Yoko Gifford
MCP-AT, RCC, CCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor & Professional Art Therapist
current availability
Books are currently open for new clients.
Common Focus Areas
Anxiety
Family/relationship issues
Grief and loss
Trauma and relational wounds
Shame
Repressed Anger
Emotional regulation and mind-body connection
ADHD/ASD
Spirituality/Faith
Life’s Purpose and Meaning
I work best with
Adults
Youth (15+)
Approach
I bring my whole authentic self to create a safe, trusting alliance with you. This means that I honour and welcome who you are, all parts of you in our space together in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. I believe that we are biologically wired for healing. By healing, I mean by integrating your heart, your mind, your body and your spirit, we learn to become whole. By tuning into the inner wisdom of our body, together we can begin to make sense of how you experience life.
A little about me
Identifying as a Person of Colour and a minority in most of the places I’ve lived, I often felt a desperate need to belong and be accepted. In that pursuit, I ended up disconnecting from much of who I was in order to blend in and assimilate into the cultures around me. I grew up in Japan and left home at 15, moving around the world on my own before eventually settling here in the Fraser Valley, where I now live with my family.
Only now, in my 40s, am I learning to rediscover who I truly am—and who I am becoming. It’s a journey of both mourning the loss of who I thought I was and coming home to who I am today.
This journey has given me a deep appreciation for, and understanding of, People of Colour, different races, and diverse beliefs from all walks of life. While I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to be marginalized in every way, as a non-Black Person of Colour, I do understand what it means to be a minority in this part of the world.
Outside of my work as a therapist, I’m an imperfect human, just like you, who appreciates deep human connections. I find joy in cheering at my children’s sports events, going on spontaneous outings to discover quality coffee shops, sipping perfectly brewed black coffee or a bold matcha oat latte, and taking daily walks with my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel while listening to some kind of a therapy audiobook.
background and experience
I hold a Master of Counselling Psychology in Art Therapy and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, as well as a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
Over the years, my work has focused on helping adults, youth, and children navigate trauma, emotional overwhelm, and life transitions through experiential, evidence-based methods.
credentials and training
Registered Clinical Counsellor in good standing with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (Member #17259).
Canadian Certified Counsellor in good standing with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (Member #10010828)
Professional Member in good standing with the BC Art Therapy Association (Member #0548P)
Master of Counselling in Psychology - Art Therapy, Adler University, Vancouver
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Level 3 Therapist
AEDP – Repairing microaggression
AEDP - Advanced Skills Modules (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Training
Birth and Reproductive Trauma with Canadian Perinatal Mental Health
Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Parenting
Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
IndEdu200x: Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education
Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk
SafeTALK
The Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level I Clinical Training
Expressive Play Therapy Certificate
I have almost a decade of experience in supporting people who are grieving and those who are nearing end of life.
I am committed to ongoing healing work of my own and participating in individual and group supervision.