Registered Clinical Counsellor, Therapist in Vancouver
Therapy with Sandy Zhang
I love offering a supportive relationship and a safe place to land for people of all ages. I accept you as who you are right now and whoever you are growing into. While life and your relationships may feel chaotic to you, I love being able to support you in that chaos and help you find the calm in the storms. My approach is tailored to each person’s each age and unique situation. I use play therapy with children as a way to communicate struggles and emotions beyond words, and be empowered to make their way through life’s struggles with a support right by their side. For adolescents and young adults, I offer support and guidance through life transitions, offering you a safe space to explore and know yourself better. As a fellow parent, I am honoured to walk side by side with you on this parenting journey, knowing how strenuous each step can be. It brings me joy to see kids and parents bond deeply with each other and parents genuinely delight in their children.
When working with couples my approach is attachment and connection-focused, and skill-based. Couples often seek counselling because of specific problems in their relationship. Regardless of the issue, I find that one thing can often be missing—a close connection, a secure attachment, or sometimes it’s that “spark” that brought them together initially. Through communication and other skills, I support couples in rebuilding that connection. Once this foundation is established, the couples I work with have often shared that they feel softer and more endearing toward each other, naturally becoming more open to exploring new ways to solve problems or even figuring out solutions on their own.
I work with people to regain their confidence, and couples and families leave my office with greater hope for the future. I would love for you to experience comfort, healing and a new hope in your relationships, I am truly honoured to work with each individual or relationship that reaches out.
Outside of Work
Outside of work I am an ordinary mom of two teens! Yes, you can picture me- hair tied back, trying new recipes, fighting with some scum in the house, and driving around the neighbourhood for after-school activities. I enjoy expressing myself through painting and writing, visiting family and friends, and volunteering in the community.
Areas of Focus
I am trained systemically in marriage and family counselling, including development of children, and the life stages of the whole family. I love working with children (5 years and up), teens and adults of all ages. My focus is often on how an individual is shaped in a relational context and how that person and the relations can change to achieve a win-win. I welcome diverse clients regardless of their culture, gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, or other identities, and I have experience working with children (5 and up), youth, and adults. I am trained in family therapy and couples therapy. I have specialized training to support people regarding:
- Addictions
- ADHD & Neurodiversity
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Childhood trauma
- Divorce
- Depression
- Immigration experiences
- Major transitions in life (e.g. becoming a parent)
- Neurodiversity in relationships
- Parent coaching & co-parenting
- Pre-marital counselling
- Relational conflict and challenges in couples and families
- Trauma
Certificates & Training
- Child Centered Play Therapy for Complex Trauma
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
- EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy) – Level 1
- Gottmans Couples Therapy – Level 1
- Internal Family Systems Therapy
- Play Therapy for high-conflict families, divorce and bereavement
- Relationship Enhancement Therapy (for couples counselling)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Education & Credentials
I have a Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Counselling and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) accredited through the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC).
Sandy is registered with Crime Victims Assistant Program and accepts and direct bills to CVAP for sessions.
Sandy is an RCC and her sessions are eligible for reimbursement with ICBC if you have approved counselling sessions. She does not direct bill to ICBC at this time.
Sandy is currently accepting clients. She works virtually on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. For booking outside of these hours please contact her directly to see if she can accommodate your request – she sometimes offers Saturday appointments if needed! If you would like to connect with her you can either schedule a free consultation call or email her directly: sandy@havencollective.ca
