Samantha Cheng, RCC

Associate Counsellor
(she/her/hers)

Virtual Sessions

Samantha is currently accepting new clients!

you are interested in connecting with Samantha, please contact samantha@expressivewellness.ca. For existing clients, self-book here.

I am Chinese-Canadian, by way of the Philippines (FilChi, of Hokkien descent). Born and raised in Vancouver, I've since moved to Gibsons, and am now exploring life on the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh and Shíshálh nations on the Sunshine Coast. As a queer woman of colour, and a middle-class settler, my lived experience has taught me that the personal is political, and that alongside the challenges that arise when we come up against systems of power, so much strength and resilience can be found in our complex, intersectional identities.

A metaphor was once offered to me, of the role of the counsellor likened to sitting in the passenger seat of a client-driven car. As a counsellor, I am called upon as a companion, to offer the perspective of another window’s view, or to refer back to the map in the glove compartment, or to comment on the skyline, but ultimately, it is the driver that is in charge of the route, the destination, and even the speed at which we travel. Perhaps, more than anything, my role is to bear witness, and especially, to bear witness to moments of transformation, to those particularly beautiful sunsets.

I truly believe that feeling seen and heard is a crucial part of the human experience, and foundational in allowing individuals to foster their own sense of belonging and significance in the world. It is my passion for this process that drew me to this field, and it is my joy to witness individuals embarking on journeys of discovery that lead to greater abilities to move, act, and speak from an authentic and integrated place that acknowledges and honours their voices, needs, and experiences.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (#12003), and I hold a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology from City University of Seattle. In addition to years of community agency work experience- focusing on adult and youth substance use, outreach-based family counselling and parent-teen mediation, and hospital work experience around reproductive health, reproductive choice, and pregnancy loss, I have been working in private practice since 2014.

Grounded in theories that align with my own values of meeting people where they are at, my abilities to listen to, be with, and support others continue to be honed. With a passion for social justice, and rooted in a strengths-based, collaborative approach, I see my work as an opportunity to join with others on their journey to discover all that they already are, and to further support them to become who they would like to be. It is my honour and privilege to bear witness to both the tough and tender moments along the way. In my day-to-day life, I love dancing, drawing, reading YA FIC, hanging out with my pups, and finding magic in everyday encounters with the world.

Areas of Interest
I provide individual clinical counselling services to both adults and youth, primarily working with those who may be:

navigating life transitions
experiencing grief and loss
exploring questions of meaning and identity.

I also have experience working with the following:

Cross-cultural, bi-cultural, and diasporic concerns
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Spirituality and faith (including affirming intersections with queer identity)
Interpersonal concerns and relational issues
Depression
Anxiety
Self-Injury
Substance Use
Trauma

Samantha’s Rates

15 min Phone Consultation
No Cost

Individual Counselling

50 min
Sliding Scale: Closed/Full
Standard: $170

90 min
Sliding Scale: Closed/Full
Standard: $255

(Rates include GST)

Samantha’s Availability

Location: Virtual

Days and Hours:

Tuesday 10:00am - 7:30pm (Virtual)
Wednesday 10:00pm - 7:30pm (Virtual)
Thursday 10:00am - 4:00pm (Virtual)
Friday 10:00am - 7:30pm (Virtual)

Approaches in Therapy

I consider myself to be an eclectic therapist, though first and foremost, one who holds a person-centred stance. By this, I mean that while well-versed in a number of different approaches and techniques, I will select which tools may be appropriate, according to your particular circumstances, preferences, and needs. As time goes on, the kind of work we do together will continue to be shaped according to what you are finding to be most helpful. Some of the ways in which I practice include:

Holistically addressing a person's Biopsychosocial-spiritual experience
Strengths-based conversations
Somatic (body-based) explorations
Mindfulness-based practices

My work is grounded in theories and modalities including:

Intersectional Feminist and Social Justice orientations
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1 training)
Narrative therapy
Solution-focused models of therapy
Existential therapy
Trauma-informed and Attachment-informed care
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Licensure & Degrees

Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
Master of Counselling Psychology, City University of Seattle