Counsellor for leaders & professionals in Victoria, BC
Penny Smith, MA, RCC, CCC
After 15 years in corporate leadership, I know how success can look solid from the outside and feel hollow inside. I offer a warm, unhurried space to slow down and find your way back to what matters to you.
Accepting new individual clients (ages 13+)
Direct billing available
- Free 20-minute consult
- $150 an hour
- Victoria office & online
Counselling for trauma, anxiety, depression and life’s bigger questions
I see individuals at our Victoria office on Fort Street and online. Many of the people I work with are leaders and professionals who look fine on the outside and feel stuck or disconnected underneath.
My approach
What matters to you? What do you value, and where do those values show up in your daily life? Most of us lose touch with them at some point. Therapy gives you a place to pause, reflect and realign, at your own pace, with small changes that add up.
My approach is relational, strengths-based and intuitive. Healing happens when we feel safe enough to be seen and heard, so I aim to offer a space that’s warm, non-judgmental and free of pressure.
With trauma, I work somatically, paying attention to what the body is holding as well as what the mind can explain. I also have more than a decade of experience supporting people as they integrate expanded states of consciousness.
How I work
- Relational therapy
- Strengths-based therapy
- Somatic approaches
- Psychedelic integration
- Trauma-informed care
- Mindfulness
For leaders, professionals & high achievers
Successful on paper, but something feels off?
If you’re the person everyone relies on, you’re probably great at pushing through and out of practice at checking in with yourself. I spent more than 15 years in corporate leadership in Toronto, so I know that pattern from the inside.
Together we’ll look at what you value, where your life has drifted from it, and what will bring you back to centre.
Still deciding?
Not sure Penny’s the right fit?
Book a free 20-minute call to ask questions first, or answer a few questions and we’ll match you with a counsellor.
“You deserve a space where you feel truly seen and supported. I walk alongside you as you discover small shifts that lead to lasting change.”
My story
I grew up in the Niagara region of Ontario, on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee: the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk nations. After a Biology degree at Queen’s University, I spent more than 15 years in corporate leadership in Toronto. On paper it was a success. In practice I was caught in a cycle of achievement and outside approval, and I felt more and more disconnected from myself.
That led me to the Kootenays, where I worked at a healing retreat centre and began my graduate training in counselling psychology. My own healing took me through trauma, emotional hardship and a long spiritual search, and eventually to a life-changing experience with traditional Amazonian plant medicine. I’ve since spent over a decade supporting others with integration work.
Pain brought me to this work, and so did the joy on the other side of it. I believe every person can heal, and I’ve seen it happen many times.
Education & registration
Education
- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology, Queen’s University
Registration
- Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #26562), BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
- Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC #11261421), Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
- Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Additional training
- Integrated Energy Healing Intensive, Langara College
Have a question first?
Send Penny a message
Ask about availability, fit or anything else. Our admin team reads every message, passes it to Penny and usually replies the same business day.
Please don’t send urgent or crisis information here. If you need help right now, call or text 9-8-8.
Questions about working with Penny
Is Penny accepting new clients?
Yes. Penny is accepting new individual clients, in person at our Victoria office at 1183 Fort Street and online.
How much do sessions with Penny cost?
Individual counselling with Penny is $150 an hour. Your 20-minute consultation is free.
Does Penny offer direct billing?
Yes. Penny is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and we can bill most extended health plans directly. How much your plan covers depends on your insurer, so check your benefits for counselling or clinical counsellor coverage before your first session.
What happens in the free consultation?
It’s a 20-minute conversation where you can tell Penny what’s brought you to counselling, ask her questions and get a sense of whether she’s the right fit. There’s no obligation to continue.
What is psychedelic integration, and how can Penny help?
Integration is the work of making sense of an expanded-state experience and bringing what came up into daily life. Penny has more than a decade of experience supporting integration, particularly after Amazonian plant medicine, which was part of her own healing. Read more about psychedelic integration.
Can I see Penny online?
Yes. Penny offers online sessions by video or phone for clients in BC and Ontario, using the same approach as in her Victoria office.
What are Penny’s qualifications?
Penny holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from Queen’s University. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #26562) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC #11261421) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.