Our dedicated team of professional counsellors is committed to providing compassionate and confidential support to BCIT students. Get to know the people behind Counselling Services here to learn about their backgrounds and find the right counsellor to help you navigate your journey.
Jessie Chen
She/Her/Hers
- About: Jessie is a Registered Clinical Counselor (RCC) with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology who values providing a safe space for clients and fostering belonging. Outside her role, she enjoys spending time with her puppy and hiking on sunny days.
- Therapeutic approach: Her practice is focused on relational and client-centred therapy. Through a collaborative and reflective environment, Jessie engages her clients in a journey towards deeper self-understanding and goal achievement.
- Languages: English, Mandarin, and Taiwanese
- Recommendation: “How’s Work?” or “Where should we begin?” podcast by Esther Perel.
Judy Bushnell
She/her/hers
- About: Judy is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) and a Certified Mindfulness Teacher (CMT-P) with a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia.
- Therapeutic Approach: With an anti-oppressive framework and trauma-informed lens, Judy integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) into her practice to help students live by their values and navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and flexibility.
- Languages: English
Kristin Konieczny
She/her/hers
- About: Kristin is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) who values creating a spacious therapeutic environment for her clients. She believes that attuned and supportive connections are essential for transforming internal stuckness into open-heartedness and insight. In her free time, she enjoys rollerblading, exploring Golden Ears and other hikes in the Lower Mainland and spending time with her partner and friends.
- Therapeutic approach: Kristin’s therapy approach is relational and process-centred, drawing from modalities such as existential analysis and emotion-focused therapy. She is currently advancing her skills in somatic and attachment-orientated approaches to counselling.
- Languages: English
- Recommendation: The Vital Spark, By Lisa Marchiano
Marina Kononenko
She/her/hers
- About: Marina is a Registered Clinical Counselor (RCC) with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. Her primary clinical work experience is in post-secondary institutions, where she has helped clients with a variety of mental health difficulties and life challenges.
- Therapeutic approach: Marina is committed to client-centred, collaborative, and trauma-informed therapy. She uses an eclectic framework with a general focus on Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), integrating elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). Marina aims to help empower her clients to gain self-understanding and find healthy ways of coping with challenges.
- Languages: English
- Recommendation: “Why has nobody told me this before?” by Dr. Julie Smith.
Ray deVries
He/him/his
- About: With 25 years of experience and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Ray has dedicated over two decades to helping individuals become their best selves. Beyond the counselling room, he is an enthusiastic educator and performer who enjoys the tranquillity of camping, hot tubbing, and suburban life with his beloved family and cat, Sammi.
- Therapeutic approach: Focused on applying the most effective methods when working toward goals, Ray builds solid and genuine relationships with people to catalyze positive change over time – all infused with generous amounts of humour.
- Languages: English