Burnaby Women's Counselling

Life Transition Counselling in Burnaby

Begin with a 15-minute consultation to see how we can support you

Life Transition Counselling for High‑Achieving Women in Burnaby, BC

Starting counselling is similar to learning how to drive. It may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first, but with time, support, and guidance, you begin to feel more confident. In our sessions, I create a safe, non‑judgmental space where you feel heard, validated, and supported as you unpack your life transition and explore the emotions that come with it. Some sessions may feel like navigating difficult terrain as you share painful or overwhelming experiences, but you’re not alone—we move through them together. You can slow down, pause, or shift direction at any time. Over time, you gain new insights, clarity, and emotional resilience, reconnecting with your authentic self.

Life Transitions Counselling. Two men sitting
Life Transitions Counselling. Two men sitting

Meet Your Burnaby Life Transition Counsellor

Hi, my name is Leena Mehta, and I am a registered clinical counsellor in Burnaby (#19428). I’ve worked as a counsellor for over eight years and am dedicated to helping women with life transitions. You don’t have to go through it alone. I support high-achieving women who are navigating stress, grief, identity shifts, and emotional overwhelm. 

I offer in‑person counselling in Burnaby and online therapy across BC, creating a warm, confidential, culturally sensitive space where you can explore your experiences at your own pace.

Tired of feeling alone? What if I told you that you can access support and worry less about the future? Let’s work together and focus on your strength and resilience. 

Who I Support

At Ease Counselling in Burnaby, I work with you to help you achieve your goals and improve your mental health. Starting therapy and talking to a counsellor may bring up anxiety or other concerns. But let me reassure you, it takes strength and courage to access professional counselling support.

Life transitions affect everyone differently. You may be:

A successful professional woman

grieving the end of a long‑term marriage while maintaining composure at work.

A high‑achieving student

adjusting to a new school and grieving the loss of familiar friendships.

A new parent or caregiver

struggling with identity shifts, routine changes, and the emotional complexity of early parenthood.

Many high‑achieving women feel pressure to “handle it on their own,” but you don’t have to. Counselling for life transitions offers a space to slow down, feel supported, and reconnect with your strengths.

How Life Transitions May Affect You

Let’s work together in a safe space and make space for all the different emotions you’re feeling. As your counsellor in Burnaby, I understand that you may struggle to make space for the sadness you feel or anxiety. At times, it may feel overwhelming, and you may want to run away or shut down. I’m here to support you every step of the way, and together we identify what each of your feelings needs. You are not too much or too sensitive. It makes sense that you’re emotional. Let me support you in providing a nonjudgmental, compassionate space where your emotions are seen, heard, and understood. 

Life transitions can bring up emotions such as:

Loneliness and sadness after a separation

Anxiety about becoming a first‑time parent

Worry about moving in with a partner

Fear about starting school or moving to a new city

Grief after losing a loved one

These experiences are common, especially among women who are used to being capable, organized, and emotionally strong for others.

How can Burnaby life transition counselling help?

As your Burnaby BIPOC counsellor, I ensure you feel seen, heard, validated, and accepted. Starting your healing journey takes courage, and I am here to support you every step of the way. It’s hard, but you don’t have to do it alone

Burnaby life transition counselling provides a non-judgmental, kind, and compassionate space to help you unpack your perfectionism. Together, we focus on your needs, which may include the following:

Building self‑acceptance, self‑kindness, and self‑compassion

Understanding how emotions show up in your body

Prioritizing your needs in relationships

Strengthening your sense of self‑worth

Burnaby life transition counselling modalities that can help

I need your help in determining which counselling modality is a good fit for you. It’s okay if you don’t know. I use a variety of different counselling modalities to support clients with life transitions. Every client is different, and as a counsellor, I support each client with where they are in their healing journey.  Counselling modalities that can help include:

Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT can help women accept their thoughts and feelings without trying to change them. It can also help women change their behaviour to align more closely with their values. For example, noticing when they feel anxious and how to cope with these feelings.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT can help women identify and challenge negative thought patterns. It can also help women challenge thinking traps.

Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)

DBT can help women with emotional regulation by learning skills to help them cope. It can also help women learn strategies to help them cope with distress.

Resources

Starting counselling may feel overwhelming, but there are resources you can access. 

https://bc.cmha.ca/ 

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/ 

https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/ 

https://keltymentalhealth.ca/

Benefits of counselling for life transitions

Connection

Life transition counselling in Burnaby focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviour. We also examine how your life transition impacts these, how you cope, and where you feel stuck. For some people, their responses are shaped by past experiences. For example, your anxiety about moving to a new city may be connected to the anxiety you felt as a teenager and child. It may also be connected to your upbringing and the fact that you moved around a lot. As your Burnaby therapist, we also spend time on your self-talk. For example, some clients have a negative and harsh inner dialogue. We unpack this in counselling and how it impacts your feelings and behaviour.  Finally, we unpack your fears and unmet or unresolved childhood needs.

Explore

Life transition counselling in Burnaby explores the impact of your life transition. We unpack how it impacts your day-to-day life, view of self, and relationships with others. Women who are navigating life transitions sometimes hesitate to reach out because they believe they should handle it on their own. However, it’s okay to ask for support. Life transitions can sometimes feel scary, stressful, and overwhelming. It can also feel lonely sometimes, even when we have support from loved ones. As your counsellor in Burnaby, I support you in overcoming your fears and challenging negative core beliefs. I work with clients to challenge negative core beliefs and to strengthen positive ones. Life transitions can feel challenging and overwhelming, but you don’t have to cope with them alone.

Heal

Life transition counselling in Burnaby helps you process and heal. You may have coping mechanisms, but these may no longer be effective. I share tools and strategies that help you cope and process your life transition. You may be grieving the end of your marriage and feel angry. We process this anger, along with other emotions that surface. We make space for your anger and get curious about what it needs. You may be experiencing sadness, which is making it difficult to go to work or socialise. As your counsellor in Burnaby, I make space for this sadness. I’m interested in learning more about where in your body you feel it and what it needs. No one wants to feel sad, but your sadness is communicating to you, similar to other emotions, and it’s my job to help you unpack what it is communicating. Together, we explore not just how to regulate emotions but also how to soothe them without feeling overwhelmed, shutting down, or avoiding them.

FAQ

Why do I feel anxious?

Feelings of anxiety can stem from various places. For some women, their anxiety is rooted in their childhood or adolescence, for others, it is rooted in their family of origin. Childhood abuse or trauma, traumatic life experiences, and attachment styles may also explain why someone feels anxious. At Ease Counselling in Burnaby helps clients unpack the origins of their anxiety in a safe, non-judgmental space. Many people feel anxious in life, and as your counsellor, I’m interested in learning more about what your anxiety is trying to communicate to you. What if I told you many of the clients I support experience some form of anxiety?

How do you address shame in therapy?

I understand reaching out and starting therapy is not easy. Many of my clients share feelings of anxiety, nervousness or worry before their appointment. As your Burnaby therapist, I create a safe space for all clients to feel seen and heard. I build rapport with each client and remain curious to learn more about their unique experiences. With my client’s permission, we explore their feelings of shame, and I ensure they feel validated, reassured and safe.

How many sessions will I need?

The number of sessions you may need varies from client to client. Every client I support as a Burnaby therapist is different, with varying needs. I work with each client to establish goals, and we work together to achieve them. Clients who have been struggling for a while may need more sessions to help them unpack thought patterns and identify where they feel stuck. However, clients who have been struggling for a shorter period and seek support sooner may find they have less to unpack and process.

How can I reduce stress in my life?

Counselling in Burnaby focuses on the stressors in your life, and together we unpack what you control and what is outside of your control. For example, work may be stressful, and while you can’t change other people or the system, you may be able to find another job. You may feel stressed about moving or changing careers. We can unpack this and more in a counselling session.

Will counselling help me unpack feelings connected to my life transition?

Counselling can help women unpack and process their emotions. Some clients feel stressed and overwhelmed during a life transition, while others feel sad or afraid. As your Burnaby therapist, I work with clients to help them feel more in control, even when they feel overwhelmed or stressed. I support clients in regulating their emotions and encourage them to notice bodily sensations. Finally, I gently remind clients that their feelings will pass and that they will not always feel so overwhelmed or stressed.

Why Choose At Ease Counselling?

Client-driven approach

As a Burnaby BIPOC counsellor, sessions focus on meeting you where you are and working at your pace, alongside you, with compassion, kindness, and curiosity, both in-person and online. 

Evidence-based modalities

As a Burnaby therapist, I incorporate evidence-based modalities in every session. I am trained in various evidence-based modalities, including Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Each of these modalities equips me to support your unique needs, and we work together to achieve your counselling goals.

Anti-oppressive practice

As a female Burnaby therapist, I understand the impact of inequality and oppression, providing a safe, non-judgmental, and inclusive space in-person and online. Women from all ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations are welcome. People who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ are also welcome. As a South Asian Burnaby therapist, I create a culturally sensitive space, and I am curious to learn more about your culture, norms, and values.

Start With a 15-Minute Consultation

Find out if we’re the right fit for you.