READY FOR CHANGE?
LET’S TURN YOUR STORM INTO A STORY OF STRENGTH
Counselling in Victoria, BC
& ONline Across BC & Nova Scotia
Yvonne Paquette, RSW
Accepting new individuals for counselling in Victoria, BC & online in BC & NoVA SCOTIA
“With a commitment to non-judgement & the messiness of learning & healing, I will support you to discover & work with your truths, blocks, strengths, needs & desires to create a more fulfilled life.”
Individual Counselling: $150 per session
CVAP, FNHA & ICBC coverage available.
Areas of focus
BDSM, Kink & Alternative Relationship StructureS
Self Realization & Self Empowerment
Hoarding & Collecting
Front-line Work & Workplace Clinical Burnout
Post-trauma Healing
Depression, Anxiety, Stress
Substance Use & Addiction
Grief & Loss
Distress Tolerance & Emotional Regulation
Crisis Management
Advocacy & System Navigation
My Approach
My therapeutic practice is based on my lived experiences and education around anxiety, depression, substance use, sex, grief and post-traumatic growth. My approach is to balance scientific understanding of the brain and body with the more abstract work of how we make meanings from the mental and emotional experience. For every thought, emotion, and memory, there is a neurobiological response.
Understanding why the body reacts in certain ways to certain experiences, and gaining language and concepts to express that experience accurately, are essential for coping and healing. Doing the deeper inner work of changing the relationship with Parts of ourselves that carry pain is where the real transformation of Self happens. When we can see the stories that run our lives and define us are often written by fear, pain and trauma, we realize these stories are not true and that a new story can be created.
I feel incredibly honoured when a client trusts me with a piece of their story they’ve never shared before. There’s a specific moment - when the initial nerves melt into a sigh of relief because they feel seen and accepted - that makes this work so rewarding. Navigating those “taboo” topics together and watching a client fall back in love with who they are is why I do what I do.
My Story
I’m from south Vancouver Island / the Lower Mainland. My life began with a collection of circumstances that placed me outside of the mainstream ‘beaten path.’ Poverty, addiction and trauma in the family, and a family system disrupted by colonialism are familiar to me. I understand the experience of losing a parent at a young age, attachment disruption, and growing up in a grief-soaked environment where a child takes on adult expectations. I also understand the pain of being unsupported, of brutally honest self-assessment, and the trials of developing a healthier identity and sense of self. My experiences are what led me to pursue social work in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side and with youth. My own journey of healing and inner work is what sustains my passion for the field of mental health and substance use.
I’ve learned a lot from front line social work, as well as my own walks on the wild side. Life can be raw and unforgiving at times, but it can also be just as beautiful and joyous – if not more. Sometimes we just need someone to show up as another human being in order to make meaning of the good and bad of it all.
Specialty: Kink, BDSM & Alternative Relationship Structures
Seeking therapy shouldn’t mean having to educate your therapist on your lifestyle. I understand how healing and enriching kink and BSDM can be on a personal level. As an RSW specializing in Kink, BDSM, and alternative relationship structures, I provide a radically non-judgmental space where your desires are understood, never pathologized.
You deserve a therapeutic space as authentic as you are. I specialize in working with the Kink and BDSM communities because I believe that sexual autonomy and self-expression are cornerstones of mental well-being. I help clients navigate the intersection of mental health and power exchange, sensation play and community dynamics. Whether you are working through “sub drop”, negotiating complex protocols, or simply want a therapist who “gets it” while you discuss unrelated anxiety, I am here to support your authentic self.
Many of my clients come to me tired of “toning themselves down” for traditional providers. My practice is built on my personal experiences in the kink community, and the pillars of SSC (Sane, Sober, Consensual) and RACK (Risk-Aware Consensual Kink). Together, we can explore everything from identity and shame-reduction to communication tools that strengthen your scenes and fulfil your soul.
Whether you’re kink curious, new to a dynamic, or an experienced player, there’s always more to learn.
therapeutic frameworks & specializations:
BDSM, Kink, Fetish, Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)
Hoarding & Collecting
Internal Family Systems
Trauma Informed Practice
Polyvagal Theory
Harm Reduction
Attachment Theory
Indigenous & Decolonial Perspectives
Education
Master of Social Work, University of Victoria
Bachelor of Social Work, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
Social Service Diploma, Langara College
TRAINING
Essentials of Sex Therapy with Tammy Nelson: Effective Strategies for Creating Deep Sexual Connection and Fulfillment, PESI
Strategies to Help Clients Navigate Rupture and Build Skills of Repair, NICABM
The Neurobiology of Attachment, NICABM
Working with the Pain of Abandonment, NICABM
The Treating Trauma Master Series, NICABM
How to Work with the Traumatized Brain, NICABM
Becoming a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, The Radical Compassion Institute
Non-violent Crisis Intervention, Vancouver Coastal Health
Mental Health First Aid: Standard, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mandt System Conflict Management
Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Training: BC Mental Health, San'yas
Harm Reduction and Naloxone Trainer, Toward the Heart
Fundamentals of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy, Therapsil
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
BC College of Social Work (BCCSW), Registered Social Worker #13348
NS College of Social Work, Registered Social Worker (Clinical Specialist) #9201
BC Association of Social Work (BCASW)
Canadian Association of Social Work (CASW)