiration from others crafted from effort, character and achievements.

Ask yourself this one key question, "would I buy this if no one knew I had"?

Source: Sahil Bloom, The Five Kinds of Wealth

02/11/2026

David Kessler, as a student and teacher of grief, offers many practical ways to attend to our grief responses. Here is a list of 10 helpful things you might be able to do in your grief response.

Grief, to be healthy, needs to be active.

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02/04/2026

The difference between feeling "good" and feeling "well". Elizabeth Gilbert has explored this in her recent book, "All The Way to the River".

Feeling good can be very meaningful but finding the "good" can be fleeting.

Feeling well means feeling calm, stable, centred, connected and relaxed. It means you can breathe, be present and know that every day has the right amount of hours in it.

At Arbutus Counselling we hope to help you find your "well".

Source: Elizabeth Gilbert in her 2025 novel, All the Way to the River

01/21/2026

One of the things we try and encourage is the celebration of both small and major milestones. With this in mind, we would like to celebrate and recognize the 10th anniversary of our amazing administrator Risa. Risa has been helping clients and therapists alike for 10 incredible years. We could not do what do without her guidance, steady and pleasant nature.

An added bonus, Risa herself is currently completing her Graduate Internship and will join ranks as a Registered Clinical Counsellor in the not distant future!

Thank you Risa for all that you do.

Address

325/2184 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6K2E1

Website

http://www.arbutuscounselling.com/

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