We Are The Shanti Counselling Centre

Welcome to our first blog entry. My name is Danielle Duplassie and I am the Founder and Director of The Shanti Counselling Centre. We are located in beautiful Burnaby, British Columbia... on the cusp of East Vancouver and steps away from the Gilmore skytrain station.

I created The Shanti Counselling Centre because I had a vision for health and healing that was holistic. Society, at large, is growing toward a reductionistic, pathologically-minded approach to problems in living and I think this is a problematic worldview. People are being labelled with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders, sexual disorders... and the list goes on and on and on. Our approach at The Shanti Counselling Centre is holistic in the sense that we do not reduce people to their symptoms and simply suggest that they take pills to feel better (though we are not opposed to using medications as a complimentary tool to psychotherapy). We are interested in looking at the person as a Whole -- exploring the biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual aspects that contribute to normal, everyday problems in living. Our view is that all behaviours and mental health symptoms are "signs" that something is not right internally. We help clients make their implicit processes explicit.... equipping them with the awareness they need to make mindful choices in their lives, ultimately contributing to greater peace and happiness.

We currently have a team of seven counsellors who are trained in a variety of clinical approaches and interventions. Essentially... whatever struggle you are facing, we have a counsellor who is equipped to work with you. If we are not equipped to help you, we will find a counsellor or psychologist who is. The areas in which most of our counsellors have unique and specialized training include romantic partnerships, sexuality issues / concerns, and working with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or queer populations.

Our philosophy is to offer accessible services to clients from all walks of life. We provide a free half-hour consultation to all new clients, a fee structure based on a sliding scale, and offer free workshops in the community on a regular basis. In addition to these services, we have a contract with the BC Problem Gambling program, which enables us to offer free counselling to anyone who struggles with problematic gambling, as well as those impacted by the gambling behaviours of someone else.

Not only do we desire to contribute to the health and well-being of the community, but we also think it's important to help and guide graduate students in training. We provide supervision and guidance to Masters-level graduate students who are completing their programs in counselling-related disciplines. Our graduate interns provide counseling services for $25/session.

If you or someone you know would benefit from our services, please get in touch with us to book your free half-hour consultation -- 604.773.3100.

Warm Regards.
Danielle Duplassie