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Negotiating the complexities of life can feel overwhelming. Sometimes we find ourselves grappling with our sense of self, searching for meaning and purpose amidst the chaos. We may feel stuck in old patterns, yearning to heal and grow, or have a persistent sense that there is "something more" within ourselves to uncover. It's also common to feel on edge, carrying the burden of holding everything together, or lying awake at night with worry. 


Whether you are dealing with the weight of grief, the shadows of depression, the discomfort of anxiety, or the desire to explore how past experiences shape your present, it's okay to seek support. Allow me to acknowledge your courage in being here, taking the first step.

About Inge Kooijman

This work has become my life's passion, and what a privilege that is. I love working alongside people as they draw on their inner strengths, gain new skills, work through that which may lie unresolved within, and discover fresh perspectives during times of challenge and change. My deep and ongoing devotion to learning is also at the heart of how I approach this work: I hold a master's degree in counselling psychology, a bachelor's degree in social work and am continually taking courses to hone my skills and expand my knowledge base. Integrity to the profession is also important to me: I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (RCC #20491), a Registered Social Worker with the British Columbia College of Social Workers (RSW #11170), and have worked in the mental health field since 2013.  

My work is dedicated to helping guide people to explore the challenges of being human. In our therapeutic relationship, the space we create together is one in which it is safe to be seen and to express your true self. Therapy is a collaborative process where your reality is honoured and explored thoughtfully, at your pace. Together, we will embark on a journey that prioritizes your healing and growth, whatever that may look like for you. 

Committed to Your Counselling Experience

Compassionate

My approach is rooted in genuine empathy and connection, creating a warm, trauma-informed, compassionate space where individuals can feel seen, valued and truly heard.

Client-led

I believe in a non-judgemental, flexible, collaborative, client-led approach that helps empower individuals on their journey, enabling access to their authentic and reslilient selves.

Inclusive

I embrace diversity and offer inclusive, non-pathologizing, culturally safe support tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual, fostering acceptance and a climate of safety.

I hold a deep respect for the transformative power of the therapeutic relationship...

the foundation from which growth, change and healing are possible. 

Support Offerings

Depression can affect every part of daily life, leaving you feeling exhausted, disconnected, foggy, numb, or weighed down in ways that are hard to explain. When life feels heavy and overwhelming, and the seemingly simple tasks feel insurmountable, it may be a sign that something deeper needs some care and attention. Depression is not a sign of weakness, nor does it mean that you are flawed or broken. It's often caused by an array of factors that your mind and body are trying to make sense of. Our work together can help you gain an understanding about the possible roots of your experience (e.g., past trauma, early relationship patterns, chronic stress, and/or systemic injury) and how they continue to play out in your life.  Let's explore where healing might take place and support you in finding a new path forward to lift the burden.

Feeling on high-alert can be exhausting... the constant worry, the overthinking, the anticipation of difficult scenarios, the sleepless nights, the replayed conversations, and the feeling that you're never quite enough. It feels like too much.  Anxiety isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it looks like perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-doubt, or shying away from certain situations. Pushing through or avoiding triggers may help in the short term, but the feelings linger. Anxiety is your nervous system's alarm bell, trying to respond adaptively to current and past stressors, vying for your attention in an effort to communicate something important. Let's pay attention to your alarm signals, see if we can understand what’s driving your nervous system's response so you can nurture increased clarity, calm, and self-trust, helping you establish some peace amidst the uncertainty.

Trauma can stay in the body's nervous system long after the experience is over, showing up as anxiety, hypervigilance, shutdown, nightmares, or feeling constantly on edge. No matter how hard you try to push it all away, it keeps resurfacing. You are not broken. Your nervous system is doing what it is designed to do: keep you safe. Even when you know you’re safe, deep down your nervous system may still be stuck in survival mode. These symptoms present in response to overwhelming experiences that occurred in the past, in a sometimes misguided effort to protect you from the present. Our goal in working together is first to help you reconnect with safety, then gently process what’s been carried for too long so that you can start moving forward towards healing. We do this at your pace. 

The process of grief doesn't follow a straight line. It can feel unpredictable; waves of sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, or even moments of laughter can catch you by surprise. And loss through traumatic means can add a whole added layer of complexity to your grief journey. There's no right or wrong way to grieve, and it's not something you just "get over". Grief is a profoundly normal and human response to the loss of someone or something that mattered dearly to you. My role is to offer compassionate support for your personal grieving process, helping you honor your loss, create space for your grief, and make meaning of your experience to help you move forward in the way that feels right for you.

The process of grief doesn't follow a straight line. It can feel unpredictable; waves of sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, or even moments of laughter can catch you by surprise. And loss through traumatic means can add a whole added layer of complexity to your grief journey. There's no right or wrong way to grieve, and it's not something you just "get over". Grief is a profoundly normal and human response to the loss of someone or something that mattered dearly to you. My role is to offer compassionate support for your personal grieving process, helping you honor your loss, create space for your grief, and make meaning of your experience to help you move forward in the way that feels right for you.

Caregiving for another person can take a quiet but heavy toll emotionally, physically, and mentally. It’s not just the constant responsibility, but the isolation, exhaustion, guilt, and pressure of always needing to hold everything together. You may feel overwhelmed and burnt out, or like your own needs have slowly disappeared in the process of caring for someone else. You may feel that no matter how hard you try, it never feels like you're doing enough. You may feel angry or resentful, and that's okay too. You may be grieving for the person that was, while caring for the person that still is. In our time together, you can find a space where you don’t have to carry it all alone. Together, we make room for the stress, grief, anger, and uncertainty that often come with caregiving, while helping you reconnect with yourself along the way.

Caregiving for another person can take a quiet but heavy toll emotionally, physically, and mentally. It’s not just the constant responsibility, but the isolation, exhaustion, guilt, and pressure of always needing to hold everything together. You may feel overwhelmed and burnt out, or like your own needs have slowly disappeared in the process of caring for someone else. You may feel that no matter how hard you try, it never feels like you're doing enough. You may feel angry or resentful, and that's okay too. You may be grieving for the person that was, while caring for the person that still is. In our time together, you can find a space where you don’t have to carry it all alone. Together, we make room for the stress, grief, anger, and uncertainty that often come with caregiving, while helping you reconnect with yourself along the way.

Yes, stress is a normal part of life, but chronic stress is extraordinarily taxing. Too much stress (be it fueled by the work-place, related to relationships, or imposed upon you by the state of the world in which you live) can leave you feeling constantly overwhelmed, strained, irritable, and stuck in survival mode. You may feel like you're falling apart, or trapped under your circumstances. You may be feeling physically tense and emotionally burnt out. This is not a personal failure on your part or something you should just "push through" by simply using better skills. Your mind and body are responding to ongoing demands, pressure, and emotional strain. Supporting you through this means helping you slow down, understand what's underneath the stress, and building healthier, more sustainable ways of coping moving forward.


Yes, stress is a normal part of life, but chronic stress is extraordinarily taxing. Too much stress (be it fueled by the work-place, related to relationships, or imposed upon you by the state of the world in which you live) can leave you feeling constantly overwhelmed, strained, irritable, and stuck in survival mode. You may feel like you're falling apart, or trapped under your circumstances. You may be feeling physically tense and emotionally burnt out. This is not a personal failure on your part or something you should just "push through" by simply using better skills. Your mind and body are responding to ongoing demands, pressure, and emotional strain. Supporting you through this means helping you slow down, understand what's underneath the stress, and building healthier, more sustainable ways of coping moving forward.

Low self-esteem can affect the way you move through every part of life. Perhaps you're constantly second-guessing yourself, comparing yourself to others, replaying conversations in your head, or feeling responsible for keeping everyone else happy. Underneath, it is often a quiet belief that you’re somehow not enough, no matter how hard you try. Self-worth struggles aren't markers of permanent character flaws or an indication that you are a failure. Working together, we can seek to understand the struggle as involving recognizable patterns often shaped by early relationships, criticism, or experiences where your needs and voice weren’t fully supported. Let us explore those patterns, reconnect with your sense of worth, and build a more secure relationship with yourself.


Life transitions can be deeply unsettling, whether they come unexpectedly or by choice. Even positive change can shift the ground beneath our feet in surprising ways. Changes like a career shift, entering or leaving a new relationship, a move, a new diagnosis, or starting over in some other way can bring a mix of emotions including grief, uncertainty, excitement, relief, and fear. Sometimes the shift creates a loss of identity or stability. Clearly, major life changes affect more than just your circumstances. They can shift how you see yourself, your relationships, and your sense of direction. Perhaps I can offer a little support through this transition. As we navigate change, we'll see if we can make some sense of your experience, process what’s being left behind, and move through the change with greater clarity and self-understanding.


Life transitions can be deeply unsettling, whether they come unexpectedly or by choice. Even positive change can shift the ground beneath our feet in surprising ways. Changes like a career shift, entering or leaving a new relationship, a move, a new diagnosis, or starting over in some other way can bring a mix of emotions including grief, uncertainty, excitement, relief, and fear. Sometimes the shift creates a loss of identity or stability. Clearly, major life changes affect more than just your circumstances. They can shift how you see yourself, your relationships, and your sense of direction. Perhaps I can offer a little support through this transition. As we navigate change, we'll see if we can make some sense of your experience, process what’s being left behind, and move through the change with greater clarity and self-understanding.

 Aging can bring about profound change. Retirement, loneliness, health concerns, and the many forms of loss can give rise to a sense of uncertainty about your identity, your purpose, and about what lies ahead. You may be facing this time of life unexpectedly alone, or those around you may not fully understand the difficulties and the existential questions that are coming up for you. You may not recognize who you have become and your usual ways of coping may no longer be available to you. These experiences are important and meaningful parts of life that deserve compassionate care, reflection, and understanding.  This is an invitation to explore deeply, gently, and patiently so that you may (re)discover and (re)connect with what feels meaningful to you in this chapter of life.

Therapeutic Approach

My approach integrates a range of evidence-based counselling modalities to provide personalized, adaptable, and person-centred care.  


I frequently draw on the following: 

  • acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) 
  • cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) 
  • narrative therapy
  • existential therapy
  • solution-focused therapy 
  • somatic approaches informed by neurobiology 
  • I am also undergoing continued training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR)

Ready to Start Your Journey?

Your path to healing begins here.

Frequently Asked Questions

To book, change, or cancel an appointment, please reach out by email to inge@corneliacounselling.ca or phone 250-260-8792. 


You can also easily book, manage, and cancel appointments online with flexibility and convenience here: https://book.carepatron.com/Cornelia-Counselling/Inge?p=yIOBXSYtS0Sod12pEOTkxw&s=3XZV7I9o 

If you are unable to find a time-slot that suits your needs, please reach out by email/phone/text; I may be able to accommodate a time that does not appear on the online scheduling platform.


Please give a minimum of 24 hours notice if you must cancel or reschedule to avoid a cancellation fee. Extenuating circumstances will be considered.

No, you do not require a formal referral to access my services. You can book an appointment directly at any time. However, if you plan to use extended health benefits, it's a good idea to check with your insurance provider first, as some plans may require a doctor's referral or specific counsellor credentials for reimbursement (generally, Registered Clinical Counsellors and/or Registered Social Workers are covered by most insurance plans). Feel free to reach out with any questions; I'm happy to help if I can.

In the first few sessions, the focus will be on getting to know you, understanding your story, establishing a space of safety and trust, and exploring what you hope to get from our time together. This is also a time for us to determine if our relationship is a good fit for you. You can share as much or as little as you want. There's no pressure or rush to share all the details. And we don't have to find all the answers right away (nor can we expect to). 


As therapy progresses, we will begin working collaboratively toward your goals, following your lead. Depending on your needs and the approach that we take, this may involve exploring patterns that affect your well-being, building insight, learning new skills, and/or processing emotional content. We'll be moving at your pace and checking in regularly to determine how counselling is working for you and adapt to your priorities as needed.

It depends... How regularly we meet is determined by you and your needs. This may be influenced by the challenges you are dealing with and their acuity, your goals, and our mutual availability. Generally, I recommend weekly or biweekly appointments, at least initially, to help us to develop a foundation of trust, maintain momentum, and support you in creating meaningful change. In time, many people choose to arrange for monthly "check-in" visits, or schedule "as needed" appointments.


How long we meet for each session is also flexible... While individual appointments are typically 50-minutes long, 80-minute appointments are also an option, if you find that more helpful, and if scheduling and funding allow.


As for the total number of therapy sessions over time, this also depends on several factors. Some people find short-term therapy helpful (a few weeks/months) to increase clarity about a specific situation, build coping skills, or get support during a difficult period. Others may benefit from longer-term support (months/years) when they're addressing deeper patterns, long-standing difficulties, or more complex experiences. We'll review as we go... In short, therapy lasts as long as it is useful and supportive for you.

Confidentiality is indeed a cornerstone in counselling to ensure we are working from a place of trust and safety. The therapeutic space must be one in which you feel completely comfortable to speak openly about your personal experiences, challenges, and relationships without fear of judgement or consequence. The rule is: what you share in session, stays in session (unless you choose to share). That said, I do have to work within legal and professional boundaries, the details of which will be clearly reviewed with you prior to and during your first counselling session so you'll know exactly what to expect before we get started. 

 I offer counselling at my office in Vernon and, for those who prefer to connect from the comfort of home, virtually. Virtual services are available throughout British Columbia and other provinces in Canada, if their provincial regulations allow. Telephone counselling is also an option, if preferred, but may not be covered by some funding sources. Under special circumstances, home visits can also be provided, after an initial phone consultation.

A good therapeutic fit is one of the most important parts of counselling. Ask yourself: do I feel comfortable being open and honest with this person? Do I feel heard, understood, and supported? Do I feel confident in their ability to help with my concerns? It can take a few sessions to get a good sense of the connection, and whether it feels right, but if it doesn't feel like a good match, it's completely okay to explore other options. It's much more important you find someone you connect well with than continue with someone who isn't working for you. I would be more than happy to help you find that right person if that person isn't me. Please, if it doesn't feel right, tell me. 

 I work exclusively with individual adults of all ages through a wide range of concerns and life experiences but I do not offer couples, family, or child counselling at this time. If you’re looking for couples, family, or child therapy, I’d be happy to help point you toward appropriate resources or referrals.

Session fees are set at $155 per 50-minute-hour for individual sessions, in accordance with the BCACC rate schedule. Fees are due at the end of each session. For extended sessions, rates will increase proportionally to the time allotted (e.g., 80-minute sessions are set at $230). An additional travel fee will be added to the cost of home visits, and will vary depending on distance travelled. 


I am able to direct bill to extended health insurers, including Pacific Blue Cross, Greenshield, and insurers enrolled with Telus eClaims. Please confirm with your insurance provider to ensure that Registered Clinical Counsellors and/or Registered Social Workers are covered in your plan, how much coverage you are eligible for, and if they accommodate extended sessions, should you wish to utilize this option.


As a member of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s (ICBC) Recovery Network, I can direct bill to ICBC.

More information about their program can be found here: https://icbc.com/claims/injury/accessing-treatment-during-your-first-12-weeks-of-recovery


I am also a registered provider with the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP), which allows for direct billing. 

More information about CVAP can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime/victim-of-crime/financial-assistance-benefits 


For those without funding support, I understand that accessing private practice counselling can be a financial investment and invite you to discuss this with me in session, if needed. I hope you feel the return on your investment is worthwhile for you.

My name is Inge, but you may wonder why I have chosen Cornelia Counselling as the name for my practice. Aside from the aesthetically pleasing musicality of the name, Cornelia’s Roman roots are representative of strong, wise, forward thinking women of virtue who value the ongoing quest for knowledge, learning, and growth. The name is also deeply meaningful to me. Cornelia (and the masculine Cornelius) is a common name from my Dutch heritage. It is also a name shared by dear-but-departed relatives, and in using the name to represent the meaningful work I do with my clients, I wish to honour them in some small way for helping guide me on this path. Expressing my gratitude to those ancestors, I am humbled to carry the name forward into my life’s work. 

While I endeavour to support you in your journey, my private practice is not equipped for crisis intervention. If you are in acute distress and require immediate support, please contact one of the following:  

-call 911 or attend your nearest emergency department

-Southern Interior Crisis Line: 1-888-353-2273 

-Canada Wide Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988

-KUU-US First Nations Crisis Line: 1-800-588-8717

-Seniors' Distress Line: 604-872-1234 (BC wide)

Testimonials

A weight off my shoulders...

"I have grown in confidence, little by little... my family is happier and more comfortable with me and being around me... thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and support" 

More in control...

"I feel that you and I have accomplished and covered a great deal of deep rooted issues with effective discussions and very positive results... I truly feel better, more in control of my overall emotions and approach to handling future issues should they arise related to my past trauma and grief"

I am heading on the right path...

"I wish to thank you so very, very much for your time, efforts, and dedication to seeing that I am heading on the right path, to a place of peace and calm in my heart"

Get In Touch

At Cornelia Counselling, I'm here to support you. Reach out for any inquiries, to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation, or to book an appointment. In-person and online sessions are offered to suit your needs. 

Address

3334 30th Avenue Unit B5,

- Vernon

Call or text

250-260-8792

I acknowledge with gratitude that my counselling practice is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan People. I recognize the importance of connection, care, healing, and community and I honour the Syilx Okanagan People who are still with us today, as well as those who have gone before us, and all who have lived and cared for these lands and waters for generations.