Currently, there is a waitlist for new clients. Please email if you’d like to be added to the list. [May 12, 2023]

– kizuki, Japanese, noun: awareness through sensing and noticing –

Kizuki Works
When the life we were born into has harmed us, we often internalize the message that this world was not meant for us and develop coping skills out of such pain. The philosophy behind Kizuki Works is to help people become aware of different parts, feelings, and needs in themselves that have been denied a chance to speak. It begins with a simple, yet radical realization: your struggle is not your fault. Kizuki Works is a client-led collaborative process of unlearning damaging self-beliefs, practicing healthy survival skills, and reclaiming your life through curiosity and compassion.

What I do
“Why does being me feel so difficult sometimes?” If you are asking this question, it is probably because you are sensing that things that used to help you cope with life are no longer working. I am here to help you find the answer to the question, and to walk with you on a journey towards healing and growth. I work predominantly with QTBIPOC folks and immigrant people living with: anxiety; depression; stress; self-criticism and toxic shame; interpersonal challenges; and neurodiverisity (ADHD, Autism Spectrum). Ultimately, my goal as your therapist is to help you write a new narrative of the self that is more liveable, truthful, and empowering.

How I Work
My psychotherapy practice focuses on the processing of complex-PTSD (childhood abuse/attachment injuries, racial/gendered/sexual discrimination, immigration, intergenerational trauma) that often lead to difficulties later in life. My use of therapeutic techniques is integrative and is informed by Emotion-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Narrative Therapy frameworks. My work is guided by the principles of anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and strength-based approaches.

I also offer counselling for life transitions and career change, as well as couple/poly/family relationship issues. As a former university professor, I also have extensive experience in academic guidance for QTBIPOC and first-generation graduate/undergraduate students.

Why I do what I do
I understand that finding a therapist with working competency in cultural safety and impacts of systemic and intersectional oppression can be a challenge. As a queer of colour and neurodivergent therapist with a lived experience of mental health struggles and recovery, I am committed to creating a warm space of validation, trust, and optimism for my clients.

Acknowledgement
As a new settler living and working on the Treaty 13 lands, the Unceded Coast Salish Territory, and Turtle Island, I acknowledge my responsibility to participate in the collective decolonizing mandates to care for each other and for the land we share. In doing so, I have learned a great deal from the wisdom and practices of Indigenous healers and care takers of these lands and unceded territories. I commit myself to continuing this life-long learning and praxis throughout my therapeutic work.