Strength in Heart offers affordable counselling in Victoria, BC with qualified masters' level student counsellors.

Kendra began her position as a Strength in Heart Student Counsellor in May 2024. She will complete her graduate studies & begin the process to full registration (Registered Social Worker: RSW) this August.

Sessions with Kendra are offered remotely & in our Victoria office for $70 per 1 hour (50 minute) session.

Free 20 minute video or telephone consultation.

(Under the supervision of Carla Mae Leuschen, RSW #14081)

My Approach

I believe that healing happens in relationships- within ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. Because of this, my approach is deeply relational, weaving together parts work, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy to support you in making sense of your experiences and letting go of the narratives and burdens that aren’t yours to carry. I also recognize that distress is not just a personal experience but is shaped by systemic, historical, and relational forces. With this in mind, I strive to center decolonization and anti-oppressive practice in my work. To me, this means honouring that you are the expert of your own life and story and that healing is something that comes from within you. My role is to walk alongside you, creating a space where you feel safe enough to explore and connect with your inner wisdom, and move toward healing in a way that feels right for you. At its core, I hope our work together feels like a partnership—one where you feel seen, heard, and empowered.

My Story

I grew up on the traditional and unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik peoples, colonially known as Fredericton, New Brunswick. Since then, I have lived on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, Alberta, where I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at MacEwan University in 2017. About six years ago, I moved here, to the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, as well as the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Over the past two years I have been completing my Master of Social Work degree at the University of Victoria.
My path to this work has been deeply personal. My own experiences with mental health challenges and my encounters with the pathologizing and individualizing nature of the dominant mental health systems, have shaped my desire to approach healing differently. I began my journey in the field of community mental health over six years ago and have spent the past year working as a student counsellor at Strength in Heart, under the supervision of Carla Mae Leuschen. I am grateful for the opportunity to support others in their healing journeys and look forward to walking alongside you on your own path.

Areas of focus

• Trauma

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Self-esteem & self-love

• Chronic pain & illness

• Emotional regulation

• Non-ordinary state integration

• Attachment wounds & relational trauma

Education & Training

• Master of Social Work from University of Victoria (in progress)

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from MacEwan University

• Level 1, 2, 3 Integrative Somatic Parts Work Training

• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Skills Training

• San'yas: Indigenous Cultural Safety Training

• ASIST Suicide First Aid

Professional Memberships

• BCASW Student Member #2000665