Meet the Face of Counselling: Kelsey Grimm

We're human.

And life happens.

As a result one in five of us any given year will struggle with mental health problems.

"For sure, having an uneven foundation of life like the pandemic, the summer's fires, floods and the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School causes people to experience depression and trauma," says clinical counsellor Kelsey Grimm of Healing Spaces.

"Economic and food insecurity can also challenge us and impact our mental health. In these cases, we need to reach out for help and develop coping strategies to hold onto the light and beauty in our lives."

Healing Spaces is a warm and welcoming place to work through your difficulties, regardless of whether the session is in-person or virtual.

Counselling with social workers and clinical counsellors is offered to individuals, children, youth, couples and families to help them overcome what's blocking them from enjoying their best lives.

"Being a counsellor is such a privilege," says Kelsey.

"Bearing witness to humans growing and overcoming problems and achieving joy of life is why I got into counselling. It's who I am and Healing Spaces is the culmination of that."

It's a collaboration between counsellor and patient that may take the form of a meeting every week or two or just two or three times a year.

"Life is hard, but we can overcome it," says Kelsey.

Kelsey has also launched a series of Kelsey the Counsellor virtual courses to help people regardless of whether they are near or far.

The Fear to Courage workshop encourages people to befriend their fear and grow courage on the back of fear. It is a trauma-informed course to support people to learn to work with their anxiety.

Mental Health First Aid covers how to identify signs and symptoms of mental health difficulties and equips participants with the tools to support others with mental health difficulties.

Kelsey talks the talk and walks the walk.

She loves her job helping people and makes the most of her personal life with hugs from her husband and spending as much time in nature with her husband and their dog.

Kelsey grew up in Vancouver and went off to earn degrees at Queen's University in Kingston and UBC in Vancouver, a Master's in Leadership from Trinity Western and a Master's in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University based in New Brunswick before moving to Kamloops seven years ago and eventually setting up Healing Spaces.

For more information, visit the Healing Spaces website here and Instagram page here. To see Kesley's website click here and check out her Instagram here.