Finding your path in your own way

My name is Carrie, and I am a graduate counsellor who has completed the requirements for my Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) designation and currently awaiting approval.

I was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada at 5 years old, growing up in a small community in northern Saskatchewan. As an immigrant, I quickly learned the ever-shifting nuances of being and belonging. I have firsthand experience with the challenges of cultural adjustment and balancing multiple cultural identities. This personal journey has shaped my understanding of how important it is to honour the stories we come from as we build our sense of belonging and carve out our identity. I deeply appreciate the resilience required to navigate new environments and seek to change what may no longer work for us.

From an early age, I was fascinated by how people perceive and interpret the world in different ways, filtered through the lenses we use to make sense of our surroundings. When I moved to Ontario to pursue a bachelor's degree, a psychology elective captured my interest, igniting a passion that led me to pivot my academic direction. Psychology aligned perfectly with my deep curiosity about human behaviour and thought processes. After completing my psychology degree, I pursued law school in Victoria to explore the intersection of law and human behaviour.

For over a decade, I built a legal career in Vancouver, navigating complex problems and advocating for clients who faced systemic and personal challenges, including poverty, mental health, and substance abuse. While rewarding, my legal career highlighted a critical gap - the need for a strong therapeutic alliance to facilitate lasting change and healing. This realization sparked a desire to transition into counselling, where I could apply my skills in a more healing-focused practice.