Caitlyn Ponto, RCC

People find the best outcomes in counselling when there is a strong therapeutic alliance. A therapeutic alliance is a fancy way to say that you like your counsellor. Specifically, you trust your counsellor and feel they understand what you are going through. For me, a key ingredient in a strong therapeutic alliance is being genuine & open to questions about myself. With this in mind, I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I grew up in Coquitlam and currently live in Langley. In my spare time, I love to cook and listen to podcasts. I chose to become a counsellor because of my desire to help people. Beyond that, I am very skilled at assisting people in putting together the puzzle pieces to help them understand why they do the things they do. My favourite thing about working as a counsellor is the lightbulb moment. Suddenly, the puzzle pieces fit, and somebody finally understands that their behaviour and feelings make sense in the context of their life and experience. It is in this moment that change can happen. 

Education & Approach to Counselling

I graduated from Douglas College in 2015 with my BA with honours in Applied Psychology with a specialization in counselling. I completed a master's program at Adler University in 2017, graduating with a Master of Counselling Psychology. I am a member of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counselling, RCC #15072. I see each person as an individual and collaboratively develop a treatment plan just for them. Very broadly, I typically have two phases in my approach to counselling. The first is psychoeducation, helping you understand emotion, its role in your life, and why it's important to have emotions. Additionally, I will provide you will some tools and skills to manage emotions that feel overwhelming. The second phase is harder to describe because it is based on your individual life and experience. Together we will work to understand previous learning and experiences that influence current emotional distress and maladaptive behaviours. I will help you change the maladaptive behaviours into healthier, more adaptive ones. I can't change what has happened in the past, but I can help you change how you hold on to the memories and the beliefs associated with your history. The ultimate goal is to improve your current functioning.