Caitlin Kopperson

Making the choice to work with a counsellor involves a great deal of courage. It’s not an easy process, and I am privileged to accompany my clients on their journeys of discovery and healing.

Growing up, I often played the role of listener and peacemaker in my family. Since then, I’ve wanted to be helpful to individuals and couples/partners in distress, but my struggles with shame and self-criticism led me to believe that if I felt drawn to something, I would be best to avoid that path, as failure would be sure to follow. And yet, over time and with many new experiences and supportive relationships, I learned that what I saw as failure was really part of my learning process. After a long journey, I hold a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

As a counsellor and as a human, I bring a sense of warmth and curiosity to my work, as well as a deep respect for the experiences and the strengths of those who choose to work with me. It is important to me to take the time to get to know you and what you value as an individual and as a part of larger systems like family, school, and cultural groups. I am dedicated to working with humans as individuals and as couples/partners around issues such as anxiety, relational trauma, self-criticism, low self-worth, and lack of connection, which can show up in struggles like low mood, difficulty regulating emotions, eating and body image concerns, and relationship/communication issues.

In my work, I draw from a range of trauma-informed approaches, anchored by my training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), which is based on the idea that we are able to “undo our aloneness” and access our natural healing tendency from the safety of a secure relationship. I also use family systems theory, mindfulness, and compassion-based practices, all of which I love to teach during the counselling process, so that your work with me can be a way to practice tools that will support you long after our time together is finished.

When I work with couples and relationship concerns, I use my training in the Bader-Pearson Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, which focuses on helping partners evolve individually and relationally throughout the different stages of their relationship. By addressing attachment patterns, capacity to tolerate differences, and emotional regulation, I empower couples to move through challenges with greater understanding and intimacy.