Book Appointment
Menu
Newsletter
Social Media
Holly Kretschmer
Registered Psychotherapist, Registered Professional Counsellor, Master Practitioner Clinical Counsellor in Vancouver, BC
In-person and online sessions
Specializing in treating early childhood trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and relationship difficulties
My Relationship Journey
At the age of 32, my dad suddenly died. At the time, I was the parent of a daughter nearly 3 years of age and was 7 months pregnant with my second child.
The grief I experienced was so painful it caused me to seek therapy. I felt so sad that I couldn’t imagine ever feeling happy again.
I knew that getting help with this loss was vital, especially as a new mom. I came to understand that the depth of my grief and hurt was also connected to other childhood and adult losses.
Shortly after the birth of my daughter, I joined a support group, and the therapist leading the group validated my feelings. This was the first time in my life that anyone validated my feelings. My gut feeling immediately confirmed that I was on the right track. After the group ended, I began therapy with her.
My therapist, who specialized in early life trauma, supported me in unravelling the childhood experiences that were causing the emotional pain I was carrying inside of me. She listened intently with great understanding and empathy.
As I was healing, I naturally began to parent more effectively and confidently, with more love, connection, and joy! I felt more whole and aware. I’m proud that I stopped the cycle of unhelpful parenting for my daughters.
My relationships with others improved as well. Some relationships that I was struggling with ended, and others deepened.
I was so moved by my healing journey and the positive shifts that occurred in my life that I decided to change careers and become a Psychotherapist.
My Core Philosophy
Effective therapy begins with a safe, trusting, supportive environment where healing can occur. Therapy helps you to resolve emotional issues, deal with relationship challenges, and cope with the difficulties you experience in daily life.
Psychotherapy supports you to gently look at your life experiences and explore related feelings that have been pushed down inside of you because you lacked the emotional support to process them when they occurred.
Most everyone has a degree of inner wounding from childhood, and when these wounds are acknowledged and felt, healing can begin.
When you engage in your innate healing abilities, integration occurs. You’re no longer driven unconsciously by your repressed pain. You’re freer to live in the present moment.
Shifts occur that lead you to become more loving and compassionate with yourself and others. You are healthier, attract healthier people into your life, and raise healthier children.
It’s been my privilege to support clients for over 17 years to heal the deep hurt they experienced and to have a more connected and loving relationship with themselves and others.
My Gifts as a Psychotherapist & Counsellor:
- Compassion and empathy: My caring and compassionate way will help you build the courage to trust and open to your emotional wounds.
- Connecting to feelings: I’m skilled at helping you get out of your head and into your body where your emotions reside. It is not enough to know intellectually what happened to you to heal and integrate your struggles. True healing occurs on an emotional level.
- Trust your intrinsic wisdom: I’ll support you to trust your natural healing ability as you learn how to access and process your feelings toward integration.
- Present for you: I strive to be fully in the moment-to-moment experience with you, so you feel heard and understood. This creates a sense of safety and promotes optimal engagement in the work of therapy.
- Gently dismantle defences: I respect your defence mechanisms and protective walls. Your defenses protected you as a child; they were your way of surviving. Together, we’ll gently explore how they were essential at the time and how to shift out of them naturally.
Psychotherapist & Counsellor Credentials:
In 2005, I had the opportunity to work with Janice Berger, a Registered Psychotherapist who mentored me in Deep Emotional Processing Therapy™, which she pioneered. In 2009, I also began to work with her daughter, Dr. Lisa Berger, Clinical Psychologist, until moving to private practice in 2015.
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (York University, Ontario)
- Adult Training and Development Diploma, University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
- Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma, Certificate, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
- Integrating Compassion Based approaches in the Treatment of Trauma, Certificate, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
- Strategies for Working with Anxiety, Certificate, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
- Working with Traumatic Memory, Certificate, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
- Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy, Certificate, Dr. Kristin Neff & Dr. Chris Germer
- Healing Trauma & Addiction, Certificate, Dr. Gabor Mate
- Grief Counselling and Treatment in a Pandemic of Loss, Certificate, PESI Psychotherapy
- Emotion-Focused Therapy of Depression and Anxiety, Certificate Dr. Les Greenberg
- Narcissism, Infidelity and Trauma: An Integrative Approach to Couples Therapy, Certificate, Terrance Real and Ester Perel
- Family Life Educator Certificate, Dr. Aletha Solter, Clinical Psychologist. Expert on attachment, psychological trauma and non-punitive discipline.
- Parent Effectiveness Training (PET), Certificate, Dr. Thomas Gordon, Clinical Psychologist. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in teaching communication skills and conflict resolution to build and maintain relationships. Dr. Gordon was a Noble Peace Prize nominee in 1997, 1998 and 1999 for his ground-breaking work.
Psychotherapist & Counselling Association Membership:
- Registered Psychotherapist (RP) (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, Licence #003136)
- Registered Professional Counsellor (RPC) (Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, Member #3910)
- Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling (MPCC) (Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, Member #3910)
I look forward to helping you heal your inner wounds so you can have more fulfillment in your life and relationships.
If you want support and guidance on the road to healing, click here to book an appointment.
We at Love Done Well Counselling humbly acknowledge that we live, work, play and heal on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.