Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Therapists in Nanaimo, BC

Tina Pirvali

Tina Pirvali

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Accepting new clients. I provide virtual therapy across Canada for adults and couples navigating trauma, relationship challenges, communication difficulties, infidelity, codependency, attachment patterns, and life transitions. Using a warm, trauma-informed approach, I help clients strengthen their relationships, reconnect with themselves, and create lasting, meaningful change.

Tyler Fong

Tyler Fong

Canadian Certified Counsellor

Virtual

I hope to help facilitate your next steps of understanding and growth; we will work to reduce negative symptoms, process difficult experiences, and move toward your goals. I offer short-term and longer-term counselling through a variety of evidence-based approaches. We will collaborate on the style that best suites you. I offer Individual and couples counselling for adults or youth aged 12+.

Erin Ibrahim

Erin Ibrahim

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, EMDR, ADHD-CCSP, BA

Virtual

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, relationship stress, self-esteem struggles, or just feeling stuck, we can work through it together. Pulling from a variety of frameworks to instead suit your unique needs instead of making it feel one-size-fits-all, I have interest in anxiety, depression, relationships, attachment, neurodiversity, and self-esteem. I look forward to connecting!

Mackenzie Fournier

Mackenzie Fournier

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Hi, I’m Mackenzie! I’m a Psychotherapist who loves keeping therapy real, down-to-earth, and practical. I help people untangle patterns around anxiety, food, and self-trust using tools grounded in science. In sessions, I bring my authentic self—you can expect a mix of support, guidance, and maybe a little humour when it feels right—so we can tackle challenges together without the extra pressure.

Mara Behan

Mara Behan

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

I help couples and individuals find growth, healing, and stronger connections. Using evidence-based and individualized approaches, I support those struggling with women's health concerns (e.g., pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause), relationship concerns (e.g., resentment, infidelity), and life transitions (e.g., separation/divorce, parenting). I offer a free 15-minute consultation!

Aida Retta

Aida Retta

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

You’ve always been the one others count on—the thoughtful one, the steady one. But under the surface, you might feel anxious, resentful, or quietly overwhelmed. You say yes when you want to say no. You shrink your needs to keep the peace. You care deeply, but sometimes feel like you’re disappearing in the process. These patterns often begin in relationships where love felt conditional, conflict w…

Tracy Greenough

Tracy Greenough

MPCC (Provisional), RTC Candidate

Virtual

You don't have to keep carrying everything on your own. I help adults, teens, and couples overcome anxiety, trauma, overwhelm, and self-doubt through practical, evidence-informed counselling that helps you create lasting change-not just temporary relief.

Robert Hammond

Robert Hammond

RPC, ICADC, CCAC, SAP

Virtual

Addiction is a complex and challenging battle, but it's important to remember that recovery is not only possible but within reach for everyone. I firmly believe that every person deserves a chance to rewrite their story, and that's why I am passionate about providing comprehensive and personalized counseling to support individuals in their recovery process. Through a combination of evidence-bas...

Deanna Smith

Deanna Smith

Registered Therapeutic Counsellor

Virtual In-Person

I help people who feel anxious, overwhelmed, or lost in their own life. Maybe you’re tired of holding it all together, reacting in ways you don’t like, or putting everyone else first and losing yourself in the process. I also support couples stuck in the same fight, feeling more like roommates, or scared to be honest.

Emma Hartley

Emma Hartley

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, BA (she, her)

Virtual

Are you looking for a therapist that knows what it's like to feel lost or overwhelmed and how to find your footing again? Noticing yourself feeling more anxious, "just tired", and craving a space to slow down and reconnect with a sense of meaning or purpose? Trying to make sense of shifts in mood, questioning careers, exploring relationships, parenting and identity, or a major life transition?

Emma Laughlan

Emma Laughlan

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

I work with children (10+), teens, and adults who feel anxious, overwhelmed, or exhausted by the pressure to get everything “right.” You may be stuck in overthinking, people‑pleasing, panic symptoms, health anxiety, or relationship patterns that leave you doubting yourself. On the outside, you might appear high‑achieving and capable. Inside, you feel tense, self‑critical, or never quite enough.

Carlos (Charlie) Garcia

Carlos (Charlie) Garcia

CCC, MHC, MSc, PhD Candidate in Clinical Sexology

Virtual

I help adults and couples navigate anxiety, identity, sexuality, intimacy and sexual concerns, and relationship challenges. My approach is modern, direct, and integrative — no fluff. I work with individuals of all genders and orientations, with a specialization in LGBTQ+ and trans clients. Bilingual services available in English and Spanish. Virtual sessions across Florida (USA) & Canada.

Li Li

Li Li

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Li offers relational psychoanalytic and trauma-informed somatic/EMDR/IFS/EFT therapy, to support individual, couples and families in communities such as immigrants, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent (ADHD), and professionals, whose experiences resonate with her own life journey the most. She holds a compassionate, culturally attuned space where clients can express freely and rediscover their authentic self.

DeRoux Jones

DeRoux Jones

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

I’m DeRoux Jones, a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario with a Master of Counselling Psychology specializing in Marriage & Family Therapy. I serve individuals, couples, and families, helping with anxiety, depression, grief, relationships, and Christian counselling. My approach is collaborative, evidence-based, and client-centered, creating a safe space for growth and healing.

Katharine De Santos

Katharine De Santos

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Healthy Minds Psychotherapy was founded in 2018 with the mission of providing psychotherapeutic care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering resilience in each person and our community as a whole.

Eric Proulx

Eric Proulx

Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)

Virtual

Are you feeling stuck in the same unhelpful patterns? Is it becoming more and more difficult to live through anxiety, depression or emotional overwhelm? Reaching out can be hard, but it's the first step towards living a more intentional, fulfilling and joyful life.

Shadan Mosavat

Shadan Mosavat

Clinical Counsellor, M.A, CCC.

Virtual

With over 9 years of clinical experience, I support adults navigating Adult ADHD, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), emotional dysregulation, anxiety, and relationship challenges in Vancouver & BC. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (CCC), I provide a warm, neurodivergent-affirming space to move past chronic shame and build lasting emotional safety.

Alicia Buck

Alicia Buck

Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling- Provisional (MPCC-p), LPC

Virtual

I believe that clients are the true experts of their own lives. My role is not to tell my clients who to be or how to heal, but to walk alongside them as they rediscover their own strength and resilience. I provide a warm, person-centered environment where everyone can feel safe, heard, and truly seen. I support all cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

Annie Szalkai

Annie Szalkai

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

I work with adults from diverse backgrounds, supporting those navigating anxiety, stress, and self-esteem challenges. My approach is client-centred and integrative, drawing from CBT, ACT, EFIT, Solution-Focused Therapy, and more to meet each person’s unique needs.

Aaron Chin

Aaron Chin

Registered Clinical Counsellor

Virtual

Hi, I’m Aaron, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC# 21391) practicing online, and in person for clients in Surrey, BC. I strongly believe in the power of therapy to facilitate personal growth, healing, and empowerment. My approach is rooted in empathy, respect, and collaboration, providing a safe and non-judgmental space for clients to explore their concerns.

How do therapists in Nanaimo, BC compare?

Number of therapists listed

34

Average years in practice

5.4 Years

Currently accepting new clients

100 %

Therapists in Nanaimo, BC who prioritize treating:

88% Anxiety
56% Relationship Issues
53% Depression
44% Trauma and PTSD
38% ADHD
35% Emotional Dysregulation
32% Self Esteem
24% Stress

How therapists see their clients

3% In Person & Online
97% Online Only

Top therapy approaches used in Nanaimo, BC:

100% Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
79% Trauma Focused
79% Cognitive Behavioural (CBT)
68% Attachment-based
68% Person-Centered
65% Strength-Based
62% Internal Family Systems (IFS)
53% Dialectical Behaviour (DBT)

Frequently Asked Questions About Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

What is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)?

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) was developed by Dr. Sue Johnson and is grounded in attachment theory — the understanding that human beings have a fundamental need for close emotional bonds. EFT helps clients identify and change the negative emotional and interactional patterns that block secure connection, replacing them with more open, vulnerable, and responsive ways of relating. It is used for couples, individuals, and families, each with a specific EFT model.

What does EFT treat?

EFT for couples (EFT-C) is one of the best-researched couple interventions, with studies showing 70–75% of couples moving from distress to recovery. Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) addresses depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and attachment-related concerns in individual clients. EFT with families helps address conflict and disconnection between parents and children. All applications focus on deepening emotional experience and reshaping attachment patterns.

What does an EFT session feel like?

EFT sessions are emotionally focused and relational — the therapist pays close attention to emotional signals and helps you slow down and go deeper into feelings that are often glossed over. You may be guided to notice and articulate a deeper, more vulnerable layer of feeling beneath reactive emotions like anger or withdrawal. The pace is gentle but deep, and sessions often feel different from more cognitive or skill-based therapy — more about feeling than thinking.

Is EFT only for couples?

EFT is well-known primarily as a couples therapy, but the model has been extended to individuals (EFIT) and families (EFFT). EFIT is increasingly used for individuals dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, and relational wounds. EFFT addresses parent-child attachment and is used when adolescents and their parents are struggling with disconnection. An EFT-trained therapist can apply the approach in individual, couple, or family formats depending on your needs.

How long does EFT therapy take?

EFT for couples typically involves 8–20 sessions, depending on the severity of distress and the complexity of the issues. Individual EFT may be shorter or longer depending on the presenting concerns. EFT is generally considered a moderately long-term approach — it goes deeper than symptom-focused work and prioritizes lasting change in attachment patterns rather than quick skill acquisition. The depth of the work is what produces its strong and durable outcomes.