About Me
My name is Roma Palmer (she/her/hers) and I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor, mother and mental health educator located in Vancouver, BC. I work with adults and teens through concerns such as anxiety, depression, chronic illness, trauma, and more. My approach is client-centred with an emphasis on using Mindfulness strategies to help you identify and reconnect with your inner strength.
How did you get into counselling?
I came to counselling in a round-about way. I had always been interested in psychology as it was my undergraduate major. Having grown up in a “classic” alcoholic family situation and struggling with my own mental health journey in my twenties I was deeply drawn to psychology as a way of helping others.
After university, I tried to get an acting career off the ground. To support myself, I worked a short and unimpressive stint in a restaurant, then ended up working in admin at a private school. The acting thing wasn’t working out, and I needed to make a decision about my long-term future so I went back to university and decided to take counselling.
I wanted professional training to work with people and to help them solve their life problems. When I was accepted to grad school in Counselling Psychology, all my friends said, “It’s about time! You should have been doing this all along.” (Note, I didn’t take this as a personal critique on my acting ability.)
What do you love most about the work?
I love seeing my clients grow and change and feel better about their lives. And to live life more fully. When I see the spark come back, the bounce in their walk, the light in their eyes, well, it helps me walk a little taller. Most of all, I love seeing my clients regain their sense of self, and how relationships flourish when a change happens. I feel deeply honoured to be able to share in this process.
My Approach
What is your process? How does it work and what can I expect?
Rather than having a formula that you fit into, I spend the first session getting a sense of you, your style and your goals to see how we can best work together. You might want a strategy and homework, so we come up with those. You may simply want a supportive, non-judgmental space to tell your story—or you may want both. You will have a goal or goals for your counselling sessions and we will address those as we work together. My goal is always to craft sessions to accommodate your needs.
As for ‘modalities’ or ‘theoretical orientations’, I am very client-centred. I believe in the value of Mindfulness, especially in today’s fast-paced world, so I often incorporate Mindfulness into my process. I also do Cognitive Behaviour Therapy whether directly or indirectly. Changing thoughts, beliefs and behaviours is what it’s all about. I tend to be solution-focused in my work with clients, versus problem-focused. The focus is more on what you want to change and how to get there—rather than rehashing old stories. Having said that, I also believe your context and history have made you who you are today and that is valuable information in how to move forward.
Counselling is a collaborative process. I have the expertise to help guide you through your struggles but it is your commitment to following through that will create the change you want to see in your life. Counselling is an emotional process. You will be asked to be honest and open about your experiences so you can get the most out of your sessions.
Admitting your life isn’t perfect in the age of Facebook can be pretty scary, when everyone seems to have one excellent thing happening after the other. Dealing with life’s difficulties can make it seem like everyone else is doing better than you. I know no one’s life is perfect and that we all have parts of ourselves we aren’t proud of. My job isn’t to blame or judge. I provide a compassionate ear to listen to very human problems. Throughout the counselling process, it pays to be compassionate with yourself as well. It took time to get to the point of seeking counselling and it often takes some time to see improvements. The more energy you invest, the greater the results.