Shayna Sander, Registered Clinical Counsellor

Hello! I'm Shayna. I'm a counsellor and a mom, living with my family in beautiful Squamish, BC.

I completed my Master of Counselling Psychology at Adler University and my Bachelor of Arts at University of British Columbia. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and a Certified Yoga Teacher (RYT-200).

I bring a unique mix of personal and professional experience to the counselling room. Growing up as the eldest child in a large and complicated family, I learned early on that prioritizing and focusing on my own emotional and physical wellness was super important. I was lucky enough to have good counselling support myself through my youth- so influential that I chose to be a counsellor myself!

My best self-care strategy is to develop small rituals in my day so that I have some built in wellness boosters even when I’m busy. I am an avid runner, and yoga practitioner and I have spent some years as a run clinic coach and yoga teacher. Based on my personal experience, and in witnessing others, I have learned that building our awareness of the inextricable link between mind and body can bring about a powerfully healing sense of strength and connection.

In addition to my private practice, I also work as a concurrent disorders (mental health and addictions) clinician for Squamish Nation. Previously I have worked at Quest University as a mental health counsellor for students, at the Bowen Island Family Place, providing support for children and young families, and at Covenant House in Vancouver, assisting youth in gaining confidence and independence as they enter the world of adulthood. I have experience as a behaviour interventionist, providing Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for individuals experiencing anxiety and obsessive compulsive thoughts and behaviours. I have worked on an ongoing basis as a youth empowerment workshop co-facilitator alongside one of my talented mentors, Dr. Jessica Motherwell. I continue to engage in ongoing clinical training and professional development that allow me to better support clients from all walks of life.