Currently accepting new in person & virtual clients for individual counselling.
Alanna Orriss MA, RCC, CCC
My Approach
“Alanna was warm, welcoming & intuitive. I had an in-person appointment & the office area was clean, comfortable & felt like a safe place to chat. I would highly recommend Alanna!”
I take a holistic approach to mental health & believe that it is inextricably linked to our physical, emotional, relational & spiritual health. I welcome all of these dimensions into the therapy room & into the work I do with my clients. My therapeutic style is warm, compassionate & affirming, & I provide culturally sensitive services in an environment that is respectful, anti-oppressive & anti-discriminatory. In our work we would explore what stands in the way of your ideal life while tending to the parts of yourself that still need care & healing. I recognize & respect the unique experiences, insights, & knowledge that each client brings into the therapeutic process & I seek to provide a safe space where people can show up fully as themselves. As a supportive & collaborative guide I aim to help my clients discover their own inner wisdom & empower them to make positive changes in their lives.
Additionally, I have delved into the study of the therapeutic uses of psychedelic substances. This approach has proven to be a valuable tool in peeling back inner layers & uncovering new perspectives. In my work I also offer support in integration of these experiences, to allow for the insights to be woven into your life or to make sense of more challenging content.
Individual Counselling: 1 hour (50 minute)session $150+GST
My Story
I was born a highly sensitive person who has always felt & experienced the world deeply. My experience of loss at a young age led me down a path of exploration to find peace within myself through alternative ways of healing the grief and trauma that I had experienced. This involved many international travels in India, Asia, Europe & Latin America, but more importantly the explorations I have done within myself. I have participated in many extended meditation courses/retreats & completed two yoga teacher trainings that not only taught me ways of moving my body & focusing my mind, but also new ways to view life and our place in this world, rather than what dominant culture teaches us.
Although these experiences were beautiful, expansive & so meaningful, upon returning to Canada I had great difficulty re-integrating into regular society, work & life. The ways I had grown & changed felt incongruent with the values & ways of being that are generally expected of us, & I often felt lonely & disconnected after my return home. For this reason, I sought to become the person I wished I had been able to talk to in those times. A person who could make people feel less alone as they navigate how to develop into their truest selves, while at the same time operating in the broader systems that exist. I believe that we are all spirits having a human experience, & I hope to assist others to find their own way as we work together to navigate the spiritual & human domains, leaning into both the mystical & mundane.
We are all works in progress & I aim to meet clients where they are, to hold both deep compassion & understanding for the ways they have learned to cope in societal structures that are challenging & flawed, while also touching more deeply into their own individual values & desires & working towards expressing the highest version of themselves.
Areas of practice
Personal & Spiritual Growth
Grief & Loss
Anxiety & Stress Management
Depression & Low Mood
Self-Worth & Self-Esteem
Life Changes/Transitions
Adult & Childhood Trauma
Relationships & Attachment
Work-Life Balance
Mindfulness & Healthy Coping
Psychedelic Integration
Education & Training
Master of Counselling, University of Calgary - 2021
Bachelor of Health Sciences, Thompson Rivers University - 2016
Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy Training, Therapsil - 2023
San’Yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training - 2023
28 Day Meditation Course, Las Piramides Del Ka, Guatemala - 2022
10 Day Vipassana Meditation Course, Dhamma Karuna, Alberta - 2019
10 Day Vipassana Meditation Course, Dhamma Karuna, Alberta - 2017
300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training, Sattva Yoga Academy, India - 2017
16 Day Tibetan Buddhism Course, Tushita Meditation Centre, India - 2017
200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training, Feeling Soul Good, Bali - 2015
10 Day Vipassana Meditation Course, Dhamma Kamala, Thailand - 2015
28 Day Meditation Course, Las Piramides Del Ka, Guatemala - 2012
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC # 21150) - BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC #10010835) - Canadian Counselling and
Psychotherapy Association
Book a Session
To connect with us or to book a session with Alanna please fill out the following contact form:
Rates
Individual Counselling (50 minute session): $150