Hello, my name is Janay, and I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association; as well as a Register Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia through the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (virtually). I have completed my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology through Yorkville University, and have actively worked as a social worker with children, youth, and families alongside the Coast Salish First Nation communities. I have completed my Bachelor of Social Work at Thompson Rivers University, and a Social Work Diploma through Mount Royal University, which has brought various experiences serving several sectors and populations – I express much gratitude. 

As I am compassionate and dedicated to serving clients through healing, self-discovery, and reaching fulfillment, I am grateful for the gift of trust that is shared through the reciprocal learning process in the counselling relationship. I have over 12 years of experience working with children, youth, and young adults through therapeutic treatment programs and within various diverse 

MACP, Canadian Certified Counsellor

Janay Foulkes

communities and collaborative settings. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with you in your healing journey through a respectful and authentic presence, person-centered, and strengths-based approach. Using a holistic and balanced approach, it is my belief that you are in the driver’s seat and are the expert of your story. Each time we meet, it is my aim to ensure you leave with something new and beneficial.
 
With a strengths-based approach, culturally responsive practices, and a trauma-informed lens, my focus is to develop strong therapeutic alliances with those in my care to ensure respect, collaboration, and openness through each journey. A key consideration through my experiences is the value in the integration of the family system and the importance of community connection. Further, in my work with young people, I value the critical importance of identity and belonging, as key factors in the development of children, youth, and young adults.
I approach counselling in a way where you are the expert, and we create a therapeutic partnership to develop goals towards healing and reaching your optimal self. As we build the trajectory of your story, I use the foundation of strength-based and trauma-informed practices to open a space that you can show up exactly as you are, feel heard, empowered, and safe. The therapeutic relationship is a collaboration where we use evidence-based modalities to understand, address, and practice the tools towards well-being, balance, and re-centering towards thriving, not just ‘surviving.’ I approach counselling with the lens that healing takes a holistic approach to understanding and integrating appropriate evidence-based interventions to meet the client’s needs. As the client may be the expert of their story, I am open, flexible, and interested in walking beside the client, to learn together and find a balance for the client to have the confidence using their tools. 
Through our work together, I will use cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed, strengths-based practices to support you in drawing out insight, balance, and healing to some of the areas you experience challenge. As you are the expert on your story, I will walk alongside you with empathy, compassion, and respectful collaboration.
It is important to me that all clients enter a space that is safe and that they can be understood for who they are, where they are, and their place in the world. The space that I always aim to provide is free of judgment, bias, or exclusion. I provide a space that is open, flexible, and co-created, while listening to understand. Cultural competency is not only a value I have as a professional, but also an approach to counselling practice that requires humility and continued learning. 
Choosing counselling was very intentional and took some big steps to achieve, yet it remains a natural part of my journey and my purpose, to being of service. The counselling profession allows not only my ability to walk alongside, share a safe space, and ‘just be’ with clients, I can draw on evidence-based approaches to assist clients with their goals in various situations and systems. I believe that we all have our unique stories, and there are pivotal moments that we may need to recalibrate, reset, and resurface, which has been a big part of my journey – it still is.