Karen-Marie Perry

Maybe you are an international student struggling to get oriented to life in Canada, or an 2SLGBTQAI+ student, who has recently ‘come out,’ looking for supports and community connections, or maybe you just need someone to listen and be present with you as you negotiate difficult life circumstances. If so, I might be the right counsellor for you. 

I am an applied researcher and writer with a focus on social inequalities as barriers to services and became interested in expanding my work to clinical practice following my experiences during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I adopt social justice-based and trauma-informed approaches to counselling practice. This is informed by deep learnings from my work as an applied researcher working in disaster emergency management, healthcare, and in examining better ways to prevent and respond to hate crimes in the province. 

Ultimately, I would describe my approach as rooted in community care and connection. From climate change to the rising tide of fascism, and cuts to education, learning communities at colleges and universities are not only struggling with the day-to-day, but also with immense social and environmental changes. Attending to our mental health and collective community care is one way to respond to these challenges. 

As a white settler on Indigenous lands, I also recognize that it takes more than a land acknowledgement to enact change; it takes the clarity and courage to recognize my own role in ongoing systems of colonization, and a push for change, especially when it is difficult to do so. 

I look forward to accompanying you on your journey. 

Contact counselling services to book an appointment.