Hi there! M
y name is Yumiko Kakutani and I’m delighted to be joining the VIU Counselling Team. I am Japanese Canadian, born and raised on the unceded ancestoral territories of the Squamish, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and the Tsleil-Waututh. I currently reside and practice as a grateful guest on the traditional unceded territories of the Snaw-naw-
as and Snuneymuxw First Nations.
I attended Simon Fraser University where I completed my BA in Psychology and worked in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Development for 18 years. This is where I developed a passion for understanding the significance of early life experiences and the impact they can have. A deep curiosity of development has provided me insights about the healing that can occur in relationship with a caring and attuned person. This led to my decision to go back to school to complete my MA in Counselling Psychology.
As a First Gen kid to immigrant parents, I was raised with the cultural belief that familial and community relations are of the utmost importance. It made it tricky to find counselling that created space for my unique world views holding a variety of beliefs that sometimes contradict each other. For this reason, I am committed to creating a space that is anti-racist, safe for those who have experienced discrimination because of their gender or sexuality, and affirming of neurodiversity. In our work together, you are the expert and we move at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you.
In my clinical work, I lean heavily on the following evidence based approaches: NARM (Neuro Affective Relational Model), AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), and Safe and Sound Protocol (Polyvagal).
I look forward to hearing from you!