Values Statement

My practice is rooted in empathy, authenticity, and compassion to create space for self-discovery. I strive for my practice to be inclusive, meaning I do not pass judgement on a person for who they are. Together we work collaboratively towards your hopes, desires, longings, and goals.

About Adrian

My Story

Before becoming a therapist, I completed a degree in Health and Physical Education from Mount Royal University. For several years, I competed in whitewater slalom kayaking as a member of the Canadian national team, then went on to coach at the provincial and national level.

That time as an athlete and coach shaped my approach to therapy in ways that might surprise people. There is a common assumption that athletes are defined by discipline and mental toughness, that those qualities are what make someone strong, or even good. While these traits can be helpful, what years in that world actually taught me was something different: that discipline and toughness aren't what make a person whole. I watched people, myself included, perform those traits perfectly while quietly losing touch with who they actually were underneath. What I learned to value instead was alignment. To live in a way that's honest with your own ethics and values. My time coaching provided me with years of practice listening closely to people's hopes, dreams, and fears. To challenge them when they were ready. To navigate difficult conversations in sensitive moments. All while earning their trust along the way.

Aligned Living Counselling comes out of that same belief: everyone has the capacity to live in alignment with their own values and truth. My job isn't to hand you answers — it's to help you find your own.

My Clinical Approach

With clients, I pay more attention to process than content. The story you bring in matters because it's the doorway to get to the pattern underneath. That pattern shows up in how you relate to yourself, to others, and to what's most challenging. The content of our lives changes week to week. Emphasizing process is what actually causes shifts.

I don't assume trust is guaranteed just because we're in a room together. I work to earn it from the first session onward. I do this by showing up steady, warm, and genuinely curious about who you are and what matters most to you.

While you lead the direction of our work I won't just nod along if we're drifting from what matters. Sometimes, earning your trust means challenging you or gently pulling us back on course.

I care more about what you identify as the real concern than what the world says it should or may be, and more about what you're longing for in life. That includes your values, your ethos, and what you hope your life adds up to.

I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, AEDP, Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, and somatic and experiential work to inform my approach. Not as a formula, but as tools I bring in based on what you need.

Who I Work With

I work with individuals, couples, and multi-partner clients across a range of concerns, including:

ADHD and autism, including mixed neurotype couples and relationships
Anxiety, depression, grief, and emotional regulation
Intimacy and relationship challenges, including polyamorous and consensually non-monogamous relationships
Sexuality and gender identity
Past experiences that continue to affect day-to-day life

My practice is neuroaffirming, queer-allied, trans-affirming, and trauma-informed.