We Support Every Life Stage and Challenge to Reach Your Potential
Our warm and professional counsellors hold RCC, CCC and RTC designations, covered under most insurance plans.
- ïReach Your Potential
- ïBreak Free of Negative Patterns
- ïHave Good Relationships
- ïLive Your Authentic Life
- ïImplement Self-Care
- ï Learn to Love and Be Loved
- ïDecode Your Triggers
- ï Make Decisions Right for YOU
- ïCope Better With Challenges
- ïFeel More at Peace Within Yourself
Our team at Thrive Downtown brings together counsellors with RCC, CCC and RTC designations, each with their own specialties and style. Browse the profiles below to find counsellors who resonate with you, or book a free 15 minute consult and we will match you with the right person.
Choose Your Therapists
- All
- Individual
- Couples
- Families
- Teens
- Children
- ADHD & Autism
- Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
- Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC)
- Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
Chris Russell, RCC
Whatever has led you here, whoever you are, you are welcome here. This space is for you. Whether youâre carrying anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, relationship challenges, or simply feel lost, youâre not alone. Using a relational, body-based AEDP approach, I help you slow down, feel deeply safe, and gently untangle overthinking, people-pleasing, emotional overwhelm, shutdowns, and the patterns that leave you feeling disconnected from yourself and others.
Vidushi Soni, RCC
Tasha Urbancic, RCC
As a trauma survivor and a late diagnosed AuDHD-er (ADHD + Autism), I know what it’s like to carry pain alone and live in a world that wasn’t built for you.I bring an analytical, science-and-tech background to my work, balanced by the relational depth of attachment-focused AEDP and the practical tools of DBT, with specialized training in trauma and neurodivergence.
Rupert Hudson, RCC
Do you ever feel like everyone else got the manual for life⊠except you? đ If masking leaves you drained, relationships feel confusing, or daily life feels like too much, youâre not alone. I specialize in autism and ADHD, creating a space to feel understood, unmask, and finally exhale.
Serena Slatten, RCC
Whatever brought you here, heartache, anxiety, or just life being life, youâre welcome. I specialize in relationships, addictions, and lifeâs messy in-betweens, working with individuals and couples. My style? Saucy, warm, and real. I use EMDR to help untangle the hard stuff, with Chester, my fluffy sidekick, occasionally stealing the spotlight.
Estairia Hong, RTC
In a world that rewards conformity, itâs easy to lose touch with your most authentic self. I specialize in supporting queer folks and all those exploring alternative relationships, identity shifts, and life transitions. Together, weâll create a space where complexity is welcomed, honesty leads, and your evolving truth can unfold with clarity and care.
Debopriya Sen, RCC
What happens when you feel everything deeply but donât know where to put it? I work with people shaped by culture, identity, and survival who still feel alone in company. Using parts-based, emotion-focused, and somatic approaches, I help you steady your nervous system and feel more at home in yourself. Feeling seen changes everything.
Joel Myers, RTC
Maybe youâve been numbing, distracting, or duct-taping your soul together with habits that only half-work. đ©č Change can feel terrifying (and a little weird), but you donât have to do it solo. I specialize in addiction and trauma recovery, using EMDR and other evidence-based magic to get to the root, where real healing begins.
Laura Lu, RCC
Being human can feel like getting tossed between tidal waves and numb silence, one moment overwhelmed, the next disconnected. I offer a space to make sense of that inner chaos through compassion, curiosity, and EMDR. Together, weâll meet every part of you with care and uncover the self thatâs been waiting underneath.
Colter Long, RCC
Do anxiety, racing thoughts, or emotional spirals keep you stuck? I bring a direct, no-nonsense approach with sharp clarity, fierce accountability, and cognitive behavioural therapy to help you build real resilience. My style is strong yet supportive, cutting through the noise so you can break old loops, level up, and truly thrive.
Sara Bruno, RCC
Are you feeling disconnected from your desire, your body, your pleasure, your spark? I specialize in sexual desire and intimacy, helping individuals and couples rekindle connection with themselves and each other. Using somatic healing, sex therapy, and nervous system regulation, I guide you back to confidence, pleasure, and feeling fully alive.
Xiva Taverna, RTC
You sense thereâs more to life, but your inner crew wonât stop arguing about it. One part wants to connect, another wants to hide, and another just wants a nap. I specialize in Internal Family Systems, helping your inner cast finally work together so you can feel whole, grounded, and at peace.
Mohit Bassi, RCC
You can see the pattern and still get pulled back into it. I work with adults and couples dealing with chronic stress, recurring relationship patterns, family or cultural expectations, and the effort of reading the room. My style is reflective and curious. I can be direct when useful, and humour has a place when it fits.
Jess Kivari, CCC
What happens when life drops you right into the middle of everything youâd rather avoid? I work with people navigating big transitions, identity shake-ups, and the awkward in-between. Using EMDR and other approaches to heal trauma, I bring warmth, sharp honesty, and laughter to the darkest corners, because nothing human scares me.
Fabiola PĂ©rez, RTC
The human experience can be⊠a lot. Ever catch yourself thinking, âCan I just get a break?!â I specialize in early attachment trauma, helping you untangle the bodyâs old stories with care and curiosity. Together, weâll reconnect mind, body, and spirit, so you can feel grounded, whole, and more at home in yourself.
Andressa Taverna, RTC
You might feel somethingâs off but canât quite name it, disconnected from yourself, others, or the life you hoped to be living. I offer a warm, compassionate space to gently explore whatâs beneath the surface. I specialize in childhood sexual abuse, using EMDR and somatic therapy to help you reclaim safety, belonging, and joy, one tender step at a time.
Cam Wharram, RCC
Are you tired of feeling trapped in your own head, like your brainâs running 12 tabs and none of them are useful? I work strategically with clients to cut through the noise, build clarity, and create real change, turning stuck patterns into focused action that actually moves your life forward.
Meet Our Founders
Dace Mars, CCC
I help people undo resistance and repression, not by forcing change, but by working with their nature, not against it. My approach is traditional, steady, and avoids the chaos of quick fixes. Iâm now focused on making this work more accessible, because life truly opens up when we stop fighting ourselves.
Carson Kivari, RCC
I no longer work in the area of treating symptoms such as anxiety and depression. My focus is helping those concerned with the very difficult work of spiritual growth, which requires letting go of ways of living that lead to negative symptoms, rather than trying to feel better, just to return to the same way of living.
How to Choose From Our Team
Our team is intentionally diverse, so the best place to start is with what matters most to you. Some people look for a counsellor with a particular specialty, others want a certain style, and many simply want someone they will feel comfortable talking to. This guide walks you through how to narrow the options, what the designations mean, and how our matching service can do the work for you.
On this page
Three questions to guide your choice
- What do you want help with? Trauma, anxiety, relationships, neurodivergence, addictions, identity and life transitions are all well represented on the team.
- What style suits you? Some counsellors are gentle and body focused, others are direct and structured, and many blend both.
- What format and schedule work? Most of our counsellors see clients online, and many also meet in person at 470 Granville Street.
Specialties Across Our Team
Every profile explains that counsellor’s own focus in their own words. Here is a quick guide to where you might begin, based on what each person shares about their work.
Trauma and attachment
Fabiola PĂ©rez specializes in early attachment trauma. Andressa Taverna works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse using EMDR and somatic therapy. Vidushi Soni supports people whose anxiety, trauma or relationship patterns keep returning, and Jess Kivari uses EMDR and other approaches with people facing big transitions.
ADHD, autism and neurodivergence
Rupert Hudson specializes in autism and ADHD, including the exhaustion of masking. Tasha Urbancic brings lived experience as a late diagnosed AuDHD adult to her neurodivergent affirming work. Learn more on our neurodiversity counselling page.
Anxiety, overthinking and emotional overwhelm
Colter Long offers a direct, structured style grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy. Cam Wharram works strategically with people who feel trapped in their own heads. Laura Lu offers space for people swinging between overwhelm and numbness, and Chris Russell uses a relational, body based approach for anxiety, burnout and grief.
Relationships, intimacy and couples
Serena Slatten specializes in relationships and addictions. Mohit Bassi works with adults and couples caught in recurring patterns and cultural or family expectations. Sara Bruno focuses on sexual desire and intimacy. For partners, see our couples counselling page.
Identity, culture and self discovery
Estairia Hong supports queer folks and people exploring alternative relationships and identity shifts. Debopriya Sen works with people shaped by culture, identity and survival. Xiva Taverna specializes in Internal Family Systems, helping the different parts of you work together.
Addiction and recovery
Joel Myers specializes in addiction and trauma recovery, using EMDR and other evidence based methods. Our addiction counselling page explains how we approach habits that only half work.
Spiritual growth and deep change
Our founders, Dace Mars and Carson Kivari, focus on deeper transformation, including work with resistance, repression and spiritual growth. Their profiles explain who they currently work with.
What to Expect From Our Counsellors in a First Session
Whichever counsellor you choose, your first session is mostly about getting to know each other. Our counsellors want to understand what brought you in, what you have already tried, and what you hope will feel different. You decide how much to share and when.
- A clear explanation. Your counsellor will describe how they work, what confidentiality means, and how sessions usually unfold.
- Your story, at your pace. There is no need to tell everything at once. Many people start with what feels most pressing today.
- Early tools. Many of our counsellors offer a practical way to settle your body or mind in the very first meeting.
- A check on fit. You will be asked how the session felt, and your feedback shapes what happens next.
Meeting Our Team Online or In Person
Most of our counsellors see clients by secure video, which makes it easier to connect from anywhere in British Columbia. Many also meet in our downtown rooms at 470 Granville Street, steps from Granville SkyTrain Station. Each profile notes how that counsellor works, and some offer only online sessions.
Clients often mix both formats. You might start online, come downtown when you want a change of scene, and switch back when life gets busy. Our online therapists page explains how virtual sessions work.
Helpful questions to ask a counsellor
- How would you describe your style, and what does a typical session look like?
- What experience do you have with concerns like mine?
- How do you know when therapy is working, and how will we review progress?
- Which approaches do you use, and why might they fit me?
What the Designations on Our Team Mean
You will see a few different letters after our counsellors’ names. Each one reflects professional training, ethical standards and ongoing accountability.
- RCC, Registered Clinical Counsellor. A designation from the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, which requires a relevant master’s degree, supervised clinical experience and adherence to a code of ethics.
- CCC, Canadian Certified Counsellor. A national certification from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
- RTC, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor. A professional designation for counsellors who meet their association’s training and practice standards.
- Intern counsellors. Counsellors completing their training who see clients under clinical supervision, often at a lower fee through our low cost counselling program.
Many extended health plans cover counselling with registered counsellors, but plans differ in which designations they accept. Check your plan before booking if you intend to claim.
Why Our Team Works the Way It Does
Our counsellors do not work in isolation. They practise together and support each other as a group, so the person across from you is grounded, connected and emotionally available. We believe therapists can only guide others as far as they have been willing to go themselves.
The team also shares a common framework, the Thrive Formula. First we help your nervous system feel safe enough to change (Regulate). Next we explore how you adapted to stress and what no longer fits (Reveal). Finally we help you turn insight into lasting change in daily life (Reclaim).
Questions About Our Team
Can I request a counsellor with a specific background?
Yes. If you would like a counsellor who shares part of your identity, culture or lived experience, mention it when you book. We will suggest counsellors who may fit, and you can always read profiles to decide for yourself.
Do your counsellors work with couples and families?
Several do. Profiles note whether a counsellor works with individuals, couples, families or teens, and our team can point you to the right person during your consult.
How often do new counsellors join?
Our team grows over time as new counsellors and supervised interns join. Check back on this page, or ask us about current availability.
Let Our Team Match You
If reading profiles feels like a lot, you do not have to choose alone. Book a free 15 minute consult through our contact form or call 604-227-0297. Tell us what you are looking for and we will recommend one or more counsellors who fit your needs, preferences and schedule.
If your first match does not feel right, let us know. Changing counsellors is normal and we will help you find someone better suited. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
