About Alexandra
MC, RCC,
Certified Body Trust® Specialist
I’m a counsellor, consultant, and fat liberationist who is deeply committed to the liberation of all bodies.
hey there!
I approach Fat Liberation as both internal and external.
We cannot free ourselves at the expense of those most oppressed.
It means not being complacent, making my learning bigger than just me, and understanding how my own liberation is tied up in the liberation of all.
This work has been liberatory for me in my relationship to self, as well as in my work with clients. I continue to practice trusting myself, my body, and my intuition, as I resist the rationalizing, justifying, and intellectualizing of white, western culture which cuts us off from our bodies. I support clients in doing the same, while explicitly trusting them with their own bodies and what they need to keep themselves safe.
A little bit more
I am a white settler of Scottish, German, and English descent. I’ve lived on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories in Victoria, B.C. since 2016 with my partner and our calico, Blossom.
I was born and raised on the lands of the Qw'?ntl'en nation in Langley. B.C, and I come from a lineage of trespassers, settlers, and colonizers.
The systems of white supremacy that have benefitted me and my ancestors have also alienated us from cultural practices and traditions - something I am slowly reconnecting to.
I came to counselling after burning out (big time!) in my theatre career, realizing that my desire all along was to connect with people and support social change… and that I didn’t need to endure job insecurity, low pay, and 70-hour work weeks to achieve that.
After a few years of volunteering in women’s shelters and sexual assault centres, I decided to take the plunge and go back to school. I’m grateful to my own counsellor at the time, who offered so much support, encouragement, and guidance.
about me
I graduated from City University with my Master’s of Counselling degree in 2021 and opened the (virtual) doors to Selkie Counselling shortly thereafter.
I’m continually practicing divestment from hustle culture, and trying to nurture a slow and balanced life outside of work.
I enjoy reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, board games, video games, walks by the water, spending time with my partner/friends/niblings, crafting (or just buying craft supplies...), baking, and archery.
Selkies are shapeshifting mer-folk in Celtic and Norse mythology. By sea they take the form of a seal, and by land they shed their pelt and take human form.
When human, they must keep their seal pelt to be able to return to their seal form. Selkie folktales evoke themes of transformation, trauma, resiliency, and connection to self.
I have always loved seals. Their roundness, playfulness, ferocity, and agility in water has helped me to feel more connected to and appreciative of my own body
Tatto design by Art Brat Comics
Why "Selkie Counselling”?
For those of you who love a list of credentials, here’s my education and training:
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San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, Fall 2023
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Certified Body Trust Provider training with the Centre for Body Trust, June 2022-June 2023
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'Trauma' and Resistance: Innovative Responses to Oppression, Violence and Suffering with Vikki Reynolds, December 2023
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Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) Conference, June 2022
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Narrative Therapy Foundations Training Certificate with the Vancouver School for Narrative Therapy, June 2022
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Reclaiming Pleasure Workshop with Kai Cheng Thom from The Embody Lab, Feb 2022
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Working with Cultural Diversity in the Therapeutic Setting: Theoretical and Practical Applications two-part workshop presented by Dr. Myrna Lashley, November 2021
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Master of Counselling Degree from City University, August 2021
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Sexual Assault Response Team Support Worker training and volunteering with the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, 2016-2022
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Bachelor of Arts, English Drama Major/Theatre Minor, University of the Fraser Valley, June 2012
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Diploma in Theatre Arts, University of the Fraser Valley, June 2010
My lineage of learning:
It’s important to be to acknowledge the many people I have learned from, whether it be through reading their work, attending workshops, or been taught/mentored by them. Here are some of them:
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Aubrey Gordon - author of What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat and You Just Need to Lose Weight, and co-host of podcast “Maintenance Phase”
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Center for Body Trust - Hilary Kinavey, Dana Sturtevant, Sirius Black
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Christy Harrison - author of Anti-Diet and host of podcast Food Psych
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Dalia Kinsey - author of Decolonizing Wellness
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Da’Shaun L. Harrison - author of Belly of the Beast
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Desiree Adaway - The Adaway Group
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Edge of the Couch Podcast - hosts Alison McCleary and Jordan Pickell
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Kai Cheng Thom - writer, performer, cultural worker, and speaker
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KC Davis - author of How to Keep House While Drowning
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Dr. Lisa Gunderson - One Love Consulting
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Mia Mingus - founder and leader of SOIL: A Transformative Justice Project
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Dr. Nicole Little - my wonderful supervisor
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Resmaa Menakem - author of My Grandmother’s Hands
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Sabrina Strings - author of Fearing the Black Body
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Sonya Renee Taylor - founder and author of The Body is Not An Apology
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Tricia Hersey - founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest is Resistance
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Fat Liberation Consult Group - filled with some of the best people I'm fortunate enough to know!
