Nicole Vanderleest

Hi, Nicole (She/Her)!

Welcome!

I am a cis-gender, woman who is an uninvited settler on the lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and the Neutral (Attawandaron) Peoples. I bring over ten years of experience working with youth and adults in therapeutic and educational settings. Some of these experiences include offering individual, group and family counselling at a live-in rehab centre, working in university residences, coaching academic and leadership skills, and supporting clients with brain injuries. These opportunities have created a passion for supporting children, youth and adults on their therapeutic journey at Exhale.

As a therapist, my role is to provide a safe container for you to explore your inner resources and discover fears/wounds that may be harming your ability to live an authentic life. Therapy is a journey of self discovery, often involving a range of modalities to uncover what is sometimes difficult to access on our day to day. Through engaging in a therapeutic relationship involving curiosity, honesty and acceptance our goal will be to tap into your own inner knowledge and wisdom to guide you. Together we will create a sense of security and safety where deep healing can occur.

My therapeutic approach is centered on the belief that every client, relationship and family is unique and worthy of being heard, loved and accepted as they are. My role as a therapist is to utilize a variety of approaches and therapies that are as unique as you. I practice from a client- centred, trauma-informed, holistic perspective. I draw on training in Trauma Informed
Care, Satir Transformational Systemic Family Therapy (STST), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Emotionally Focused therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Nature-Based Therapy. I have a particular interest in working with youth and young adults struggling with mental health and substance use.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo in Social Development Studies specializing in Social Work, Individuals & Wellbeing, and Education, with a minor in Sexuality, Marriage and Family. I later went on to pursue my Master’s in Social Work at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

Outside of work, I enjoy practising yoga, hiking, kayaking, swimming, going on adventures and reading.