WHAT IF YOU COULD BE YOURSELF?

welcome!

I believe in healing, whatever form it takes for each person. I am really glad you are here!

This website lists answers to some of the common questions. If reading is not your thing, please feel free to book a consult instead, and I can answer them.

WHO AM I?

Hello and welcome! My name is Tamaki [they/them/theirs] (鹿野環). I am a multiply-marginalized trans, gay, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrant POC activist organizer who also experience privileges.

I am grounded in anti-oppression. This means not only naming oppressive power structures but also liberating from assumptions, “norms,” and expected reactions (implicit bias). More on this later.

I grew up in a confusing mix of cultures, heritages, -isms, normativity, and trauma. When I was young and unresourced, I had only two choices: endure harm or do the harm of conforming to myself. Skip to now, today my trauma informs my wisdom rather than hijacks it. Difficult interactions ground me not terrify me. I know who I am, and I have the skills and perspective to mitigate the power and subvert the expectations. Yes, struggles continue because -isms continue, but my confidence in myself to outlast is unshaken.

I live on the unceded traditional ancestral territories of the the Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw Peoples (colonially known as Vancouver). I am mindful to continually put my colonizer and credentialism privileges toward concrete actions for equity and social change.

a chest-up portrait of an Asian person with a medium gold skin tone and short nearly cropped black hair.

Please feel free to contact me or book a free initial consultation to discuss any questions you may have about me or my practice.

AM I THE RIGHT COUNSELLOR FOR YOU?

When people ask me this question, I tend to ask them two questions.

One, has there been a modality that has worked for you to feel better or cause changes? This includes other forms of therapeutic experiences in your life, like going for a walk, reading, and anti-oppression TikTok.

Two, would you meet with me for consult and see how it feels? A big part of how I work is engaging with your wisdom that goes well beyond lists and logic, and this is how I honour you.

Who Do I Support?

Demographically, I support all people of various social locations (e.g. race, gender, disability, neurodiversity, relationship styles), typically 17 years old and over, in so-called BC (or other provinces where my credentials are accepted).

People who share a social location (marginalized identities) with me may benefit from doing therapy within our own community. First of all, you won’t have to explain inside jokes, lingo, or how those incredibly subtle moments of oppression works. Secondly, in marginalized communities, we are a culture of our own. Our norms are different, our language and history are different, the level of calm we feel around each other is different. We speak frankly about supremacy, and we don’t carry so much shame like people do in society at large, do we. That is a great basis of therapy and the foundation of safety in trauma therapy.

One particular aspect I am known for is what is commonly referred to as anti-oppression, the ability to understand how differently we each experience this society. In therapy, it extends to the role of survival conformity (aka “internalized -isms), unlearning neurotypical normativity, and the impact of intersectionality on safety (or lack of). I am supported by my lived experience, community organizing, my own unlearning journey, and study of oral and written knowledge of resistance.

Because of this, I also have a decade of experience supporting white, cis, het, non-disabled, neurotypical people, particularly those unlearning white supremacy. These may include people joining the anti-oppression movement but finding it painful and confusing. They also include those who are suddenly facing their own disempowerment in this society due to the pandemic, inflation, long covid, etc. Everyone deserves liberation, and every person liberating helps the whole. If you didn’t get where you wanted to by reading books and attending workshops, a confidential, honest space may be beneficial.

In terms of modalities, I am trained in talk therapy, Rogerian (person-centred), EMDR, art therapy, CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma-informed, neuroplasticity-informed, anti-oppressive, cross-culture sensitive, and existential therapy.

WHAT TYPES OF ISSUES?

Humans are incredibly unique, and we all express our struggles so differently. Two people experience the same stressful event, and one might present with anxiety and the other with depression.

a closer up of the moss-covered base of a tree in a forest

I tend to describe my specialty by the goals: I believe people seek therapy not because of symptoms per se but because they want a change.

So, what kind of change do I facilitate?

Processing past events or trauma to reduce the impact on your mood (e.g. anxiety, depression, anger, dysregulation, neurodivergent masking)
Healing from trauma to reclaim your personality, the person you were meant to be
Survival impulses (e.g. trauma reaction) and thriving skills are both valid, but working it out so that the right one comes forward at the right time.
Distinguishing the reality you live in vs. the assumptions that limit your choices (masking, perfectionism, people pleasing, gender roles and expression, etc.)
Unlearning the worldview you grew up in and develop the worldview you want to live in, reassessing shame, self-esteem, “internal” conflict, autonomy and boundary, and identity
Exploring why it takes so much energy to do the “simplest things” (hint – they are not simple)
“Venting” Aka an act of resistance to reclaim the power to create a space free of oppressors and oppressive ideologies, fill up the dignity cup that has been depleted by the society, reset the intruding normativity, brainwashing, gaslighting
Unlearning racism, ableism, classism, cis het normativity (transphobia and homophobia), white supremacy, neurotypical normativity, and implicitly biases including “internalized,” to liberate who you are

It is also important to discuss what areas of your needs I lack competence in and cannot provide services. If you have a specific need, eg. crisis response, a team approach, psychiatry, diagnostic services, or specialized treatment for a clinical presentation, please set up a consult or a secure messaging account to discuss (NB: email is not considered secure).

I am trained in talk therapy, art therapy, EMDR, DBT, CBT, body-centred psychotherapy, ACT, and trauma-informed therapy.

Fees

Services are offered in provinces and territories of so-called Canada where my credentials allow me to offer these services. If you are outside BC, please email me first.

Online Counselling or online art therapy: $140 plus GST for a 60-minute session or $210 plus GST for a 90-minute session. When covered by a program (FNHA, ICBC, etc), the fees may be adjusted.

Unfortunately, currently all free or half-cost counselling spots are taken. Please feel free to ask about or check back in at info@experiential.studio.

Peer Consulting: $100 plus GST / hour. This is offered to therapists and other DEI, mental health, and/or social service practitioners. In peer consult, we discuss a topic, not the person, and the goal is the participant’s understanding of the topic not their understanding of themselves.

Initial Meeting: Free – please email or book from the client portal.

For any questions about the process of counselling and/or just to get a sense of how it feels to sit with me, please feel free to book an initial meet at my booking site.

CONTACT

Please email me in advance if you prefer reduced eye contact, and I will use the additional camera that is set up at an angle.

There are two ways to contact me.

Use the contact form or email. Please be mindful not to include details as email is not secure.
Book an initial consult directly from the booking site. Please make sure to respond to the verification email from notifications@owlpractice.ca.

For all virtual appointments, your email address is used to create an account. Please let me know in advance if you do not consent to this use.

Accessibility

I do not require explanations for why you are requesting accessibility options.

The video platform has a “hide self-view” function.

I have an additional webcam that is angled to reduce eye contact.

Sudden or intense stimuli are only introduced with consent of the participants. Examples include a meditation bell, strobe lights, pulsers, vivid colours, both artificial and natural smoke and smells, textures, bright or fluorescent lights.

Note: Currently, only online counselling is offered. When transitioning to in-person, 1. I will choose a wheelchair-accessible office and bathroom, 2. it will be fragrance-free, VOC-reduced, and low stimuli, 3. 4. Everyone will be asked to wear tightly-fitted N95 masks / respirators, and 5. I will continue offering virtual / online sessions.

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