Thank you for stopping by! My name is Yumiko. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with over 10 years of experience, and I have had the privilege of working with clients from many different countries, cultures, and life backgrounds. Much of my work has been with immigrants, international students, and BIPOC clients navigating not only emotional and relational difficulties, but also the complexities of culture, identity, and living between different worlds. I work with concerns including trauma, anxiety, depression, self-perception, emotional dysregulation, challenges related to neurodiversity, and relationship difficulties, with a particular interest in complex trauma and multicultural experiences. I hope to create a space where you feel genuinely seen, understood, and cared for.
My approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and reflective. I do not believe that one approach fits everyone, and I try to understand each person within the context of their relationships, history, culture, and current life circumstances. Depending on your needs and readiness, I may draw from EMDR, attachment-based therapy, parts-oriented approaches, mindfulness, cognitive approaches, somatic strategies, and other integrative approaches. I value working at a thoughtful and sustainable pace, where there is enough safety to explore difficult experiences while also developing greater self-understanding, emotional regulation, and a stronger sense of choice.
As a first-generation immigrant and BIPOC counsellor, multicultural and culturally responsive counselling is an important part of my work. I understand that family and cultural expectations, migration experiences, identity-based discrimination, and cultural values can deeply shape how we see ourselves and relate to others. I welcome clients from diverse racial, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, faith, and neurodivergent backgrounds, and I aim to approach each person with cultural humility rather than assumptions. It is truly an honour to be invited into this part of your life journey, and I look forward to working with you.
プロフィールにお立ち寄りくださりありがとうございます。Registered Clinical Counsellor（RCC）として10年以上、さまざまな国籍、文化的背景、人生経験を持つクライエントの方々とカウンセリングを行ってきました。特に、移民、留学生、BIPOCの方々など、心の悩みだけでなく、文化、アイデンティティ、ニューロダイバーシティ、異なる文化の間で生きることに伴う葛藤を経験している方々を多くサポートしてきました。トラウマ、不安、抑うつ、セルフイメージ、感情調整、人間関係、人生の転機など幅広いご相談をお受けしており、特に複雑性トラウマや異文化・多文化的な経験をされている方のサポートを多くしてきました。安心して「自分のことを分かってもらえる」と感じられる関係を築いていけたらと願っています。
私のアプローチは、トラウマインフォームドで、協働的かつ内省を大切にしたものです。決まった方法をすべての方に当てはめるのではなく、その方のこれまでの経験、人間関係、文化的背景、そして現在の生活を含めて理解することを心がけています。必要に応じて、EMDR、愛着理論に基づくアプローチ、パーツワーク、マインドフルネス、認知的アプローチや身体感覚を用いた方法などを取り入れます。無理に急ぐのではなく、安心できるペースでつらい経験を整理しながら、自分自身への理解や感情を調整する力、自分で選択できる感覚を育てていくことを大切にしています。
私自身も第一世代の移民であり、BIPOCのカウンセラーとして、多文化的・文化的背景に配慮したカウンセリングを大切にしています。家族やコミュニティから期待される生き方、移住経験、人種、性別、性的指向などのアイデンティティに基づく差別、そして文化的価値観は、私たちが自分自身をどのように捉え、人と関わるかに大きく影響することがあります。一人ひとりを文化的背景から切り離して見るのではなく、その方の歴史や環境を尊重しながら理解することを心がけています。クライエントの方が信頼をもってカウンセリングの場に来てくださることを大切に受け止めています。一緒に歩んでいけることを楽しみにしています。
Depending on your concerns, goals, and needs, I utilize a variety of clinical approaches and techniques to assist you. Including but not limited to:
The focus of person-centred therapy is always on you and not on any diagnosis or categorization. As a Clinical Counsellor, I provide a climate conducive to personal growth and change. Through empathy and trust, our relationship will be productive, genuine, and non-judgemental. Together, we explore your thoughts and feelings, positive or negative, without the risk of rejection or judgement.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on the way you think (cognitive) and act (behavioural). CBT helps you to identify the relationship between your thoughts and your feelings. By making small changes to the way you think, you can ultimately change the way you feel.
If you are tired of fighting your own mind, Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a transformative, compassionate path to peace. Instead of trying to force away your anxiety, self-criticism, or unwanted habits, IFS views these behaviors not as flaws, but as protective "parts" of you that are simply exhausted from trying to keep you safe from past pain. By learning to step into your "Self"—your calm, confident, and inherently wise core—you will gently unblend from overwhelming emotions, safely heal your deepest wounds, and transform internal conflict into a unified, supportive inner team.
Attachment-Based Therapy offers a profound, relationship-focused path to healing if you struggle with chronic self-doubt, relationship anxiety, or a tendency to push people away. Built on the understanding that our earliest bonds with caregivers shape how we navigate love and trust today, this approach helps you identify and transform your unique attachment style (whether anxious, avoidant, or disorganized). By exploring how past emotional wounds still impact your current relationships, you will build a secure, deeply trusting alliance with your therapist. This supportive partnership becomes a safe testing ground to break old, painful patterns, express your true needs without fear, and cultivate the secure, lasting connections you deserve.
If you feel constantly overwhelmed by a racing mind, trapped by past regrets, or anxious about the future, Mindfulness-Based Therapy offers a practical path to reclaim your life. Instead of fighting your thoughts or trying to force them to stop, this approach teaches you how to anchor yourself firmly in the present moment with kindness and zero judgment. By developing this specialized awareness, you will learn to observe intense emotions and stressful situations as they arise, allowing you to pause and choose your response rather than automatically reacting. Ultimately, mindfulness trains your brain to break free from habitual stress loops, helping you cultivate a deep, enduring sense of mental clarity, emotional balance, and everyday peace.
EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
