Therapy doesn’t start with having it all figured out, it starts with showing up. Whether you’re just beginning to explore the idea of therapy, doing some research and checking things out, or feeling ready to take the next step and dive in, it takes courage to be here. Wherever you are in your journey, therapy can be a place to pause, reflect, and begin creating meaningful change.
Colleen Purcka is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in good standing with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). With a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) and more than 25 years in the helping field, Colleen’s experiences have deeply shaped how she shows up in the therapy room.
Colleen has had the privilege of supporting children, youth, adults, and families in settings including school, community mental health programs, government systems, workshops, family mediation, and working alongside first responders. Her approach is collaborative, client-centred, and grounded in relationship. She plays close attention to emotions, lived experience, and the patterns that show up in your relationships and inner world. She believes therapy works best when it feels like a genuine human connection; one where you’re actively working together, rather than “fixing” you.
Colleen draws from a range of therapeutic approaches, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for trauma, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. What that really means is Colleen adapts her work based on your goals, your personality, and your needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all model.
Working from a trauma-informed and strengths-based lens means that safety, choice and empowerment are always central to your work together. Colleen is not just looking at what’s been hard, she’s also deeply interested in what’s helped you survive, cope, and grow.
Alongside her professional training, Colleen brings lived personal experience with ADHD and as a parent to ADHD children, which gives her a real appreciation for how differently minds can work and how important it is to honour that diversity. She has a passion for supporting youth and adults with ADHD, and for providing education, practical strategies, and emotional support for individuals and parents of school-aged kids navigating attention, regulation, learning, and school challenges. Her goal is to help individuals and families feel more confident, connected, and equipped, not blamed or overwhelmed.
Colleen’s style is collaborative, curious, and direct, with a good dose of humour when it fits. She sees you as the expert in your own life, with her role being to walk alongside you, helping you make sense of thoughts, emotions, and patterns, and supporting you in taking meaningful, inspired steps forward.
Reach out to connect with Colleen, and explore whether working together feels like a good fit.
