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 ABOUT

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Registered Clinical Social Worker

MSW, RCSW

Registered in British Columbia , Alberta and Ontario

I’m a cis South Asian woman. My Masters in Social Work from the University of British Columbia has granted me the opportunity to work extensively in diverse community mental health settings. I work with individuals (19+) and couples using a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and compassion focused approach.

Facing mental health challenges alone can be overwhelming and isolating. We all need someone in our corner as we take steps towards healing. I support individuals to understand their thoughts and emotions, and discover how family and other significant relationships have influenced their inner worlds.  When we fully acknowledge and experience what is happening in the moment, we can maintain a stronger sense of self and control over our lives.

 

Relationship issues are among the most stressful conditions people face. The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. For these reasons, I help couples who are stuck in repetitive cycles of conflict and a lack of intimacy to repair even the deepest wounds to reconnect fully.

I offer individual and relationship therapy with a wide range of therapeutic approaches including:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Observational and Experiential Integration (OEI)

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Internal Family System Therapy (IFS)

 

Having worked my entire professional life in the helping field, I’ve had the privilege of sitting with people in their most vulnerable moments to offer support, compassion, and more effective ways to move through life's challenges. I am able to adapt my approach based on your needs and foster comfort through offering non-judgement and steady encouragement. My clients describe me as warm, easy to relate to, trusting, and reliable. These qualities allow my clients to feel safe, heard, and respected.

 

Investing in my own mental health have afforded me the opportunity to experience first hand the growth that is possible. Therapy has taught me how to be the most authentic version of myself by digging deep into my limiting beliefs and arriving at a place of self acceptance.

My qualification as a Registered Clinical Social Worker (license #13783), required 3000 hours of supervised post-Masters clinical experience. I am licensed to assess and provide DSM-5 diagnoses as a RCSW. 

I acknowledge with gratitude and respect, that I live and work on the unceded homelands of the Coast Salish nations, including the territoriesof the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh).

Ashley Shankar

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