Biography for Sophia Van Vuuren

 

“What lies behind us and what lies before us 

are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 Counselling and Psycho-Educational Assessment

Sophia holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from South Africa, where she worked for 17 years in Stellenbosch.  She is registered in British Columbia as a Psychologist. She has been practicing the past 12 years on the North Shore providing counselling services to the communities of North and West Vancouver, Lions Bay, Squamish and Whistler. 

                                           

She treats Adults, Teens and Children with

• Emotional Burn-out,

• Anxiety, Panic attacks, Phobias, OCD,

• Depression, Suicidal thoughts or behavior, Self-harm,

• Grief after the loss of  a loved one,

• Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD)/  Trauma due to MVA, War, Abuse, Sexual assault, Violence or Torture

• Anger outbursts,  Bullying,

• ADHD/ADD

• Learning Disabilities like Dyslexia, Dyscalculia or Dysgraphia

• Relationship problems, Family problems or other emotional problems.

• Immigration or the loss of a job can also create significant emotional turmoil and stress in a person’s life and  family.

 

Couples can experience significant stressors in their relationship, which can lead to continuing conflict undermining the relationship and eventually result  in  separation or divorce if the relationship is not repaired.

 

Psychotherapeutic Interventions

• Client-Centered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT),

• Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT),

• Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT),

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Self-Regulation Therapy (SRT)/ Somatic Experiencing Therapy

• Developmental Couple Therapy,

• Solution-Focused Therapy,

• Play Therapy and 

• Family Therapy.  

 

With the help of these evidence-based Psychotherapeutic models, Sophia can guide her clients towards regaining their strength and empower them to recover and reactivate their full potential as human beings and restore their resilience to continue embracing the fullness of their lives.   

 

 Psycho-Educational Assessment for Learning Disabilities

Sophia has 25 years of training and experience, working with children, teens and adults with Learning Disabilities, like Dyslexia, Written Output problems (Dysgraphia), or a Learning Disability in Mathematics  (Dyscalculia), as well as ADHD and ADD.  Psycho-Educational assessment provides parents with important knowledge of their child’s cognitive, perceptual, emotional, behavioural, memory and scholastic potential, to guide their children through their school careers. The emotional impact of Learning Disabilities are huge on a  client’s self-esteem, motivation, stress levels, personality, social confidence and feelings of competence. With early diagnosis and treatment, your child can understand their learning style, overcome frustration about learning, and start to advocate for his/her own learning needs to develop their full potential.  Sophia provides an Individual Education Treatment Plan (IEP) to the Parents, Teachers, Learning Assistant Teachers, Children, Teens and Students to help them to utilize their learning strengths and negotiate to accommodate their learning obstacles to reach their full academic potential. 

She works in a Multi-Disciplinary Team with Family Doctors, Teachers, Speech Therapists, Physio-Therapists and Occupational Therapists to provide an extended health support service to her clients.

 

Psychological Services are covered by the Client’s Extended Health Plan