Janele Lajoie

About Janele

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). I hold a Diploma in Intercultural Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science from the University of Victoria, as well as a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. I have worked in various roles in the social services sector for ten years before beginning my career as a clinical counsellor, including immigration, disability support, outreach counselling, cultural safety, social work and case management. This professional experience combined with lived experience allows me to practice from trauma-informed, intersectional and anti oppressive frameworks.

Having struggled with identity, sexuality, depression and anxiety from a young age, I became fascinated with learning about psychology to manage my mental health and begin my healing journey. I have always loved helping people and wanted to combine my passions and build a career that allows me to collaborate with clients and support others in their healing process. I offer individual therapy sessions as well as group, family and relationship sessions in french and english. I love to create customized treatment plans for each client by utilizing several different approaches, including somatic, narrative, cognitive behavioural, compassionate inquiry, attachment based, internal family systems, acceptance and commitment and feminist modalities.

I am a neurodivergent, queer woman with French ancestry, and my work takes place on the stolen and unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples, colonially known as “Vancouver, British Columbia”. I am an uninvited guest on these lands, and I am committed to creating a practice that centers decolonization, intersecting identities and transformative justice.