Play. Connect. Flourish.
Charlotte King-Harris Counselling Ltd.
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Children
• Trauma
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Life Transitions
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
And More
Teens
• Substance Use/Addiction
• Anxiety
• Gender and Sexuality
• Suicidal Thoughts and/or Self-Harm
• Borderline Personality Disorder
And More
Family and Parent Support
• Family Therapy
• Parent and Child Play Therapy
• Psychoeducation
• Parent Support Sessions
And More
Individuals
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma
• Eating Disorders
• Gender and Sexuality
And More
Who We Are
The decision to seek counselling is not always an easy one. Like many others who visit this site you may be experiencing confusion, frustration, hopelessness, fear, shame, or perhaps a desire to gain a deeper awareness and understanding of your relationships with self and other. At Vancouver Island Child, Youth & Family Counselling Services we specialize in helping children, teens and families find their best selves. With an incredibly diverse team of therapists, each with their own unique areas of specialization related to child and youth mental wellness, we will work with you and your family to create a supportive and empowering space for self-discovery. We offer a variety of counselling services including, play therapy, art therapy and parent support both in person and online via our secure telehealth platform. We are also proud to work with a number of third party funders including the Autism Funding Unit, Crime Victim Assistance Program, MCFD, and First Nations Health Authority. Contact us to speak with our intake coordinator and take the next step in your journey towards healing, or learn more about each of our therapists and the services they offer by clicking the button below.
Our Therapists
Charlotte King-Harris
M.A., R.C.C.-A.C.S., R.S.W., R.P.T., B.C.R.P.T.-S, C.T.T.S.
Virtual Counselling
Hello and welcome! I am the founder and director of VICYFCS, a mother of two teenagers, and a proudly queer therapist. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist and Play Therapist Supervisor, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, BCACC Approved Clinical Supervisor, and Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist, I am committed to providing compassionate, expert care. Currently, I offer virtual support to parents, trauma therapy for youth and adults, and clinical supervision for professionals, particularly those focusing on play therapy or its supervision.
I believe that the relationship between caregivers and their children is at the heart of a child’s well-being, and I am passionate about empowering parents to foster strong, secure attachments.
Using a blend of neuropsychology, mindfulness, attachment theory, polyvagal theory, and trauma-informed practices, I help parents develop the skills to regulate their own emotions and responses. This not only supports their personal growth but also creates a nurturing environment where their children can thrive. My goal is to help parents tap into their strengths, build resilience, and create lasting, positive connections with their children.
I am excited to lead an amazing team of compassionate, highly trained therapists who share this commitment to supporting families. We are here to walk alongside you on this journey and look forward to supporting you!”
Pronouns: She/Her
Charlotte King-Harris
M.A., R.C.C., R.S.W., R.P.T., B.C.R.P.T.-S, C.T.T.S.
Oak Bay
Hello and welcome! I am the clinic owner and work out of our Oak Bay location. In addition to being a registered clinical counsellor I am also a registered social worker, registered play therapist and play therapist supervisor, and certified trauma treatment specialist. I enjoy working with people of all ages but have specialized training to work with children ages 2-19 and their parents as well as a passion for working with LGBTQ2S+ folx. I use a combination of expressive arts therapies and mindfulness-based therapies to help clients navigate the challenges they are facing. I am registered with both the Crime Victim Assistance Program and the First Nations Health Authority. Pronouns: She/Her
Westshore Therapists
Emma Chalifour
Registered Clinical Counsellor
BC Registered Play Therapist
Children, Teens, Adults, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support, Play Therapy
Pronouns: She/Her
Allison (Stickney) Thomson
Registered Clinical Counsellor
BC Registered Play Therapist
Children, Teens, Adults, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support, Play Therapy
Pronouns: She/Her
Kendra Stone
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Children (10+), Teens, Adults, Family/Couples, Parent/Caregiver Support
Pronouns: She/Her
Inka Hart
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Infants, Children, Adults, Parent/Caregiver Support, EMDR
Pronouns: She/Her
Danny Buchanan
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Children, Teens, Adult, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support
Pronouns: He/Him
Carmelle Hermoso
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Children, Teens, Young Adults, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support, Play Therapy
Pronouns: She/Her
Kimberly Ajele
Registered Social Worker
Children (10+), Teens, Adults, Family/Couples, Parent/Caregiver Support
Pronouns: She/Her
Sarah Doyle
Registered Social Worker
Youth (Ages 12+ only), Adults, Family, Parent/Caregiver
Pronouns: She/Her
Alexandra Peters
Registered Social Worker
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Children, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support
Pronouns: She/Her
Oak Bay Therapists
Allison (Stickney) Thomson
Registered Clinical Counsellor
BC Registered Play Therapist
Children, Teens, Adults, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support, Play Therapy
Pronouns: She/Her
Amy Morrissey
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Children, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support
Pronouns: She/Her
Chelsey Thorpe
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Registered Art Therapist
Children, Teens, Family, Parent/Caregiver Support, Art Therapy
Pronouns: She/Her
Online Therapists
Our Counselling Space
Come in and visit us for a free 20 minute consult
Oak Bay Office
Located in the Jubilee Professional Building on Oak Bay Ave, this wheelchair accessible office has its own private waiting room, a play therapy room, a warm and inviting consult room for older kids and adults and private outdoor deck space. There are bathrooms on site and paid parking is available as well as free street parking in the neighbourhood. This office also offers secure, complimentary wifi access. Click here to see more photos.
Westshore Office
Centrally located opposite the Royal Colwood Golf Club on Goldstream Ave, our beautiful Westshore office is equipped for play therapy, art therapy, group and family therapy as well as movement-based therapies such as trauma-informed yoga, and offers secure, complimentary wifi access. This office is wheelchair accessible and has free visitor parking as well as free street parking throughout the neighbourhood. Click here to see more photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is play therapy?
Is my child too old for play therapy?
What are the various letters behind each counsellor’s name and what do they mean?
The term ‘counsellor’ is not a protected profession in the province of B.C. This means that anyone can call themselves a counsellor and work in private practice. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure that the counsellor they choose has the proper training and registrations to ensure a safe and ethical counselling process. Furthermore, figuring out what kind of counsellor you need or what may be covered by your extended health plan can be confusing! Here is a breakdown of the most important abbreviations:
M.A./M.Ed. - this means the counsellor has completed a master’s level degree such as a master of arts or a master of education in counselling psychology. A master’s degree is required for registration with most counselling associations.
R.C.C. - Registered Clinical Counsellor. This designation is provided by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). A person with this designation has completed a master’s level university program in a counselling-related field along with at least 2000 hours of supervised clinical experience with a university-appointed supervisor. This designation requires that the therapist adhere to a specific code of ethics and disciplinary action can be taken against the therapist in the event of an ethical violation. Some extended health plans provide coverage for registered clinical counsellors. To learn more about this designation click here: https://bc-counsellors.org/
C.C.C. - Certified Clinical Counsellor. This designation is provided by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. The requirements for this designation are similar those set out by the BCACC but it is Canada-wide rather than province-specific. To learn more about this designation click here: https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/
R.S.W./R.C.S.W. - Registered Social Worker or Registered Clinical Social Worker. These designations are provided by the British Columbia College of Social Workers. The Registered Social Worker designation requires a Bachelor of Social Work degree, or equivalent, as well as successful completion of the board exam. The Registered Clinical Social Worker designation requires a Master of Social Work degree along with 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience and successful completion of the clinical board exam. Both RSWs and RCSWs must adhere to a strict code of ethics, proof of continued education each year, and are permitted to work in private practice however Registered Clinical Social Workers are also permitted to assess and diagnose mental health disorders. These are protected professions in BC which means that you may not call yourself a registered social worker unless you are a member of the college. In addition, a college is legally responsible for the conduct of its members (unlike an association which focuses more on promoting the profession and advocating for its members). For this reason, many extended health plans provide more coverage for registered social workers than they would for a registered clinical counsellor. To learn more about this designation click here: http://www.bccollegeofsocialworkers.ca/
R.Psyc - Registered Psychologist. This designation is given by the British Columbia College of Psychologists and requires completion of an accredited doctoral program (PhD or PsyD), a clinical internship, several years of supervised clinical experience and successful completion of both a written and oral exam. Alternatively, if you are a registered psychologist with a college in another Canadian province, you can apply to have your designation transferred to B.C. as long as you pass the board exams (each province has their own educational requirements for joining their college of psychologists). Registered psychologists must adhere to a strict code of ethics and are subject to disciplinary action by the college should that code be violated. It is a protected profession which means that you may not call yourself a registered psychologist unless you are a member of the college. Most extended health plans provide coverage for Registered Psychologists however their fees tend to be higher due to the requirement of more education and training. Psychologists are permitted to assess and diagnose mental health disorders. To learn more about this designation, click here: https://collegeofpsychologists.bc.ca/
I’ve seen other letters after a counsellor’s name that aren’t listed here. What do they mean?
Oftentimes, after receiving their initial registrations, counsellors/psychotherapists will go on to specialize in certain areas. There are many associations across the world that offer certification in specific counselling modalities, each of which have their own set of requirements. Some of the more popular ones are:
R.P.T./C.P.T./B.C.R.P.T. - Registered Play Therapist designations from several different governing bodies (R.P.T. = Association for Play Therapy, C.P.T. = Canadian Association for Play Therapy, B.C.R.P.T. = BC Assocation for Play Therapy). If you see an ‘S’ after any of these it means the counsellor has also obtained the ‘supervisor’ designation and is permitted to help train individual counsellors working towards their own registration. Obtaining this registration means having participated in at least 150 hours of play therapy specific training along with 500 hours of experience and 35+ hours of clinical supervision. Continuing education is also required to ensure practitioners remain up to date in their training. For more information visit Association for Play Therapy (https://www.a4pt.org/), BC Association for Play Therapy (https://www.bcplaytherapy.ca/) or Canadian Association for Play Therapy (https://cacpt.com/)
C.T.T.S. - Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist. This designation is offered by the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists and requires a minimum of 200 hours of trauma-specific training in several different competency areas, along with supervised clinical experience and references. This designation also requires continuing education to ensure practitioners remain up to date in their training. For more information on this designation click here: https://www.atss.info/
R.M.F.T. - Registered Marriage and Family Therapist. This designation is offered by the British Columbia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. For more information on this designation click here: http://www.bcamft.bc.ca/
Do you offer direct billing to extended health companies?
What’s the difference between your two locations?
How do I know which type of counsellor to choose?
Contact Us
VICYFCS
Office: 250-986-7359
Fax: 778-698-2393
Oak Bay Office
303A-1830 Oak Bay Ave
Victoria, B.C.
Westshore Office
115-494 Goldstream Ave
Langford, B.C.
Contact Charlotte
250-986-7359
charlotte@vicyfcs.com
Contact Patrycja
604-716-5784
patrycja@vicyfcs.com
Contact Chelsey
250-986-9972
chelsey@vicyfcs.com
Contact Harmony
250-857-8160
harmony@vicyfcs.com
Contact Michelle
250-884-3884
michelle@vicyfcs.com
Contact Danny
250-589-9628
danny@vicyfcs.com
Contact Carmelle
250-896-0961
carmelle@vicyfcs.com
Contact Emma
emma@vicyfcs.com
Contact Inka
inka@vicyfcs.com
Contact Allison
250-893-3149
allison@vicyfcs.com
Contact Kyle
250-891-7429
kyle@vicyfcs.com
Contact Sarah
778-557-9525
sarah@vicyfcs.com
Contact Kendra
kendra@vicyfcs.com
Contact Sarah D
236-882-0416
sarahd@vicyfcs.com
Contact Emma L
emmaj@vicyfcs.com
Contact justin
250-216-0446
justin@vicyfcs.com
Contact Amy
250-589-2500
amy@vicyfcs.com
Contact Kimberly
604-671-3904
kimberly@vicyfcs.com
Contact STEPHANIE
stephanie@vicyfcs.com
Contact Alexandra
604-928-9525
alexandra@vicyfcs.com