Services

Live Happy Counselling is a place for individuals to access counselling in an atmosphere of tranquility and respect. I presently work with adults and youth (ages 8+), providing individual and group therapy.

Approaches to Therapy

I provide therapy from an anti-violence framework, with influences originating from psychodynamic and feminist therapy. The therapeutic approaches I use include:

  • EMDR
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Mindfulness-Based Practices
  • Solution Focused Therapy
  • Mind-Body Attunement Therapy
  • Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy

Therapy for Trauma

  • Post-traumatic stress, anxiety, anger, depression
  • ​Complex post-traumatic stress responses (including flashbacks, dissociation, intrusive thoughts, hypervigilence)
  • Violence (including psychological, physical, sexual abuse)
  • Childhood experiences of abuse, abandonment, neglect
  • Anxiety, Panic

Additional Areas of Focus

  • Grief and loss
  • Concurrent Disorders (such as addiction and mental illness)
  • Personal Growth (including self-esteem, boundaries, self-care, life transitions)
  • Relationship Difficulties (including parenting issues, communication and assertiveness, separation and divorce, neglect, abandonment)
  • Women’s Issues
Fee for Services
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I believe that therapy works best when you feel comfortable with your therapist and understand their approach to counselling. Feel free to e-mail or call if you have any questions prior to scheduling your session. 

  • 50 minute counselling session, (adult, teen): $100.00 (plus tax)
  • 45 minute counselling session, (children): $90.00 (plus tax)
  • eCounselling session: ​$100.00 (plus tax)
  • Group Counselling: cost varies by group

​I am an approved Provider for the Crime Victim Assistance Program, WorkSafe BC, WorkBC, First Nations Health Authority, ICBC, the John Howard Society,
and various Employee Assistance Programs.
Payment

  • Fees for service are collected at the beginning of each session (cash, cheque, Visa, Mastercard)
  • If you are funded through a third party payee (such as Crime Victim Assistance, ICBC, WorkSafe BC, WorkBC, and the First Nations Health Authority), I will invoice the company directly
  • Signed receipts provided if you are submitting your receipt to an Employee Assistance Program for reimbursement
Cancellation Policy

Please provide at least 24 hours notice if you can not attend your scheduled session time. Half the cost of the session will be charged for no-show and missed sessions without 24 hour notice. Funding agencies do not cover the cost of missed sessions, so please let me know in advance if you can not attend your session so that you do not accrue unnecessary costs. If you need to cancel or change your session time, please contact me by telephone, text, or e-mail.
Getting Started

Ready to get started? Give me a call, or send me an e-mail. We will start out with a brief discussion to ensure my expertise is a match for your needs in counselling, and then schedule an intake session. 

          250-938-5580
​          susan@livehappycounselling.com

Inspiration

​Looking for a good read? Here is a list of books I frequent reference or suggest to clients. 
  • Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of your Body (2008), Peter Levine
  • Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma (1997), Peter Levine & Ann Frederick
  • In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness (2010), Peter Levine & Gabor Mate
  • Healing from Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of your Body (2008), Peter Levine
  • Tapping in: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating your Healing Resources through Bilateral Stimulation (2008), Laurel Parnell
  • Healing from Trauma: A Survivor's Guide to Understanding your Symptoms and Reclaiming your Life (2008), Jasmin Lee Cori & Robert Scaer
  • The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (1997), Don Miguel Ruiz 
  • The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself (2007), Michael Singer
  • Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding your way through Life's Ordeals (2012), Thomas Moore
  • The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture your Child's Developing Mind (2012), Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson 
  • Trauma Proofing your Kids: A Parent's Guide for Instilling Confidence, Joy, and Resilience (2008), Peter Levine & Maggie Kline
  • Parenting from the Inside Out (2004), Daniel Siegel & Mary Hartzell
  • Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls through the Seven Transitions to Adulthood (2016P. Lisa Damour
  • Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting (2012), Laura Markham
  • Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life (2015), Laura Markham
  • Trauma through a Child's Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing (2006), Peter Levine & Maggie Kline​
  • Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishment to Love and Reason (2006), Alfie Kohn
  • The Worried Child: Recognizing Anxiety in Children and Helping them Heal (2004), Paul Foxman

Susan Guttridge BA, MC, CCC