About Me

Hi, I’m Sonia!

Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) #11253581

Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) #28105

If you have read about Seeking Sunrise, you already know some of the heart behind this practice. This is where I get to share more about who I am, how I show up, and why Parker is not just here for the cuddles, even though he takes that part of his job very seriously.

I came to this work through lived experience as much as training. I have moved through seasons of severe anxiety and depression and have lost multiple family members to suicide. I also had the kind of late-in-life clarity that arrived when I finally received my ADHD diagnosis. It was the moment where everything clicked into place and I found myself thinking, Aha. That makes a ton of freaking sense. I know the feeling of sitting with a therapist and wondering quietly, “Will you really get me?” I also learned early on that I felt most grounded outside and moving. Walking on a trail, moving on the water, or settling a hand on a dog’s warm fur helped me breathe and hear myself think in a way indoor rooms rarely did.

I come from a blended cultural and biracial background. My mom is a first generation immigrant from Hong Kong, and my dad is of European descent. Growing up between cultures shaped how I listen, how I make sense of the world, and how I honour the many ways people carry their stories. That lens guides me in the therapy space, where I lead with curiosity, humility, humour, and care.

My academic and professional roots sit outside the therapy room and began in environmental and land-based work. Much of my early career focused on how people connect with land, food, nature, and community. These experiences strengthened my appreciation for the natural world and my belief that healing can be supported by nature, movement, and relationship.

I also knew I wanted to offer something different, which is why I chose a dog who was specifically trained to support this work. These threads come together at Seeking Sunrise, where I integrate relational talk and experiential therapy with nature based approaches such as walk and talk sessions, kayak sessions, and animal-assisted sessions with Parker, my sweet and very committed therapy dog. Many people find that movement and time in nature help them feel less overwhelmed and more able to open up at their own pace.

You don’t need the right words or a perfect starting point. You can show up exactly as you are. My hope is to offer a space that feels grounded and real, where you can be honest, feel supported, and be met fully in your humanity.

I’m not the clipboard, “I have all the answers” kind of therapist. I show up as a real person, with presence, curiosity, and honesty, and usually with dog fur on my pants because that’s just my life.
I work from a trauma-informed and relational lens. That means we move at your pace, but with intention. I’m warm, and I’ll challenge you with that same warmth. Growth often lives in discomfort, and we’ll step into it together, with me steady beside you and Parker faithfully supervising.
I draw from approaches like Parts Work, ACT, Narrative Therapy, CBT, EFT, and attachment-based practices. Those tools matter, but they’re not the point. The real work happens in relationship. In safety. In being willing to look at what’s actually going on, even when it feels messy as hell.
I’ll ask honest questions. I’ll stay with you in the hard moments. I won’t rush you, and I won’t collude with the stories that keep you small. If something needs to be named, we’ll name it gently and directly.
Sessions can happen indoors, outdoors, or virtually, often with Parker nearby, curled up or occasionally reminding us that sticks are still very important. Being in nature is part of the work too. It helps the nervous system settle and creates space to breathe, think, and feel differently.
You can bring your memes, your TikToks, your pop culture spirals. If something is funny, strange, or hits a little too close to home, it belongs here. Humour matters. So does showing up as your whole, unfiltered self.
These are the approaches I draw from, depending on what fits you best:
- Humanistic Therapy
  A client-centered foundation that honors your capacity for healing and meaning-making.
- Attachment-Based Therapy
  Explores how early relationships shape present-day patterns and connections.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Parts Work
  Helps you connect with the different “parts” of yourself — with curiosity, compassion, and care.
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
  Supports understanding and transforming emotions in a safe therapeutic space.
- Narrative Therapy
  Reclaims your story by helping you re-author the beliefs shaped by your lived experience.
- Solution-Focused Therapy
  Highlights strengths and supports change by centring what’s already working.
- Somatic and Body Based Approaches
  Helps you tune into the body’s cues, sensations, and wisdom to support regulation, grounding, and healing from stress and trauma.
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  Blends mindfulness and values to support living with purpose — even with difficult emotions.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  Helps shift unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns that may be impacting your well-being.
- Nature-Based Therapy & Mindfulness
  Draws on the grounding and regulating power of the natural world to support healing.
- Canine-Assisted Interventions
  Includes Parker (my co-therapist) in the process — offering connection, co-regulation, and laughter through the human–animal bond.
- Snacks, tea, coffee, and ginger ale are fully approved therapy beverages in this space.
- Parker thinks he runs the practice. Honestly, he isn’t wrong. If you leave with his fur on your clothes, consider it a complimentary grounding tool.
- At home, I have what I lovingly call the “Ferrari version” of Parker, Ellie.
- Nature is where I ground myself, whether it is a quiet walk or going out to earn a few bruises on my mountain bike.
- I also find steadiness in books, movement, cooking, and slow mornings.
- And yes, I love humour in the therapy room, the kind that brings a little breath when things feel heavy. You never need to hold back your humour, your swears, or your weirdness here.

Qualifications and Trainings

Professional Background

My path into counselling has been shaped by years of community-based leadership, land-based programming, and trauma-informed support.

My first professional role involved creating and running an organic farm–based work experience program for teens. I designed and facilitated hands-on, land-based learning that supported skill development, responsibility, and meaningful connection to land and food systems. This early experience laid the foundation for my later work in youth development and community-based programming.

Building on this foundation, I went on to co-design and lead land-based experiential learning and employment programs for youth and young adults, guided by Indigenous ways of knowing, including Two-Eyed Seeing. This work emphasized relationship with land, collaboration with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and support for participants navigating systemic and social barriers.

As my leadership roles expanded, I facilitated and managed youth leadership and employment programs and later co-developed and managed large-scale pilot initiatives supporting underrepresented communities. This included federally funded STEM pre-employment programs for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ women across British Columbia and Alberta, as well as paid work experience and internship pathways for BIPOC young adults. These roles involved supervising facilitation teams, building community and industry partnerships, and implementing wraparound supports to reduce barriers to participation.

Alongside program leadership, I have remained closely connected to mental health and crisis support through crisis line volunteering, youth mental health and substance use action teams, participation in a therapy dog program, and speaking at mental health and suicide prevention events.

These experiences led me to pursue a Master’s in Counselling Psychology to deepen my clinical skills. Today, as the founder of Seeking Sunrise Therapy & Counselling, I integrate this background into my work as a therapist, grounding my practice in social justice, cultural humility, relational care, and respect for each client’s lived experience.