Barb Komar, RN, RCC (Telephone and Online)
Barb Komar
Barb Komar loves working with people. She has been a Registered Nurse (Winnipeg) since she was 20, and then went back to school to get a degree in Psychology from Simon Fraser University, completed another 2 years of wellness management courses, and then did a Masters in Counselling Psychology degree from Arizona State University with honors.
When Barb returned home to Vancouver, she completed her Internship at St. Paul's Hospital in Reproductive Mental Health under the direction of several well known psychiatrists. This was a good fit given her background as nurse. She was able to gain a good understanding and competency in working with clients with moderate to severe anxiety, depression and trauma. She also learned more about medications which has proved helpful to her clients and for collaborating with doctors.
After internship, Barb worked at BC Women's Hospital for 8 years and St. Paul's (current) in the Reproductive Mental Health Program. She saw individuals and couples, developed and ran a PMS program, and developed and taught a program for pregnant and postpartum women. She further developed a curriculum for Masters level Counselling students and supervised their internships. At BCW, Barb also worked in Eating Disorders.
Today Barb has a busy, expanding private practice in North Vancouver, BC and sees individuals and couples. Her practice is not limited to reproductive issues and she sees men and women with a variety of client issues, particularly related to depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and relationship problems. She further teaches a number of workshops and is best known for her expertise in anger management. Barb also enjoys teaching corporate workshops to large audiences.
When Barb is not at work, she loves her outdoor lifestyle with her family and friends in Deep Cove.
When Barb returned home to Vancouver, she completed her Internship at St. Paul's Hospital in Reproductive Mental Health under the direction of several well known psychiatrists. This was a good fit given her background as nurse. She was able to gain a good understanding and competency in working with clients with moderate to severe anxiety, depression and trauma. She also learned more about medications which has proved helpful to her clients and for collaborating with doctors.
After internship, Barb worked at BC Women's Hospital for 8 years and St. Paul's (current) in the Reproductive Mental Health Program. She saw individuals and couples, developed and ran a PMS program, and developed and taught a program for pregnant and postpartum women. She further developed a curriculum for Masters level Counselling students and supervised their internships. At BCW, Barb also worked in Eating Disorders.
Today Barb has a busy, expanding private practice in North Vancouver, BC and sees individuals and couples. Her practice is not limited to reproductive issues and she sees men and women with a variety of client issues, particularly related to depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and relationship problems. She further teaches a number of workshops and is best known for her expertise in anger management. Barb also enjoys teaching corporate workshops to large audiences.
When Barb is not at work, she loves her outdoor lifestyle with her family and friends in Deep Cove.
Kerry Anne Holloway, MA, RCC, CCC (Telephone and Online)
Kerry Anne Vigars-Holloway
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (10191), and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (2951). When faced with postpartum depression (PPD), perinatal issues, and reproductive mental health issues, many women feel alone. My goal is to support and educate women as they deal with the emotional changes and challenges at each reproductive stage. I work from a client-centered orientation, incorporating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, attachment theory, and mindfulness. I work with clients from a holistic perspective, focusing on mind, body and spirit.
I work with individuals and groups, and have extensive experience counselling women with reproductive mental health issues. I graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a BA in Sociology, followed by post-baccalaureate program in Counselling and Human Development at Simon Fraser University. I have a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University, and have completed practicums at Burnaby Family Life and the BC Reproductive Mental Health Program at St. Paul’s Hospital. I have provided psychotherapy to women with reproductive mental health issues, and am passionate about working with women in all stages of the reproductive cycle – from teens to women experiencing menopause, and beyond. I have a background in education, and training and experience working with students who have special needs or developmental disabilities, such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Down Syndrome, learning disabilities, AD/HD or physical disabilities.
Kerry Anne loves travelling, music, spicy food, and spending time with family, friends and her dog.
Nishi Banipal, M.ED, RCC, CCC
Nishi Banipal
The transition of becoming a parent is seen, by our society, as a beautiful and joyous life experience. Some may consider it a blessing, but what if that’s not how you see it? What if the change in your life is causing more distress than joy? How do you cope with these thoughts and feelings?
Nishi Banipal, a psychiatric nurse and Mental Health Therapist with training in clinical counselling from the University of British Columbia, works with parents that are asking themselves these exact questions, and struggling to come up with the answers. She currently works at St Paul’s Hospital in the Reproductive Mental Health program, providing therapy to moms and couples, facing challenges such as:
- Anxiety/Panic/OCD
- Self esteem/body issues
- Parenting support and education
- Life transitions/Role changes including new fathers Stress Management
- Couples/Marital concerns
- Postpartum depression
Nishi has worked in many different areas in mental health including, inpatient psychiatry, community mental health (including facilitating groups), child/adolescent psychiatry and reproductive mental health, her experience in acute psychiatry has given her a good understanding of psychiatric medications, and therapies. Her practice is not limited to reproductive mental health, she provides therapy for a variety of concerns including, anxiety, depression, couples counseling, pre-marital counseling, and life transitions. In addition, Nishi is also experienced in group therapy and facilitating workshop style groups, she was responsible for developing and implementing a Self Care group at the reproductive mental health program at St Paul’s Hospital, and has also run Cognitive Behavioral Therapy groups (for depression and anxiety). Nishi runs her practice from the Guildford area in Surrey, BC.
Heather Awad, MCP, RCC (Telephone and Online)
Heather Awad is a Registered Clinical Counsellor holding a Master’s in Counselling Psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in BC.
Since 2008, she has lived and worked internationally with a counselling career spanning across the globe from Canada, Egypt, and the Netherlands. Her perspective and approach to therapy has been enriched by the wide range of clients and concerns she has worked with, including individuals, couples, families, refugees, immigrants, and LGBTQ+.
After working at the Reproductive Mental Health program at St.Paul’s Hospital supporting women and couples, and especially after becoming a mother of three young boys, she hopes to use all of her personal and professional experience in helping women navigate the wave of emotions resulting from pre- and post-partum depression / anxiety, and trauma.
She is also committed to helping couples learn new skills and tools to understand their own unhealthy cycles of unmet needs to ultimately find empathy and understanding in one another.
Connecting and being vulnerable with a counsellor, who is essentially a stranger is not easy. Heather’s role as your therapist is to help provide that safe space for you to feel heard without judgement. Heather's excited to walk alongside you in your journey of self-compassion. Join her in making your mental health a priority!
Feel free to reach out to Heather at 604-773-6152 or heatherawad@hotmail.com for a free 15-minute phone consultation to assess fit.
Treatment Modalities used:
Since 2008, she has lived and worked internationally with a counselling career spanning across the globe from Canada, Egypt, and the Netherlands. Her perspective and approach to therapy has been enriched by the wide range of clients and concerns she has worked with, including individuals, couples, families, refugees, immigrants, and LGBTQ+.
After working at the Reproductive Mental Health program at St.Paul’s Hospital supporting women and couples, and especially after becoming a mother of three young boys, she hopes to use all of her personal and professional experience in helping women navigate the wave of emotions resulting from pre- and post-partum depression / anxiety, and trauma.
She is also committed to helping couples learn new skills and tools to understand their own unhealthy cycles of unmet needs to ultimately find empathy and understanding in one another.
Connecting and being vulnerable with a counsellor, who is essentially a stranger is not easy. Heather’s role as your therapist is to help provide that safe space for you to feel heard without judgement. Heather's excited to walk alongside you in your journey of self-compassion. Join her in making your mental health a priority!
Feel free to reach out to Heather at 604-773-6152 or heatherawad@hotmail.com for a free 15-minute phone consultation to assess fit.
Treatment Modalities used:
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD (BEPP)
- Schema Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
