Tasha Urbancic

Counselling with Tasha Urbancic: What to Expect

Tasha Urbancic is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Thrive Downtown in Vancouver who blends the precision of a scientist with the warmth of attachment-focused therapy. If you read Tasha’s words above and felt a flicker of recognition, this guide walks you through how Tasha works, the approaches behind each session, and what starting counselling together can look like.

The Science and Heart Behind Tasha Urbancic’s Practice

Few counsellors arrive at this work by way of astrophysics. Tasha holds a Master of Science in Astrophysics as well as a Master of Counselling, and that combination shapes the room in quiet but noticeable ways. Many clients appreciate a counsellor who is curious, precise and comfortable with complexity, while still leading with care.

An analytical mind, a relational heart

A science background tends to build patience with not knowing yet. In counselling, that can look like staying curious about a pattern rather than rushing to label it, noticing small details in how you describe an experience, and testing new strategies together to see what actually works in your life. Tasha pairs that curiosity with the relational depth of AEDP, so the work never turns into a cold analysis of your problems.

Training and credentials at a glance

• Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), a designation granted through the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
• Master of Counselling
• Master of Science, Astrophysics
• AEDP Level 1, with AEDP Level 2 in progress
• DBT Level 1
• Gottman Level 1

Tasha describes the overall stance as trauma-informed, culturally-attuned and neurodivergent-affirming. Those three words are not decoration. They shape how sessions are paced, how differences are respected, and how your way of thinking and sensing is treated as valid rather than as a problem to fix.

AEDP with Tasha Urbancic: Healing Through Connection

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, usually shortened to AEDP, is an attachment-based, emotion-focused approach developed by psychologist Diana Fosha. Its central belief echoes the proverb on this page: pain that is shared becomes more bearable, and joy that is shared grows. AEDP assumes that everyone carries a built-in drive toward healing, and that this drive comes forward most easily when you feel genuinely accompanied. You can read more about the model through the AEDP Institute.

Undoing aloneness

Many painful experiences were painful partly because you had to face them alone. AEDP names this directly. Rather than staying a neutral observer, the counsellor is openly present, curious and on your side. For people carrying shame, the experience of being seen without judgment can be a turning point in itself.

What an AEDP session can feel like

• Slowing down to notice what happens in your body as you talk about something that matters
• Staying with an emotion a little longer than usual, with support, so it can move through rather than get stuck
• Paying attention to moments of relief, pride or tenderness, not only to what hurts
• Checking in about how it feels to share something with Tasha, right in the moment
• Noticing the protective strategies that once kept you safe, with respect rather than criticism

AEDP is often described as healing-oriented rather than pathology-oriented. Instead of asking only “what is wrong with me?”, the work also asks “what is right with me, and how did I survive?” For clients who have spent years feeling broken, that shift in question can be meaningful.

Practical DBT Skills You Can Use Between Sessions

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan and is known for teaching concrete skills for intense emotions. The word “dialectical” refers to holding two truths at once: you are doing the best you can, and you can also learn new ways to cope. Tasha has completed DBT Level 1 training and weaves DBT tools into counselling alongside the deeper relational work of AEDP. Behavioral Tech, the organization Linehan founded, offers background on the model.

The four DBT skill areas

1. Mindfulness: noticing thoughts, feelings and sensations without immediately acting on them.
2. Distress tolerance: getting through a crisis moment without making things harder, using skills like changing your body temperature, paced breathing or self-soothing with the senses.
3. Emotion regulation: understanding what emotions are doing for you, lowering vulnerability to overwhelm, and building positive experiences.
4. Interpersonal effectiveness: asking for what you need, saying no, and protecting self-respect in relationships.

For many neurodivergent adults and trauma survivors, these skills offer something solid to hold onto when the nervous system feels flooded. Tasha can help you adapt them to your own brain, schedule and sensory needs, so they become tools you actually use rather than worksheets you forget.

Gottman-Informed Couples Counselling

Tasha offers both individual and couples counselling and has completed Gottman Level 1 training. The Gottman Method, developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman from decades of relationship research, gives partners a shared language for what is happening between them. You can explore the Gottman Method at Thrive or visit The Gottman Institute.

Gottman ideas many couples find helpful

• The Four Horsemen: criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling, the patterns research links most strongly to relationship distress, along with their antidotes.
• Bids for connection: the small moments when one partner reaches for attention, and whether the other turns toward, away or against.
• Repair attempts: the ways partners de-escalate and reconnect after a rough moment.
• Love maps: staying curious about your partner’s inner world as you both change.

When one or both partners are neurodivergent, the same patterns can show up differently. A missed bid may be about attention or sensory overload rather than a lack of care. A neurodivergent-affirming lens can help couples translate between different ways of processing, without casting either person as the problem. Learn more about couples counselling at Thrive.

Neurodivergent-Affirming Counselling with Tasha Urbancic

Tasha Urbancic lists neurodivergence, including ADHD, Autism, AuDHD and learning disabilities (LD), among core specialties, and shares lived experience as a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult. Neurodivergent-affirming counselling starts from the view that different brains are natural variations, not defects. The goal is not to make you seem more typical. It is to help you understand how your mind works and build a life that fits it.

What neurodivergent-affirming care can include

• Exploring masking, the tiring effort of hiding traits to fit in, and what it has cost you
• Recognizing signs of burnout that may look like depression or “laziness” from the outside
• Making sense of a late diagnosis, or of suspecting you are neurodivergent without a formal assessment
• Designing routines, reminders and boundaries around your real energy and sensory needs
• Untangling shame that built up from years of being told you were too much or not enough

Making sessions work for your brain

You are welcome to tell Tasha what helps you think and feel settled, whether that is written notes after a session, movement, a fidget, more direct questions, or time to process before answering. Adjusting the format is part of affirming care, not a special favour. CADDAC shares Canadian ADHD resources, and Thrive’s neurodiversity counselling page explains the wider team’s approach.

Who Tasha Urbancic Supports

The specialties listed on this page cover a wide range of human experience. Here is how counselling with Tasha may help with each.

Trauma and its echoes

Trauma is not only about dramatic events. It can also come from ongoing experiences of not being safe, seen or supported. Trauma-informed counselling moves at a pace your nervous system can manage, keeps choice in your hands, and puts safety before depth. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.

Shame and self-esteem

Shame tells you that something is wrong with who you are, not only with what you did. The AEDP emphasis on undoing aloneness suits shame well, because shame tends to grow in hiding and soften when it is met with warmth.

Family dynamics and relationships

Old family roles have a way of reappearing in adult life, in how you handle conflict, ask for help, or show love. Counselling can help you see where those patterns began and choose which ones to keep.

Identity exploration and life transitions

A new diagnosis, a career change, a breakup, a move, or a shift in how you understand your gender, culture or values can all crack something open. Tasha offers a culturally-attuned space to explore who you are becoming, without rushing toward a neat answer.

Anxiety, depression, stress and burnout

These experiences often overlap, especially for high-functioning people who look fine from the outside. Counselling can combine nervous system regulation, DBT skills and deeper emotional work so that relief lasts longer than a good week.

Starting Counselling with Tasha Urbancic at Thrive

Beginning therapy is simpler than many people expect. Here is how it usually works at Thrive Downtown Counselling Centre.

1. Book a free 15 minute consult. You can book online and ask for Tasha by name, or share what you are looking for and let Thrive match you.
2. Ask your questions. The consult is a chance to get a feel for fit, formats and fees before you commit to anything.
3. Your first session. You and Tasha talk about what brings you in, what you hope will change, and what helps you feel safe enough to begin.
4. A collaborative plan. Together you decide on focus, pace and which approaches make sense, whether that leans toward AEDP, DBT skills, Gottman tools for couples, or a blend.
5. Ongoing sessions. Thrive offers sessions in person at 470 Granville St. in downtown Vancouver, steps from Granville SkyTrain Station, and online by secure video. Ask during your consult which options Tasha currently offers.

Questions you might bring to your consult

A short call goes further when you know what matters to you. None of these are required, but many people find it helpful to jot a few down beforehand.

• How would you describe your style when a session gets emotional or intense?
• How do you blend AEDP with more practical DBT skills?
• What does neurodivergent-affirming counselling look like in your sessions?
• For couples: how do you keep both partners feeling heard and treated fairly?
• How often do people usually meet, and how do we decide when to change that?
• What should I do if I feel stuck or unsure partway through?

There are no wrong questions. Noticing how it feels to ask them, and how Tasha responds, is useful information in itself when you are deciding whether this is the right counsellor for you.

How the Thrive Formula shows up in Tasha’s work

• Regulate: settling the nervous system first, using grounding and DBT distress tolerance skills when things feel overwhelming.
• Reveal: using AEDP to understand how you adapted to stress, trauma or a world not designed for your brain.
• Reclaim: turning insight into everyday change, from clearer boundaries to relationships that feel more mutual.

Fees vary by service, and current rates are shown when booking or on the contact page. Many extended health plans reimburse counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor, so it is worth checking your plan. You can also browse the full Thrive team if you want to compare counsellors.

Tasha Urbancic FAQ

Does Tasha Urbancic work with couples?

Yes. This page lists individual and couples counselling, and Tasha has Gottman Level 1 training for couples work.

Do I need an ADHD or autism diagnosis to work with Tasha?

No. You can explore how your brain works in counselling whether or not you have a formal diagnosis. Counselling focuses on your experience and goals, while formal assessments are done by qualified professionals such as physicians or psychologists.

How is AEDP different from other talk therapy?

AEDP is more experiential than simply talking about problems. Sessions pay close attention to emotions and body sensations as they happen, and to the relationship with your counsellor as a source of safety and healing.

Will we only talk about the past?

No. Exploring the experiences that shaped you is one part of the work. Practical DBT skills and everyday changes are the other part, so past and present are held together.

Can counselling with Tasha be covered by insurance?

Tasha is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and many extended health plans reimburse RCC counselling. Coverage varies, so check your plan details before you start.

What if I am not sure Tasha is the right fit?

That is exactly what the free consult is for. If the fit does not feel right, Thrive can help you find another counsellor on the team.

Reach Out to Tasha Urbancic Today

If something on this page made you feel understood, that feeling is worth following. You make sense, you are not broken, and connection heals. Book your free 15 minute consult to connect with Tasha Urbancic, or call Thrive at 604-227-0297. Whether you come in person to 470 Granville St. or meet online, you do not have to carry this alone.