Working Towards a Whole Self
Integrative Psychotherapy for the Mind and Body
In-person Counselling Services for Adults in Burnaby, and Online across BC
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
— Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
About Kim
Meet Kim Alscher, MA, RCC
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 17 years of experience helping adults of all ages to create a more balanced, authentic, and meaningful life.
As a highly sensitive therapist, I offer a warm, attuned presence and a deep capacity to notice the subtleties of a client’s emotional world. Clients often share that this allows them to feel genuinely seen, understood, and safe enough to explore vulnerable parts of their experience.
I also bring lived experience into my work. Many of the areas I specialize in, I have chosen because I have been well-acquainted with them personally, and have devoted my life to learning and practicing the very things I encourage in my clients.
Through years of therapeutic work and personal reflection, I have come to believe that our emotional responses and behaviours often make sense within the context of our life experiences.
Change is possible when we learn how to listen to our own stories with curiosity and compassion, but we often need help with this.
My approach
An Integrative, Mind-Body Approach to Psychotherapy
I draw from a range of psychological orientations to support you as a whole person. This means that we explore your thoughts, emotions, and past experiences, while also paying attention to how stress and life experiences impact your body, brain, and nervous system.
Approaches that guide my work:
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Psychodynamic therapy is an important part of my work because it recognizes that many of our current emotional struggles, relationship patterns, and ways of coping are shaped by early experiences and unconscious processes that exist outside of our immediate awareness.
Often, patterns that once helped us adapt or protect ourselves can continue into adulthood in ways that no longer serve us.
Psychodynamic theory explores how past relationships, attachment experiences, unresolved pain, and trauma may influence how we relate to ourselves and others in the present.
By bringing unconscious patterns and underlying emotions into conscious awareness, therapy creates space to process unresolved experiences rather than continuing to carry them alone.
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) is based on the idea that we all have different parts of ourselves that influence how we think, feel, and behave.
Some parts may be critical, anxious, perfectionistic, withdrawn, or protective, while other parts carry emotional pain, fear, or unmet needs.
Rather than viewing these parts as problems to be fixed, IFS approaches them with curiosity and compassion, helping us understand the important roles they have played in our lives.
As we develop a more compassionate relationship with our inner world, protective patterns can begin to soften, allowing a greater sense of self-trust and connection to emerge.
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Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals understand the role that the brain and nervous system can play in chronic pain and other persistent physical symptoms.
When the nervous system becomes stuck in a state of protection, the brain may continue to generate symptoms even in the absence of ongoing injury or disease.
PRT helps reduce fear around symptoms, shift patterns of hypervigilance, and cultivate a greater sense of safety in the body, supporting recovery and improved quality of life.
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Attachment-Based Therapy recognizes that our early caregiving experiences shape the ways we learn to connect, trust, and seek support from others.
These experiences can contribute to the development of secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment patterns that continue to influence our relationships, self-worth, and emotional well-being.
Through increased awareness, emotional processing, and the experience of a safe therapeutic relationship, counselling rooted in attachment theory can help individuals heal relational wounds, and cultivate more secure and satisfying relationships.
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on the understanding that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are closely interconnected. At times, unhelpful thinking patterns and coping behaviours can contribute to emotional distress and keep us feeling stuck.
CBT helps individuals identify and challenge these patterns, develop more balanced and realistic ways of thinking, and build practical skills for managing life's difficulties.
Through increased awareness and intentional practice, CBT can support lasting changes in mood, behaviour, and overall well-being.
Moving Forward
From Overwhelm and Self-doubt to Self-acceptance, Stability, and a Sense of Connectedness
Many people begin counselling feeling overwhelmed, self-critical, or unsure of themselves.
Over time, our work together will help you move towards:
A greater sense of self-understanding and clarity
Increased ability to regulate emotions and feel more grounded
More self-compassion and less self-judgment
Clearer boundaries and improved communication
A deeper sense of trust in yourself and your decisions
For those experiencing anxiety, chronic pain, or burnout, this will also include a better understanding of how the brain and nervous system respond to stress, and how to work with those responses to bring about a calmer, regulated system.
The work we do together isn’t about changing who you are, but about helping you become more fully yourself.
“Much of what we call personality is not a fixed set of traits, only coping mechanisms a person acquired in childhood.”
-Gabor Maté, When the Body Says No
My areas of specialty
Counselling that brings relief to both the struggling mind and body
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Anxiety and overwhelm can leave us feeling unsafe in our own bodies. Together, we’ll work to calm the heightened sense of alarm in the brain and nervous system, while also exploring the patterns that often perpetuate our fear states.
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Coping with changes in your physical health can affect every part of your life and take a significant emotional toll. Together, we’ll build awareness of how stress and emotions show up in the body, helping you respond more gently and effectively when you feel pain, overwhelmed, or shut down.
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Highly sensitive people frequently feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, and lacking trust in their experience. Our work together will focus on helping you move towards a more compassionate acceptance and appreciation for being HSP, along with learning practical techniques to more skillfully manage the challenges it can bring.
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Addiction is an attempt to cope with pain, stress, and difficult emotions. This includes any substance or behavior that a person becomes reliant upon to bring temporary relief or pleasure. Together we will uncover what deeper concerns your habit is masking, and help you to find a more compassionate way to address your pain.
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Depression and loss can leave you feeling emotionally numb, lost, and without hope. We will gently explore underlying patterns, while building tools to support your mood, increase energy, and create manageable shifts in your daily life. Our work together will focus on helping you reconnect with yourself in meaningful ways.
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Relationship challenges and issues with self-worth can be mutually reinforcing, and create a negative cycle where each feeds into the other. We will focus on building self-awareness, strengthening boundaries, and developing new ways of relating that feel more secure and aligned with who you are.
Getting Started
Helping You Take That First Step
I know that reaching out to a counsellor for support can feel really daunting. My focus is to make the process as clear and comfortable for you as possible. Here's what you can expect working with me to look like:
Book a Consultation: We will start with a free 15min consultation to chat about the concerns you want to address, and help you get a feel for my approach.
Moving forward: If we determine that we are a good fit working together, we will clarify your goals and tailor a plan that fits with where you are at.
Ongoing work: Sessions will focus on building insight, challenging unhelpful patterns and fostering a more compassionate, resilient sense of self.
FAQ
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Many people wonder if their struggles are serious enough to consider counselling. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit—counselling can help with stress, relationships, life transitions, or simply wanting to understand yourself more deeply. It can also assist you in resolving those more enduring concerns that you have had trouble figuring out on your own.
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If you are looking for immediate solutions, or only want tools without exploring underlying patterns, this approach may not feel like the right fit.
My work is more suited for those who:
Are open to looking inward, even when it feels uncomfortable
Want to understand the deeper roots of their struggles
Appreciate being gently challenged to move past what is comfortable or easy
View personal growth as an ongoing journey
This kind of therapy often involves slowing down, building awareness, and developing a different relationship with yourself over time rather than ‘“fixing” yourself.
For many people, this leads to more meaningful and lasting change.
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Yes, it is absolutely normal to feel nervous or anxious before therapy sessions. Many clients tell me that even though they might feel this way at the beginning of session, they quickly shift out of it once we get talking. If you do feel anxious before your session, it can help just to remind yourself that these reactions are normal and ok.
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Not at all. Clients often come to session unsure about what they want to explore. It is part of my role to help you find your way through the thoughts and feelings you present with, and to help you clarify which concerns might need prioritizing.
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Even if you haven’t heard the term before, highly sensitive people usually have some sense that they experience the world differently than others. You may have been told growing up that you are “too sensitive”, deep, or care too much. You may also feel more affected by emotional and environmental stimuli, and yearn for time alone to process your thoughts and feelings. If this resonates with you, you may benefit from support that understands the unique experiences and challenges of being a sensitive person.
Learn more
Still feeling a bit Unsure?
Uncertainty is often part of the process of seeking support. You may feel hesitant, curious, or wonder whether therapy will help. A brief consultation can provide clarity, and help to ease any concerns.