Childhood is a very influential time of our lives, and events that happen, whether intentional or not, can have a lasting impact on a child’s life and development. I believe in working with children in their developmental stage and take on a holistic approach to counselling, where I integrate numerous aspects in and around their lives to guide therapy. I believe the client is the expert in their lives, and we can utilise resources like family, school and extra-curricular activities to gain more information about the way behaviours are displayed.

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My name is Renette (pronounced René (she/ her) I have a bachelor’s degree in education and completed my master’s in counselling psychology at the University of Yorkville. I am a registered clinical counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

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After working as a primary school teacher for a few years, I was promoted to Assistant Principal where I mainly worked with Behaviour Management in the classroom and believe this has been extremely valuable in providing me with useful information to learn and understand childhood behaviours. As an immigrant from South Africa, I have experienced cultural integration firsthand and understand the challenges that might arise. especially when we feel removed from our comfort zone and faced with unfamiliar circumstances. In many ways I believe this is how children feel, and understanding the way they communicate this to us can help us understand their behavior.

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My goal is to empower children to feel competent in their own lives and draw from a wide range of evidence-based approaches to support this. I am a mother of two young children and apply the knowledge I have gained through experience and graduate studies in my own home daily. I believe authenticity in therapy is crucial and the therapeutic relationship should be one that portrays this authenticity. Renette Cilliers works with our youngest clients under the age of 10 years old and is part of our specialized early childhood mental health team.