LS Counselling Services

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LS Counselling Services Registered Clinical Counsellor providing virtual counselling across BC.

I support clients struggling to conceive, undergoing fertility treatment, dealing with challenging emotions during pregnancy, and suffering from postpartum depression or anxiety.

Fertility struggles and pregnancy loss are stressful and overwhelming. They can leave a person feeling ashamed, no longe...
12/02/2025

Fertility struggles and pregnancy loss are stressful and overwhelming. They can leave a person feeling ashamed, no longer recognizing themselves, confused, and extremely lonely.
To combat the isolation and bring our community together, LS Counselling and offer a monthly Fertility Support Group. Our next one takes place next week!

Date: Wednesday February 19th
Time: 6-7:30pm
Virtual over Zoom
Cost: $50 (may be reimbursed by your insurance provider)

Spaces are limited. Please reach out with any questions or see link in bio to register.

February is Black History Month - an opportunity to honour and amplify the voices of the Black community and also to shi...
12/02/2025

February is Black History Month - an opportunity to honour and amplify the voices of the Black community and also to shine a light on the ongoing racial disparities that exist for those struggling with infertility and perinatal mental health.

The hard truths are:
❗️Black women experience infertility at higher rates than white women, yet they are less likely to seek or receive fertility treatments such as IVF.
❗️Black women are less likely to be referred for fertility treatments even when they meet medical criteria.
❗️Black women are more likely to have conditions that impact fertility such as PCOS and uterine fibroids but are often diagnosed later.
❗️Women of color are up to twice as likely to experience miscarriage.
❗️Pregnancy-related deaths are two to three times more common for women of color.
❗️Black women are twice as likely to experience postpartum depression compared to white women.
❗️Black women also face higher rates of postpartum PTSD, often linked to birth trauma, medical racism, and discrimination during childbirth

Although these stats can be tough to digest, it’s so important we talk about this so there can be advancements in research and policy. It doesn’t need to be this way. Racial disparities in infertility and perinatal mental health are not just medical problems—they’re systemic injustices. Talking about them is the first step in breaking down barriers, demanding change, and ensuring all women get the care they deserve.

The end of the year can be some of the darkest months for those struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. Come joi...
07/11/2024

The end of the year can be some of the darkest months for those struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. Come join other women who get it and learn tools to cope with the heavy feelings this time of year brings.

We have just a few spots left for November’s Fertility Support Group.

Wednesday November 13th
6-7:30pm
Virtual over Zoom

Booking link in bio.

💛💛💛

Many people don’t realize that Halloween can be one of the toughest days of the year for those experiencing infertility....
31/10/2024

Many people don’t realize that Halloween can be one of the toughest days of the year for those experiencing infertility. The day can feel like a constant reminder of what you desperately want but don’t have. Seeing little ones dressed up in their adorable costumes, watching the older kids so excited to be the character they idolize for the day, and seeing the parents frantically running home from work to take their kids trick or treating can feel soul crushing.

You may find yourself wondering if you’ll ever get to experience Halloween with your own little one and this feels heartbreaking. Please be gentle with yourself today and do whatever it is you need to do to take care of yourself. If it’s too much for your heart, give yourself permission to turn off your front porch lights. Let yourself enjoy some bite sized candy bars and feel the feelings. Watch a horror movie. Take a bath and tune out the world. Go to bed early. Tell someone how you’re feeling. You get to decide what you need today. And please know that you are not alone. Your feelings are so so valid and they matter.

Let this be a reminder to be kind today (and of course everyday). If your neighbor has their porch light off this evening and you find yourself thinking they’re being a Halloween Scrooge or the grocery store clerk seems to be in a foul mood, please remember that today may not be a day of fun, joy, and laughter for everyone.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month which honours all of the pregnancies that ended too soon and the ba...
04/10/2024

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month which honours all of the pregnancies that ended too soon and the babies who were born sleeping. The guilt and shame that can come along with pregnancy and infant loss are immense. When something unspeakable happens, it is normal to try to make sense of it and to find some sort of explanation for why the devastating thing happened. When there is no clear explanation for something bad happening, people tend to go inwards and often blame themselves for their loss.

The thing is, there are times that a loss is just random and unexplainable and this is a tough pillow to swallow.

If you can, try to remind yourself that:

* You going for a run didn’t cause the loss
* You having s*x didn’t cause the loss
* You eating a salad didn’t cause the loss
* You standing up for too long didn’t cause the loss
* You working too hard didn’t cause the loss
* You worrying or stressing didn’t cause the loss

The lists of ways that parents blame themselves go on and on. It is excruciatingly unfair that you’ve had to go through the loss of your baby. My hope is that you can give yourself the grace to grieve without attacking yourself in the process. If you are struggling after a miscarriage or losing a baby, please reach out to book a discovery call or first session.

It’s and it’s as good a time as ever to address the elephant in the room in the fertility community - toxic positivity...
20/09/2024

It’s and it’s as good a time as ever to address the elephant in the room in the fertility community - toxic positivity.

“Hold on, your miracle is coming!”
“All it takes is one”
“Don’t lose hope”

Have you heard these or any similar comments? Although well meaning, these types of comments can leave little room for the very real pain that a person is feeling. And the problem is, for some people, the miracle they were hoping for doesn’t come. For some, letting go of hope and turning towards the life that does exist is the way forward.

There are so many reasons that someone may not continue with fertility treatment or enter the world at all. Finances, health, personal beliefs, time, isolation, and the list goes on. The thing to remember is - no one owes us an explanation on why they didn’t “keep going” to get to their baby.

So next time someone tells you what a hard time they are having, it’s okay to feel helpless and want to make them feel better. But take a moment and just listen to them. Hold space and acknowledge their pain. Hope is an absolutely powerful feeling that can allow us to keep going but but sometimes how someone “keeps on going” may be putting energy into themselves and building a new life and not the one they originally dreamed of. And that, is absolutely okay. 💕

If you are or at a crossroads in your fertility journey and trying to decide what to do next, consider booking a session with me or check out the following accounts:




The problem with infertility is that the feelings of sadness, loss, or inadequacy are not just triggered when your perio...
06/09/2024

The problem with infertility is that the feelings of sadness, loss, or inadequacy are not just triggered when your period comes or you’re in the fertility clinic awaiting an egg retrieval. They can permeate everyday life, in the seemingly mundane moments like while watching a tv show or the back to school photos of adorable children on your feed when September hits. Because of this, it can be hard to explain to others how heavy infertility grief is and it can lead to feelings of shame when we notice ourselves triggered by seemingly benign situations.

The thing is, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you if your stomach drops or your palms get sweaty when you see photos of other peoples’ kids on their first day of school. What if that feeling is simply your body informing you of how badly you want to be a parent? What if the discomfort represents your fears about whether you’ll ever have a child to take first day of school photos for?

So if you are having a hard time this week being inundated with back to school photos, please give yourself grace. Your feelings are just a reminder that you’re human. 💕

It’s common knowledge that being a new parent is hard. Adjusting to the new role, the sleep deprivation, hormonal chang...
29/08/2024

It’s common knowledge that being a new parent is hard. Adjusting to the new role, the sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, feeding your baby, and changes in our relationships (to name just a few) can all contribute to the challenging emotions many new parents feel. Because of this, it can be difficult for parents to decipher whether they are experiencing the extremely common baby blues or if it’s postpartum depression (PPD) and they need more specialized support.

So, how can we tell the difference between baby blues and PPD?

⭐️Onset - Baby blues occurs within the 1st few weeks of a baby’s life. The onset of PPD is much more variable and can occur during pregnancy or up to a year postpartum.
⭐️ Severity - With baby blues, a parent may cry, feel irritable, or overwhelmed but the feelings are not as intense as with PPD. Parents with PPD report feelings of hopelessness, dread, inadequacy, anger, or feeling out of control that are much more intense than baby blues.
⭐️ Pattern - Baby blues tends to have more fluctuations in mood and parents report being on a roller coaster of emotions where they feel joyful one moment and then overwhelmed the next. Parents with PPD most often report feeling low consistently throughout the day with little, if any, respite from these feelings.
⭐️ Duration - The most significant sign that a parent is experiencing PPD is that it is long-lasting. Baby blues doesn’t usually last more than 2-3 weeks. Postpartum depression, especially when it is untreated can last for months or even years.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you don’t need to suffer alone. Please speak with your doctor, ask for a referral to a reproductive mental health program, or reach out here to book a first session or free 15 minute consultation. I use my personal and professional experience to support clients struggling during pregnancy or postpartum. See the link in bio to book.

IMPORTANT: If you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 988 immediately or go to your nearest emergency room.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word grief? For most of us, we think of the feelings trigge...
11/07/2024

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word grief? For most of us, we think of the feelings triggered when someone we care about passes away. The topic of grief often comes up in the fertility world in relation to pregnancy or infant loss. Miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy and infant loss are absolutely devastating but they aren’t the only fertility scenarios where grief may be at the forefront.

Most people going through infertility will experience various layers of grief, even if they have never lost a pregnancy. A person may be experiencing grief in relation to:
⭐️Having no control over the timing of when or if they will have a child
⭐️Seeing their parents as grandparents and wondering if it will happen when their parents are still alive
⭐️Feeling like one’s body is failing and not behaving in the way it was meant to
⭐️ A marriage changing or deteriorating in response to the stress of infertility
⭐️ Using up one’s savings and going into debt for the chance at having a baby
⭐️ Friendships being impacted when it becomes too upsetting to attend events such as baby showers or first birthday parties
⭐️ Feeling left behind by friends and family members getting pregnant and still being stuck in the same spot.

Many fertility clients express feeling silly grieving when they haven’t actually lost anyone. Yet all of these aspects of infertility are in fact losses and they deserve to be acknowledged as such. When we acknowledge them for what they are, they begin to hold less power. What aspect of your fertility journey has triggered feelings of grief for you? Comment below.

If you are struggling with fertility grief and need support, please reach out to book a discovery call or first session. You are not alone in these feelings. ⭐️💕

We live in a world where we are taught that effort leads to outcome. If you study hard, you should get good grades. If y...
13/06/2024

We live in a world where we are taught that effort leads to outcome. If you study hard, you should get good grades. If you persist with exercise, you’ll be able to run faster or for a longer duration. The problem with fertility is, it doesn’t play by these rules. We can put hours, days, weeks, months, and even years of effort into the process and still, we may be waiting for it to be our turn. Understandably, this can make people feel helpless, hopeless, overwhelmed, and lost. These feelings are exacerbated by the fact that many people become so focused on doing the things that are meant to be good for their fertility and not doing things that could interfere with pregnancy, that they forget to live their lives.

The thing is - you are still a human being worthy of joy, fun, and laughter outside of trying to get pregnant. And sometimes our strong desires for a baby cause us to forget this. So here’s your reminder to not stop living while you are waiting. Give yourself permission to enjoy that food or drink you love sometimes, get the pet you desperately want, and book that vacation you are dying to go on! You are doing a GREAT job trying to get pregnant but you don’t have to be perfect at it. A reminder - it’s absolutely okay for having a baby to feel like the most important thing to you right now but…it doesn’t have to be the only thing. 💕

If you are struggling to conceive and feel like you’ve lost part of yourself or your life is on pause, please reach out to book a session or consider joining our next Fertility Support Group on June 19th. Booking link in bio.

There’s a lot of focus on postpartum anxiety and depression in parents but little attention paid to another common exper...
01/06/2024

There’s a lot of focus on postpartum anxiety and depression in parents but little attention paid to another common experience - postpartum anger or rage. Unfortunately, there is limited information on how common it is as many moms are ashamed to disclose that they are dealing with intense feelings of anger. Postpartum rage looks different for each person but some possible ways it can show up are:

🔴Feeling an explosion of anger about something seemingly benign like a diaper blow out or getting stuck in traffic
🔴Feeling enraged that motherhood is not at all what you had expected
🔴Feeling resentful of your partner that their life has changed way less than yours
🔴The anger can hit suddenly seemingly out of nowhere or can be be steady and intense
🔴Postpartum rage can strain relationships and lead to increased conflict
🔴It can both contribute to and be a cause of postpartum depression
🔴Postpartum rage can make a person feel completely out of control and like they don’t recognize themselves

If you are experiencing intense feelings of anger or rage after having a baby, know that you are not alone. By seeking support, we can learn some of the possible triggers of these moments of rage and find ways to support ourselves.
The next time you find yourself blind with rage, consider the following:

⭐️ Anger is a completely normal and necessary human emotion. It serves us by alerting us of something in our lives that needs to shift
⭐️ Parenthood can be so full on and overstimulating which can lead to the intense anger. Try to take a pause and see if there’s anything you can do to reduce the hyper stimulation - using headphones, walking away for a moment, taking a deep breath, or running your hands under cold water to ground yourself
⭐️Ask for help!! We weren’t meant to do parenthood alone.
⭐️Remember that these feelings are not forever

If you are struggling with postpartum rage, please consider reaching out for one-on-one support or join our next pregnancy and postpartum support group. See link in bio to book.💕

It’s hard to describe what postpartum depression and anxiety feel like unless you’ve experienced it yourself. When you’...
19/05/2024

It’s hard to describe what postpartum depression and anxiety feel like unless you’ve experienced it yourself. When you’re in it, it can feel like no one else can possibly understand what you are going through. The feelings of helplessness and hopelessness they trigger can be all consuming. The sensation of one’s body being unable to regulate and feel calm can make a person feel that they are being held hostage in their own body. And the worst part? It feels like it is permanent.

When I was in the thick of my PPD/PPA, I was convinced that I would fall outside of the statistics and be the one person whose postpartum depression and anxiety would never go away. But guess what? I was absolutely wrong. Postpartum depression and anxiety are very treatable. So if you are experiencing PPD or PPA, here are some ways to get help:
⭐️Be honest with your partner or support network about what you’re really thinking and feeling
⭐️Access free peer support through Pacific Postpartum Support Society (in British Columbia)
⭐️Connect with a counsellor who specializes in postpartum depression and anxiety (see link in bio to book a session with me)
⭐️Ask your GP for a referral to the reproductive mental health program
⭐️If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, your baby, or anyone else, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency department

I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but this excruciating time WILL pass.

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