Chris Downey – Registered Clinical Counsellor

Stories. Patterns. Connection.

Make sense of your story. Understand your patterns. Find a way forward.

Sometimes we know something isn’t working, but we can’t quite understand why. The same arguments keep happening. We find ourselves reacting in ways we don’t understand. Anxiety, overwhelm, or disconnection begins to affect our relationships and everyday lives. What brings us to counselling is often connected to a bigger story—our experiences, relationships, and patterns we’ve developed along the way.

I believe counselling offers an opportunity to slow down, look beyond the immediate problem, and make sense of the bigger picture. Together, we’ll explore how your experiences and relationships have shaped you, recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and discover new ways of responding, relating, and moving forward. Your experiences matter, but they don’t have to define the entirety of your story.

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent 20 years in various not-for-profit settings, walking alongside children, youth, adults, couples, and families through life’s challenges, relationships, and transitions. Those experiences continue to shape how I listen and approach my work: with curiosity, compassion, and an appreciation for the many things that influence who we are and how we experience life. I’m also an adoptive parent, which has shaped my personal appreciation for the joys and complexities of family life. I have a particular interest in supporting individuals and families navigating adoption, fostering, and neurodiversity.

My approach is calm, collaborative, and relational. Grounded in attachment theory and informed by narrative, systemic, and strengths-based practices, I draw on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy. I aim to create a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming space where you feel heard and respected, where we can explore difficult things without judgment, and where practical steps toward meaningful change can emerge.

I work with youth ages 10+, adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, relationship challenges, parenting stress, and life transitions. I particularly enjoy working with couples who want to strengthen their relationship, improve communication, navigate recurring conflict, or reconnect with one another. I also offer premarital counselling for couples preparing for marriage. Whether you’re reaching out for yourself, your relationship, your child, or your family, I’d be glad to connect and explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

Specialties- Issues

For Individuals:

  • Anxiety & Depression
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Self-Esteem & Identity
  • Life Transitions & Stress
  • Personal Growth

For Couples:

  • Couples Counselling
  • Marriage and Relationship Challenges
  • Communication and Conflict Resolution
  • Rebuilding Connection and Intimacy
  • Premarital Counselling
  • Relationship Transitions

For Youth and Families:

  • Parenting Support
  • Family Conflict and Communication
  • Adoption and Foster Family Dynamics
  • Neurodiversity and Family Support
  • Peer and Social Relationships

Specialties – Modalities

  • Attachment-Based Therapy
  • Client-Centred Therapy
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Systemic Therapy
  • Strengths-Based Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Therapy
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Motivational Interviewing

Client Focus:
Kids & Youth (ages 10+); Young Adults; Adults; Couples; Individuals; Families

Cost per session: $160/individual 50 mins | $185/couples 50 mins | $185/family 50 mins

Services provided

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