Background

My name is Leifennie Ang (she/her), and I am a graduate counsellor at Avery Therapy Centre. I am also a parent to a young child. I was born in Malaysia and raised in both Malaysia and Indonesia. I am grateful for the privilege and opportunity to travel to various countries before settling in Vancouver in 2017. I continue to learn to appreciate and embrace my Chinese and Southeast Asian heritage. I have completed my master’s degree in counselling at City University in Vancouver, where I wrote my capstone project on thriving after experiencing betrayal. I also underwent training in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Prior to this, I was actively engaged in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera.

 

Through my lived experience, I developed a deep appreciation for the complexities and challenges of being human. My process of growth and gratitude toward my community fuels my passion for inspiring others to navigate the human experience with loving kindness, curiosity, compassion, and warmth. I wish to empower my clients through a power-with stance rather than a power-over stance. All of us have the innate ability for individual and collective healing. But the world has made it unsafe for us to express ourselves fully, make mistakes, take accountability for those mistakes, say “no/yes,” love out loud, and be in our bodies… so we forget. It makes sense for us to create perimeters of comfort which serve to protect us from perceived further harm and from living in alignment with our values. My role is to create a safe space for you to explore your experiences and discover your unique path of wellness and wholeness. 

 

Therapeutic Approach

I strive to embody a compassionate, supportive, curious, non-judgmental, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed loving presence in order to co-create a safe container for our work together. I believe we are all interconnected with everything and everyone. We are born in relationship, live in relationship, suffer in relationship, and are transformed in relationship. My intention is to facilitate you to develop the awareness and capacity to be intentional and consistent in making the series of choices to cultivate a loving and compassionate relationship with yourself and others. 

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My approaches focus on honouring the different parts of you, increasing your capacity to hold space for the myriad of feelings, emotions, and sensations that might be conflicting at times, and equipping you with the skills to feel anchored in your own capability and self-lead while you navigate the uncertainties of life. To achieve this, I incorporate mindfulness and somatic therapy into the sessions. I also integrate and draw from various therapeutic modalities such as Internal Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Imago Relationship Therapy, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy.  

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My availability can be found here.