About Vanya, MA RCC, RCAT

Vanya Hanson, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Art Therapist

Vanya (she/her) has worked in a counselling and art therapy capacity with families, children, and people from all walks of life for more than ten years. Her current practice focuses on the well-being of women, parents, caregivers and couples. A creative and collaborative approach has been invaluable in her work with those facing the challenges that may accompany motherhood, parenting, marriage, grief and loss, trauma, and the negotiation of new life stages.

Seeking to provide a safe, peaceful and accepting therapeutic space, Vanya supports her clients as they deepen their understanding of themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. She adapts a warm, strength-based, and trauma-informed approach to each client’s needs. Her practice is integrative and draws from attachment-based, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, and somatic practices, to address the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of a person or couple’s lived experience.  

Vanya also integrates art therapy into her counselling practice when appropriate. In art therapy the client and therapist work collaboratively with images, process, and product as they lead toward personal growth and a realization of therapeutic goals. Vanya grew up in an environment immersed in the arts and witnessed the ways that art has the universal potential to teach, communicate, heal, and change lives.

Working extensively in cross-cultural contexts, Vanya often utilized interventions that addressed trauma, collective healing, personal agency, and self-esteem building. She has worked widely across Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia, as well as in urban, rural, and Northern locales. She also has experience working in clinical, educational, legal, and community arts-based settings. Before establishing herself in Victoria, BC, she worked in private practice in Saskatchewan, often assisting women and families through situations involving sexual abuse, violence, and trauma.

Populations: Adults (18+), Couples, Families, Neurodiverse Individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+, New Mothers, and Women. Counselling offered in English and French.

Specializations: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Addictions, Attachment Issues, Trauma, Eating Disorders, Grief, and Parenting Guidance.

Educational Background: Vanya Hanson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and a Registered Canadian Art Therapist (R-CAT). She received her Masters-level training from Concordia University in 2015 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan. She has training in addictions, S.A.F.E. EMDR, concurrent disorders and mindfulness, and PREP Couples Training.

Beyond the Work: Vanya enjoys music, swimming, reading, and yoga, and spending time in nature with family and friends. She has a passion for flowers and plants.

Vanya Hanson Registered Clinical Counsellor & Registered Art Therapist at NeurAlive Counselling & Neurofeedback available for counselling couples and families in-person Victoria B.C. and online.