Meet Kelsey F

About

My name is Kelsey, and my pronouns are she and her. I am in my final year of UVIC’s Master of Counselling program, and I am excited to complete my final internship as an Advanced Practicum Counsellor at the UVIC Student Wellness Centre.

I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nations. I am a fourth-generation unwelcomed settler to Canada with Ukrainian, Irish, and Scottish family heritage. I have been an uninvited visitor on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples since 2021 when I moved to Victoria with my life partner.

In my free time I find life balance through enjoying backcountry hiking, swimming, yoga, cooking, and spending time with my cat, Fergus.

Counselling approach

My previous experience has primarily been working in various areas of the mental health system including crisis-line support, at an inpatient addiction centre, and in outpatient mental health case management. I have supported clients across the lifespan with a myriad of concerns, however my special interest is in the young adult and university population. My other areas of interests include mental health, relational difficulties, life transitions, body image/disordered eating, and identity. My counselling approach is integrative with components of Solutions-Focused, Experiential/Emotions-Focused, and Dialectical-Behavioural theoretical underpinnings and tools. Ultimately, I believe in a collaborative, strengths-based, and humanistic approach to support students in reaching their goals for wellness.