Trauma, Grief, and Loss Counselling in Nanaimo, Across BC, & Canada-Wide

Farnaz Farrokhi-Holmes, Clinical Counsellor, CCC & RCC., MA Comms, MACP

Pronouns: She/Her | Your Counsellor Near Me  

Hi, I’m Farnaz!

I’m a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), an EMDR Therapist, and the founder of Soma House Counselling & Wellness—a space designed to feel more like home than a clinic.

I support individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, burnout, grief and loss, ADHD, relationships, and life transitions—including high-conflict divorce, co-parenting, and blended-family dynamics—as well as those working in high-demand, high-risk, or trauma-exposed professions. I am also an Occupationally Aware Healthcare Provider—trained through Wounded Warriors Canada and First Responder Health—with a focus on understanding the realities, pressures, and long-term impact of these roles. 

My approach is trauma-informed, directive, and collaborative—grounded in a biopsychosocial, mind–body lens and informed by neuroscience. This means we work to understand how your brain and nervous system have adapted to your experiences, and how patterns like anxiety, overwhelm, or shutdown make sense in that context. Together, we focus on supporting nervous system regulation and creating meaningful, lasting change. 

I hold a Master’s in Counselling Psychology, a Master’s in Communications, and am an EMDRIA-trained EMDR therapist. Together, we work to make sense of your experiences, support nervous system regulation, and gently move through what feels overwhelming—so you can reconnect with yourself and feel more like you again.

Lived & Professional Experience

I bring both lived and professional experience to my work.

I spent nearly a decade growing up in a war-affected environment, including on air force bases where my father served as a fighter pilot and base commander. This shaped my understanding of military culture, operational demands, and the expectation to stay composed under pressure—and how that impacts individuals and families.

Before becoming a clinical counsellor, I spent nearly 20 years in communications and government relations across multiple levels of government, including with the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. My work focused on public safety, emergency preparedness, foreign affairs, and crisis communications, including serving within Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) during crisis and emergency activations.

Today, I work closely with military members, veterans, first responders, and trauma-exposed professionals, and am an Occupationally Aware Healthcare Provider—trained through Wounded Warriors Canada and First Responder Health to understand the realities, pressures, and long-term impact of these roles.

I understand what it means to hold it all together under pressure—and the cost of carrying that weight while still showing up for family, relationships, and life.

These experiences shape how I work. I support you in navigating complex situations, resolving conflict, setting boundaries, and making sense of who you are during stressful or life-changing moments. Together, we slow things down, identify what matters most, and move forward with clarity and confidence.

Using evidence-based approaches, I support you in working through what feels uncomfortable so you can build awareness, resilience, and a stronger connection to yourself.

Areas of Focus:  

• Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Well-Being
  Anxiety • Burnout • Grief & Loss (including complex, anticipatory & non-death losses) • Depression • Emotional Regulation • Self-Esteem & Imposter Syndrome
   
• ADHD, Neurodiversity & Confidence
  ADHD • Executive Functioning • Neurodiversity-Affirming Care • Identity & Inner Child Work
   
• Trauma, PTSD & Complex Relationships
  Trauma • PTSD • Nervous System Regulation • Narcissistic Abuse Recovery • High-Conflict Divorce •  Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Assault
   
• Family, Relationships & Life Transitions
  Co-parenting • Blended Families • Families of Military & First Responders • Separation/Divorce • Relationship Patterns • Spiritual Growth • Major Life Changes
   
• Work, Leadership & Women’s Health
  Workplace Stress • Leadership Support • Peri/Menopause • Reproductive Challenges • Caregiver Stress • Support for High-Stress Professions

Therapeutic Modalities:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Experiential Therapy
• Gestalt Therapy
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Narrative Therapy
• Neurocounselling
• Play and Art Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)
• Somatic Therapy
• Trauma-Informed Care

Education & Certifications:

• Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
• Master’s Degree in Communications, Royal Roads University
• MicroBachelors® Program, Neuroscience, Harvard University (In Progress)
• Certificate, Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge 
• Certificate, Workplace Mental Health Leadership, Queen's University 
• Certificate, EMDRIA-approved EMDR therapist  

Session Types: Individual adults, youth, couples, and family counselling. In-person or online.

Contact & Hours of Operation:

<<Soma House Counselling & Wellness>>

• Location: In-person and virtual in Nanaimo; virtual across British Columbia and unregulated provinces 
• Practice Days: Tuesdays to Saturdays 
• Contact: Farnaz@somahouse.ca | 250-228-7662 (SOMA) 
• Website: www.somahouse.ca 

Fees for Session Lengths:

50-minute sessions:

This is my most popular session length, and it is a standard session for those seeking a focused therapy appointment. It allows time to address your concerns.

• Children/Youth/Individuals: $150  
• Couples/Families 50 Minutes:  $165

80-minute sessions:

• $ 200 - 80 Minute Extended Therapy

EMDR Therapy Sessions:

• 50 minutes EMDR Session: $150  
• 80 Minutes:  $200

This session length is ideal for those needing more time to share their concerns without feeling rushed. It provides an opportunity to cover more ground, whether it's for goal setting, planning, or addressing urgent issues. 

Billing & Benefit Plan Coverage |  Registration:  CCC 11260860 | RCC 22653 

I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) through the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC).   

Most extended health benefit plans accept receipts from RCCs and CCCs, so please check to confirm if your sessions are eligible for reimbursement. I work with clients across British Columbia and in unregulated provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) in Canada.

Direct billing is available for:
 

• Canada Life 
• Pacific Blue Cross  
• Manulife 
• Medavie Blue Cross (for Veterans Affairs Canada members)
• Sun Life
   

For other insurance providers, direct billing may be possible if your plan allows. Otherwise, you can submit your receipts for reimbursement.