Background

Hi! My name is Eric Proulx (he/him). Are you feeling stuck and wish you could find greater joy in life? Do you find yourself repeating the same unhelpful patterns and don’t know how to change? Reaching out can be difficult, but it is a crucial first step towards living a more fulfilling, intentional and joyful life. My approach to therapy with individuals and couples, is to welcome clients with a non-judgemental, curious and empathetic stance. Therapy does not have to be a cold, sterile process and I believe there is lots of room for laughter, joy and fun in the therapy room! While working towards positive growth, I strive to build both self-acceptance of our authentic selves and a belief that good change can come. I believe clients should lead in deciding what kind of life they would like to lead, and my role is to support them in getting there.

Therapy and healing do not exist in a vacuum and should be informed by the realities of the society in which we live. Modern life brings many wonders, but also many challenges. We are living through what many call an epidemic of loneliness, where people are finding it increasingly hard to connect with others to build social connections and relationships we once took for granted. For many, economic uncertainty, the threat of climate change and experiences of systemic oppression take a serious toll on our mental health. It is with these realities in mind that I approach counselling. 

I graduated from Simon Fraser University in 2014 with a Bachelors in History, then in 2015 with a Bachelors in Education. Since then, I have worked as a classroom teacher in Montréal and Vancouver at Elementary and High School levels while also representing Vancouver Elementary teachers in the local teacher’s union. Currently, I am a Masters of Counselling student at City University in my second year of studies and am excited to be working at Avery Therapy Centre as a student counsellor!

 

Therapeutic Approach

When working with individuals, I take a humanistic approach to build a caring and empathetic relationship between client and counsellor. Together, we will build strategies to alleviate distress, find self-acceptance and strive towards positive change. For this work, I lean on the therapeutic modalities of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. Though these are my preferred therapeutic styles, counselling works best when adapted to your specific needs. 

 

When working with couples, I ground myself in Attachment Theory and strive to strengthen a base of communication skills, mutual understanding and respect, building towards loving, compassionate and joyful relationships where each partner feels valued and secure. In terms of therapeutic styles, I make use specifically of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman’s Couples Therapy. 

 

I look forward to meeting you and joining you in your journey towards healing and happiness.

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My availability can be found here.