Petra Nielsen RTC
Helping you heal and feel more balanced through a gentle, supportive approach.
My Approach
My work is grounded in a trauma-informed, compassionate approach that focuses on understanding your experience, rather than trying to change or fix you.
Together, we explore patterns such as:
Emotional overwhelm or shutdown
Self-criticism and internal pressure
Relationship dynamics that feel confusing or repetitive
Coping patterns that no longer feel supportive
I approach this work with curiosity and care, helping you make sense of what you are experiencing and how it developed over time.
This process is collaborative and paced in a way that feels manageable for you.
How I Work
I integrate a range of approaches to support your process
Bilateral stimulation and EMDR-informed techniques
Cognitive and dialectical behavioural approaches
These methods are used in a flexible way, depending on what feels most supportive for you. The focus is not on applying techniques, but on understanding your experience and working in a way that feels safe and grounded.
Understanding your patterns, not fighting them.
My Background
Before becoming a counsellor, I worked in roles that focused on supporting individuals and families through a variety of life experiences
My background includes:
Early childhood education in preschool and daycare settings
Running a certified organic farm and working in a local dairy
Community support roles with Boundary Family Services
Supporting individuals and families following the 2018 flood recovery in Grand Forks
Working as an Infant Development Consultant
Experience in shelter and family support services
These experiences have shaped the way I understand people, relationships, and the impact of early and ongoing life experiences.
Credentials & Training
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I graduated from the Kelowna College of Professional Counselling - Diploma of Applied Psychology and Counselling in 2022
Completion of a comprehensive program developing personal and professional counselling skills, KCPC is designated by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) under the Ministry of Advanced Education in British Columbia.
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Moving Forward Family Services
Moving Forward is based in Vancouver and is offering free short-term and affordable long term counselling options to underserved communities.
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The Registered Therapeutic Counsellor - RTC - designation is granted with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT). Counsellours are regulated by the ACCT Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
My Registraton number: 2908
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Hypnotherapy is a gentle, evidence-informed approach that uses focused relaxation to access the subconscious mind and support meaningful change. It can help reduce anxiety, stress, and trauma-related symptoms while promoting emotional regulation and nervous system calming.
Hypnotherapy may be effective for improving sleep, managing pain, addressing phobias and habits, and strengthening confidence and self-awareness. When integrated into therapy, it can deepen insight, enhance mind-body connection, and support lasting change in a collaborative, client-centered way.
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Part work, informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), is a gentle and respectful approach to understanding ourselves from the inside out. It recognizes that we all have different “parts” within us—such as protective parts that help us cope, and younger parts that may carry pain, fear, or unmet needs from past experiences.
Rather than trying to eliminate symptoms, IFS-informed therapy helps us build compassionate relationships with these parts. When protective strategies like anxiety, people-pleasing, anger, or avoidance are understood and supported, they no longer need to work so hard. This allows deeper healing to occur.
At the core of this approach is the belief that everyone has an inner capacity for calm, clarity, and self-compassion. Therapy supports you in accessing this inner leadership, helping your parts feel heard, supported, and safe—so you can move forward with greater balance, understanding, and emotional resilience.
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Bilateral stimulation is a gentle therapy technique often used to help people who have experienced trauma or overwhelming events. It involves engaging both sides of the brain through a steady, back-and-forth pattern. This can be done visually, through sound, or through touch.
The idea behind this approach is that difficult or traumatic experiences are sometimes not fully processed by the brain. When this happens, reminders like certain sounds, smells, images, or words can bring those memories back very strongly, as if they are happening in the present. Bilateral stimulation helps the brain process these memories more fully, so they feel less intense and easier to manage over time.
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After graduating from KCPC, I am following my passion for learning and expanding my skills to be able to support my clients in a holistic approach:
Accepted into 3-year Somatic Experiencing Training with SE Professional Training Kelowna
EMDR for Complex Trauma with R. Kase, S. Freeze, K. Baxter-Musser, A. Teal - January 2026
Mindfulness training with Dr. Richard Sears January 2026
Bilateral Stimulation/EMDR training - Bea Rhodes Counselling - Completed October 2025
2 handed Interweave technique - Robin Shapiro - Completed June 2025
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Competency Course June - Completed July 2025
Mastering Internal Family System Therapy for Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction with Dr. Richard Schwartz and Dr. Frank Anderson
Living Through Loss, Grief Facilitator - Completed July 2025
Clinical Hypnotherapy Certification - Completed January 2025
Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician (NATC) with Dr. Ramani Durvasula - Completed May 2024
Motivational Interviewing Foundation Skills - CMI - Completed Feb. 2024
Trauma Treatment Certification Level 1 CCTP– Janina Fisher, PhD - Completed April 2023
EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique Certification Level 1&2 with Joan Taylor - Completed April 2023
Breaking the Cycle of unhealthy family Relationships with Nedra Tawwab - Completed March 2023
Introduction to DBT Skills – Rob McLeod, RPC - Completed Mar 2023
Routes of Safety training with Jake Ernst MSW - Completed Feb. 2023
TASC steps to recognize thoughts of suicide and engage safety resources using Living Works Connect - Completed Feb. 2021
Performance Wellness and Resilience for First Responders - Completed March 2022
Brain Story Certification - Completed Dec. 2020
Introduction and Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Violence against Women Completed Oct. 2020
Violence is preventable - Completed Oct. 2020
Areas of Interest
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Understanding anxiety and depression and how to manage and reduce symptoms with CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and DBT (Dialectic Behaviour Therapy). Promoting your body-mind connection with techniques like Mindfulness, Relaxation practices, Structured Problem Solving
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Identifying core believes and negative thinking patterns and how that influences your feelings about yourself. Experience how small changes can make a big difference in how you feel about You. Let’s talk about boundaries and how they will support your journey of finding out what your needs and wants are.
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Childhood emotional neglect, physical, sexual abuse, or traumatic events:
Trauma at any age may effects brain development and the nervous system. Talk and different somatic modalities help integrate the traumatic event/s with the goal that triggers will have less or no emotional flashbacks.
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As a narcissistic abuse survivor, you will likely have symptoms. Many people experience anxiety, depression, Post traumatic stress, and perhaps a loss of sense of self and self-worth. Some experience difficulty sleeping, memory loss. Maybe you feel stuck in a cycle and also experience trust issues. Have you become a people pleaser or did you develop self-destructive habits. I can support and help you recover and detangle the net you might feel caught in.
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Are you a people pleaser? Are you an empath? Is it difficult for you to say no? Are you a giver? Exploring how to set boundaries and find strength in yourself and understand the difference between healthy reliance on others and when the give and take is out of balance.
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Understanding your relationship dynamics and behaviour patterns. How to communicate your needs and desires truthfully and understand what healthy behaviours looks like to create intimacy and connection.
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Moving through different phases in your life can come with their own set of challenges. Learning and understanding how to grieve, accept and manoeuvre through difficult times and be at peace.
Making sense of what you’ve been carrying
What You Can Expect
Working together is not about being analyzed or judged
It is about creating a space where you can begin to understand yourself more clearly.
You can expect:
A calm, grounded environment
A pace that respects your comfort level
Space to talk, pause, or reflect
Support in understanding your patterns without pressure to change them immediately
You are not expected to have the right words or a clear starting point. We begin with what feels most present for you.
A different way of seeing your story
If you are considering reaching out, a free consultation can be a simple first step.
A free consultation gives you the chance to:
Ask questions
Get a sense of how I work
See if this feels like a good fit for you