Elika Yamauchi
Elika Yamauchi (She/Her)
Intern Counsellor
BA, BCYC Indigenous Specialization
“Nurturing Your Authenticity”
AVAILABILITIES:
- Virtual (Phone & Video)
- In-Person (Burnaby & Vancouver)
LANGUAGES:
- English
- Person Centred
- Narrative Informed
- Psychodynamic/Developmental Informed
- Experiential Informed
- Strengths Based
- Mindfulness Informed
- Somatic Informed
Hello! My name is Elika
Hello! My name is Elika (Eh-lee-kah) and my pronouns are she/her. I’m a cisgender, second-generation Okinawan immigrant settler and ADHDer occupying the stolen, traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations.
My passion for counselling grew from over 15 years of frontline experience in social services walking alongside children, youth, adults, and families across diverse communities. In the field of Child and Youth Care, I specialized in decolonial practices centring cultural knowledges of health and wellness in research, education, recreation, and the child welfare system.
As a counsellor, I aim to create a space that welcomes all parts of you and your story with openness, compassion, curiosity, and playfulness. In our sessions, I offer a warm, grounded, yet active presence to help you gain insight into the roots of your experiences and meet life’s challenges with your inherent strengths and inner resources. Drawing on my expertise in developmental psychology and intergenerational trauma, I particularly enjoy working with individuals who want to strengthen their sense of self and improve their relationships by processing emotions and early experiences, working through internal conflicts, and disrupting unhelpful patterns while navigating the tricky intersections of identity, culture, societal pressures, and broader systems.
Together, we’ll untangle the messiness of life by exploring how your past experiences, your environment, and the different parts of who you are shape the person you are becoming today!
I look forward to working collaboratively towards goals that are meaningful and authentic to you!
Outside of the counselling room, you’ll often find me in the kitchen preparing a home cooked meal with friends and family. Self-care for me looks like enjoying quiet mornings with my two cats, the joys of jumping between multiple unfinished creative projects, listening to loud music while driving, and going on road trips with my husband.