Why “Selkie Counselling”?
Tattoo design by Art Brat Comics
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.
Many selkie stories include a human man stealing her pelt when she’s in human form, confining her to marriage and motherhood until one day she finds her pelt and returns to the sea.
These tales evoke themes of trauma, transformation, reclamation, and sense of self & agency.
Alexandra has always loved seals. Their roundness, playfulness, ferocity, and agility in water has helped her to feel more connected to and appreciative of their own body.
A little bit more
about our story…
Alexandra founded Selkie Counselling in the fall of 2021, shortly after completing her Master’s of Counselling from City University. She has lived on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories in Victoria, B.C. since 2016 with their partner and their calico, Blossom.
They came to counselling after burning out (big time!) in her theatre career, realizing that her desire all along was to connect with people and support social change… and that they 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, Alexandra decided to take the plunge and go back to school and then open the doors to Selkie Counselling.
In 2026, Selkie Counselling branched out into group practice and supervision, bringing on associate counsellors, hiring an administrative assistant, and offering clinical supervision.