Larissa Mowat

Hello! My name is Elika (Eh-lee-ka) and I am a neurodivergent, cisgender, second generation Okinawan immigrant settler occupying the stolen traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations. I am an intern counsellor completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree, and am excited for the opportunity to lean into over 15 years of experience working in community-based programs and social services. I have had the privilege of working alongside individuals of all ages, identities, and diverse family/caregiver structures such as young folks living in the foster care system. I bring a deep passion for welcoming and exploring the unique story of each person, nurturing their strengths, interests, and capacities while creating a supportive space to work through life’s challenges. Together, we’ll explore how your past experiences, your environment, and the different parts of who you are shape the person you are becoming today. Through developing a meaningful and trusting connection to ground our work together, I strive to support your vision of health and well-being with warmth, openness, empathy, and kind care. I believe in exploring and (re)discovering your inner resources, and nurturing your authenticity in a way that is meaningful to you.

I offer a supportive and reflective space for individuals who are navigating the everyday challenges and complexities of life. Whether you are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship concerns, or simply looking for a place to pause and reconnect with yourself, I am here to help. My goal is to provide a calm and compassionate space where you can feel heard and supported as you make sense of what you are going through. My approach is grounded in empathy, curiosity, and respect for your lived experience. We can explore your thoughts and emotions to better understand what might be keeping you feeling stuck. I work with people from all walks of life who are seeking clarity, growth, and emotional well-being.

as a queer, feminist therapist, i support other careworkers and community organizers who want to feel resourced and held in their work. i specialize in the areas of grief work, including disenfranchised, complex grief and sudden and traumatic loss, chronic illness and disability, existential concerns and feelings of overwhelm. i'm trained in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), somatic attachment therapy, and clinical hypnosis. i also support clients with things like OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours, and fears and phobias. my work is experiential, embodied, and intuitive. what this means for therapy is that we’ll spend a lot of time together learning and practising new tools and skills that you can immediately apply in your daily life. my hope is for you to feelbetter resourced to handle the inevitable stress that comes with life under late-stage capitalism. and, as we work to clarify your values and unhook from systems of oppression, i hope you'll also discover a renewed sense of focus so you can get clear about how to best allocate your energy and time. i bring two decades of experience to my clinical work, primarily in the non-profit sector doing work in harm reduction, outreach, supportive housing and with people living with HIV. i currently work part time as a counsellor in hospice providing care to people in bereavement, as well as those at end of life and their caregivers.

Life can feel overwhelming when your mind won't slow down, when a habit has taken hold, or when burnout has quietly emptied you out. I work with adults navigating ADHD, addiction, suicidal thoughts, and work/life burnout — offering a grounded, judgment-free space to untangle what's been weighing on you. For many women, ADHD goes undiagnosed for years — mistaken for anxiety, depression, or "being too sensitive." That long road of masking and self-doubt leaves real marks. Having ADHD myself, I bring genuine understanding of what it's like to live with a busy, overstimulated mind. As an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP), I blend the emotional depth of therapy with the practical focus of coaching. I use CBT, DBT, and ADHD-focused approaches to address both emotional patterns and real-life skills — in sessions that are structured, flexible, and ADHD-friendly. Areas I work with: rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, procrastination, ADHD burnout and late diagnosis, addiction (substances, gambling, pornography, social media) and affected family members, suicidal ideation, workplace and life burnout, perfectionism, men's issues, and relationship challenges. You're not broken. Let's build something that actually works for you.