Available In-Person & Online

Claire Yangxiezi Cao

M.C., RCC

Practice Information

As a dedicated and compassionate counsellor, I support clients in a wide range of mental health concerns including trauma, grief, loss, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, anger management, self-harm, self-esteem issues, self-identity exploration, attachment, parenting challenges, and gender identity issues.

My therapeutic approach is client-centered and strength-based, honoring the belief that clients are the experts of their own lives. I prioritize establishing a trusting and authentic therapeutic relationship, empowering clients to lead their therapy journey while I provide unwavering support.

With a focus on trauma-informed care, I address the profound impact of trauma across all facets of a client's life, working towards healing underlying trauma while addressing presenting symptoms. Drawing on feminist and social justice frameworks, I help clients navigate the influence of societal norms and power dynamics on their identities and experiences.

In therapy, I blend warmth, authenticity, and creativity, utilizing evidence-based interventions from modalities such as mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and narrative therapy. I incorporate experiential techniques and engaging activities like drawing, writing, role-play, psychodrama, sand tray, and somatic movements to personalize each client's healing journey and foster growth.

About Me:

Hailing from a quaint, mountainous town in China, I have always fostered a deep appreciation for nature and a passion for exploration. My unwavering love for adventure has taken me to over 20 countries, allowing me to form invaluable relationships and cultivate a global perspective. My identity is founded on the principles of openness, creativity, inclusivity, spontaneity, and curiosity.

Having been raised by educated parents, I was taught the importance of free-thinking, independence, and gender equality, moulding me into a critical thinker who values authenticity, compassion, and fairness. These values would later cascade into my belief in creating a just society and striving towards greater social equality.

As an immigrant and a graduate of McGill University, I have undergone various life challenges like grief, loss, mental health difficulties, and identity crises. These profound moments of difficulty have fueled my passion for helping individuals experiencing migration and acculturation struggles. My experiences have instilled within me empathy and awe towards people's remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.

Following my academic and professional successes, I transitioned into full-time motherhood for over a decade. While I cherished my role as a mother tirelessly, there remained a part of me that felt incomplete. My counseling journey allowed me to rediscover my independent, adventurous, and passionate self, which ultimately completed my self-identity beyond the role of mother and wife.

Now as a clinical counsellor, my aim is to assist you on your voyage of personal empowerment, self-discovery, and recovery towards becoming a whole and genuine individual. I am committed to accompanying you on every aspect of this journey.

欢迎来到我的咨询。我专注的领域包括童年及代际创伤、依恋关系的修复、内在小孩的成长、亲密关系、家庭冲突、亲子教养、焦虑、抑郁、双相情感障碍、丧失与哀悼、愤怒管理、自伤行为、自我身份认同等。在心理咨询中,我相信每个人与生俱来的解决问题的智慧,自我提升的愿望与潜力,以及从创伤与逆境中自我愈合并成长的韧力。我将悉心倾听,在温暖真诚、开明包容的咨询关系中,配合您的节奏与步伐,以一位同行者的角色陪伴您的疗愈并见证您的成长。

留学移民的经历与母亲的角色让我更能了解多元文化的冲击与移民家庭的独特挑战。我致力于运用我的人生体验以及专业知识帮助来访的儿童、家庭、夫妻以及个人探索他们的咨询问题,体验和处理情感,培育内在力量与韧劲,实现内外合一的人生。通过融合东方哲学与西方咨询理论,以及整合多种心理咨询干预方法,我为每一位来访者量体裁衣,并提供适合他们文化背景的心理咨询服务。

相遇是一种缘分。不管您现在面临的挑战是什么,请记住您不是一个人,也不需要只是一个人努力。如果您需要一个安全、值得信任、温暖的疗愈空间,我会一直在这里。我提供线上和线下的心理咨询。请跟我联系。

 

Specialized Training

  • Mindfulness
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Somatic Experiencing (SE)
  • Internal Family System (IFS), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy
  • Psychodrama

Availability

 
MorningAM
AfternoonPM
EveningLate
SundaySun
MondayMon
TuesdayTue
WednesdayWed
ThursdayThu
FridayFri
SaturdaySat

Areas of Practice

Anger Management Issues
Family Issues
Grief and Loss - General
Immigration
Marriage and/or Relationship Issues
Self Harming Practices
Trauma

Approaches Used

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Body Centred Psychotherapy
Child Centred Therapy
Emotion Focused Therapy
Existential-Humanistic
Grief and Loss - Complicated.
Internal Family Systems
Mindfulness approaches
Play Therapy
Psychodrama
Sandplay Therapy
Somatic Approaches

Other Languages Spoken

Chinese
Mandarin