A Note From Helene San Pedro, Clinical Therapist
When stress, grief, or past experiences start showing up in your body, it’s time for care that heals the whole you.
If you’re feeling stuck in cycles of anxiety, burnout, or emotional overwhelm — even after trying different approaches, supplements, or lifestyle changes — you’re not alone. Many of my clients come to me after realizing that true healing means addressing both the mind, the heart and the body.
I offer trauma, addiction, and grief and loss counselling in Penticton and across British Columbia for individuals navigating:
– Trauma & PTSD (including complex trauma)
– Anxiety, depression, panic, and chronic stress
– Burnout & compassion fatigue
– Grief, loss, and life transitions
– Stress‑related physical symptoms (tension, sleep issues, digestive discomfort)
We will look at your physiology and brain chemistry. This may involve some testing to tease out whether you may have trouble making or metabolising neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. We may also look at genetic polymorphisms, hormones, and possible toxic exposures that can manifest in the mood and brain. We then seek to identify and address the nutrient building blocks required for neurotransmitter synthesis.
Trauma‑Informed Counselling — gentle, paced work that prioritizes safety and trust
Strengths‑Based & Narrative Therapy — reframing your story to highlight resilience and possibility
Holistic Integration — weaving in nature‑based practices, movement, and lifestyle awareness
Mindfulness & Self‑Compassion Practices — tools to calm the mind and reconnect with the present
Somatic & Mind–Body Techniques — helping you regulate your nervous system and release stored stress
Our approach is via mind/body sessions in the office where we use the simple process of breathing to calm the mind, shift you from fight/flight/freeze (sympathetic state) to your rest/digest/heal (parasympathetic state).
When in the parasympathetic state we may explore or discuss the triggers and experiences that habitually pull you back to the fight/flight/freeze states of sadness, anxiety, paralysis, etc. Just as no two people are exactly the same. Some respond well to the physiologic approach, others to the mind body, and still others both.
Root‑Cause Healing — not just symptom management, but addressing the patterns beneath them
Heart-Centered, Whole-Person Care — your emotional, physical, and spiritual well‑being are all part of the process
Local & Accessible — in‑person sessions in Penticton and secure online counselling across BC
If you’re ready to move from surviving to truly living, click on the book a consultation button below.
In‑person at Spokes Clinic in Penticton, or online anywhere in British Columbia.
