Ocean Johnston
Counselling
Registered Clinical Counsellor
and EMDR Therapist
Attachment-focused therapy for individuals navigating complex and relational trauma
Meet Your Therapist
Ocean is a queer white-settler woman born and raised on W̱SÁNEĆ territory. She currently resides on the lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Ocean is passionate about providing accessible, trauma-informed therapy. They utilize EMDR and attachment-based therapies to support healing from relational trauma. Ocean will work to connect you to your values, needs, and desires in relationship with others and your relationship with yourself.
As well as being a therapist, Ocean is also an eldest daughter, a serial crafter, a song writer, a cat lover, and a proud auntie.
What you can expect:
Values
In this work Ocean describes their "true north" on their compass to be a compassionate curiosity. You can expect her to be a committed passenger as she helps you navigate your journey of challenges and triumphs.
Ocean hopes to provide a loving space to be challenged, and a real relationship in which to heal.
In session, you can expect a genuine warmth, humility, humour, and a shared humanity.
Approaches
Ocean has developed their eclectic therapeutic style, pulling inspiration from attachment-focused therapy, narrative therapy, existential therapy, internal family systems therapy (IFS), and eye-movement desensitization reprocessing therapy (EMDR).
Their understanding of trauma integrates the somatic, inter-generational, and cognitive processes that form our sense of self, and our core beliefs about ourself, other's and the world.
They believe that despite finding one's self in challenging cycles (behaviourally, relationally, emotionally) you ultimately make sense. Ocean hopes to help you better understand yourself and relate to yourself and your experiences through a felt sense of compassion and acceptance.
Areas of interest and expertise
Ocean's previous work experience in non-profits supporting youth ages 15-25 has provided her opportunities to develop their therapeutic lens toward empowerment and meaning-making while acknowledging the complexities of marginalization, power and privilege, and common humanity.
Presenting Concerns Ocean is eager to support you with:
Navigating attachment concerns and relational trauma
Explorations of Sexuality and Gender
Experiences of shame, self-criticism, and resentment
Deconstruction of religion and other spiritual concerns
Navigating ongoing impacts of colonization, racism, and xenophobia
Those who have experienced gender-based and sexual violence
Those navigating substance use and addiction
Those expereincing grief, loss, and life transitions
Additional Professional Trainings
EMDR Trainings
●EMDRIA approved EMDR Basic Training: Fall 2024
●DeTUR: Urge Reduction Protocol for Addictions and Dysfunctional Behaviours -The Accelerated Adaptive Information Processing Model: Winter2025
●EMDR Canada conference: Spring 2025
●Beyond the Basics: Advanced EMDR Interventions for CPTSD: Spring 2026
Other In-Person Trainings and Workshops
●Making Sense of Hypersensitivity: The Neufeld Institution
●Foundations of 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusivity: Qmunity
●Indigenous Populations and Mental Health: Charity Flemming
●Ethics training: Working with the Boundaries of Mental Health Practice:consent, reporting, and documenting: Glenn Grigg
Mental Health Academy completed courses
●Substance abuse summit
●Creating Sustaining Counselling Conversations in the Face of Grief
●5 Ways to Decolonize your Mental Health Practice
●Introduction to Motivational Interviewing: Resolving Ambivalence andChanging Behavior
●The Link Between Anxiety and Alcohol Use: Implications for Treatment andEarly Intervention
●Counseling Trauma Affected Clients with Diverse Abilities
●Drawing upon the Body's Intelligence: An Introduction to SensorimotorPsychotherapy
●Autism and Depression
●Ambiguous Loss: Advanced Skills Training
●Narrative Therapy in the face of Grief
●Diagnosing Bipolar Disorders
●EMDR: A Primer for Clinicians
●Risk Assessments and Safety Plans
●Anti-Ableism and Accessibility: Thinking Outside the Box
●Eating Disorders in Women of Color