An Interview With Erin Keely

At Kits Counselling, therapy is more than just sessions in a room — it’s about belonging, grounding, and finding a sense of home. To help you get to know the person behind the practice, here’s a short Q&A with Erin Keely, Registered Clinical Counsellor and founder of Kits Counselling.

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Q: What inspired you to start Kits Counselling?
A: Since deciding to become a counsellor, and even a little before, I dreamed of creating a space where people feel at home, a place where people can feel cocooned as they heal. Even saying that sounds a little more woo-woo than I’d like to admit, but it’s how I’ve always felt!

Kitsilano has been the neighbourhood I’ve lived in and loved for about seven years now. The neighbourhood itself has been a character in my life, offering me warmth, connection, and belonging. Kits Counselling grew out of a dream to create a local, welcoming practice where people could feel seen and supported right in their own community, and to offer them the friendliness of the neighbourhood itself. I’ll never forget unloading the first of the moving boxes, one neighbour asked if we needed help, another held the door for us, and the third yelled down the block, “Welcome to the Neighbourhood!” - I had never felt so welcomed and that is the energy I want Kits Counselling to offer to our clients. 

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Q: Why Kitsilano? What makes the neighbourhood special to you?
A: The first layer is personal, my mom grew up here, my parents met here, and in their twenties they lived here together. Growing up, Kits always felt like the place to be when you were in your twenties.

I also love the ocean, so being close to the beach is good for my soul. Even if I don’t go as often as I’d like, I love that it’s always there. When my partner and I were looking to settle after years of moving around for school, Kits just felt right. An apartment came up in our friends’ building and we took it. The building is named after my grandmother, which seemed like a good sign.

I love the energy here, the busyness, the dogs, the families, the young professionals, the college students - it always feels like you are surrounded by life.

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Q: How do you bring the local environment into your therapeutic approach?
A: I love when the neighbourhood becomes part of therapy. Whether it’s a walk at the beach, sitting in the community garden, going around the block after a session, or exploring Pacific Spirit Park, I encourage clients to feel the sun, rain, or wind on their face before diving back into the day.

The environment itself also becomes a character in therapy. I once listened to Esther Perel’s podcast Where Should We Begin and she acknowledged the sirens of New York in the background. She embraced it as part of the session, the city as context and presence. Maybe in an ideal world our therapy rooms would be perfectly quiet, but there is a sense of place you get from the hum of construction on Broadway, the recycling truck rumbling by, or hearing the gentle roll of bikes going down the hill and the chatter of kids walking home from school. It is real, just like us and even from the therapy room, it makes me feel connected to the neighbourhood around me.

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Q: What do you wish people knew about therapy?
A: That it doesn’t have to feel clinical or intimidating. There can be professionalism, expertise, and training without the environment feeling formal. Therapy should be a place where you can be fully yourself and honest.

How you show up can change from session to session — there is space for confusion and messiness. You don’t have to arrive with all the answers. You can say the petty thing you wouldn’t normally say out loud. You can be deeply sad, just as you can be deeply at peace.

Therapy is about creating a relationship where you are met with honesty, support, and non-judgment, so you can explore who you truly are.

My hope is that when people walk into Kits Counselling, they feel like they’ve stepped into a space where we’ll do our best to take care of them and make them feel at home. Grab the blanket, kick off your shoes, and settle in — we are here for you.

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Q: Do you have a favourite local ritual or grounding practice?
A: Honestly, it’s as simple as walking to Kits Beach in the evening or walking home through the community gardens. Watching the sun set behind the mountains reminds me to slow down, breathe, and remember what really matters. Those are the moments I feel most connected to myself, to the people I love, to this neighbourhood, and to the wonderful people I work with - I feel human.

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Gardens, Growth, & Grounding

What Kitsilano’s Community Gardens Teach Us About Transition, Resilience, and Connection

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In the last year, I stumbled upon what I like to call the secret garden. Once a place I assumed was private, I learned it is open to all. Welcome yourself through the gate and meander among plots of berries, kale, tomato vines, and flowers — it is for everyone.

Kitsilano is home to several community gardens, and as locals know, it is almost impossible to secure a plot. But what I discovered is that you don’t need one to participate. Sit back in an Adirondack chair and watch as gardeners slowly weed and water. Find a bench on the bike path and notice neighbours sharing dinner outdoors or chatting with friends. Read a book in a tucked-away spot, breathe in the scent of flowers, or simply appreciate the beauty.

Finding the “secret garden” sparked something in me — a new attention to the seasons. How they change, how they change us, and what each one offers.

-Erin

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Lessons from the Garden

1. Growth Requires Patience

 In the garden, seeds don’t sprout overnight. Growth takes time, nourishment, and consistency. The same is true for mental health. Healing and resilience are built slowly, through small, steady practices of care.

2. Seasons of Rest Are Necessary

Not every month is a harvest month. In winter, the soil rests, preparing for spring. In our lives, rest is not a failure — it is a necessary season for recovery, integration, and renewal.

3. Diversity Strengthens the System

Community gardens thrive on variety: herbs alongside vegetables, flowers beside fruit. Diversity builds resilience. In our lives, multiple sources of support — relationships, practices, spaces of rest — help us weather challenges more effectively.

4. Tending Requires Care and Attention

Left untended, weeds will grow. Gardens remind us that neglect is natural but care is intentional. Our emotional lives also need tending: checking in with ourselves, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed.

Grounding in Kitsilano

Community gardens are more than places to grow food. They are spaces of connection and belonging - neighbours sharing tools, trading tips, and celebrating the harvest. They invite us to slow down, touch the earth, and remember that we are part of something larger.

Whether you have a plot or simply stroll past, these gardens remind us: resilience isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about moving with the cycles of life.

Closing

In Kitsilano, resilience can be found in unexpected places, even in a patch of soil by the sidewalk. Like the gardens, our lives flourish when we allow for patience, rest, variety, and care.

Next time you walk by a community garden, pause for a moment. Notice the growth, the rest, the resilience in action. And ask yourself: how might you tend to your own life in the same way?

September Sweeps Us In

Finding Your Rhythm This Fall

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Nostalgia and Momentum

September holds both longing and momentum. A desire for just a few more sunsets at Kits Beach, a couple more days of warm weather before sweaters and the wonderful return to fall routines take over.

In early September, you can feel the shift in the air — a crispness in the mornings, cafés filling with people cracking open fresh notebooks, while beaches remain busy with swimmers and sunbathers. September reminds us that new beginnings aren’t reserved only for January. Each season offers us a chance to reset and realign.

The Invitation of September

For many, September stirs both excitement and pressure. The opportunity to begin again can feel motivating, but it may also carry the weight of expectation — the sense that we must “get it right.”

In therapy, we often explore how we navigate these thresholds: moments when structure returns after freedom, and how structure itself can offer freedom. September doesn’t need to be about perfection. Instead, it can be an invitation — to welcome yourself into the fall with whatever rhythm feels right for you.

Perhaps you are re-energized by summer’s rest and ready to dive into action. Or maybe after a season of non-stop socializing, you long to slow down. For some, fall means speeding up; for others, it means grounding and pausing. The beauty of this season is the permission it gives us to choose.

Three Grounding Practices for September

• Anchor with Morning Rituals
  Begin your day with intention. A quiet journal at your favourite Kits café, a few deep breaths before work, or a morning walk to the beach can create steady rhythms.
  
  

• Plan Seasonal Joy
  Notice the beauty of transition. Watch the leaves change in Connaught Park or take an evening walk along the seawall at sunset.
  
  

• Choose Gentle Goals
  Instead of long to-do lists, focus on commitments that nurture your energy, relationships, and health.

Closing

September in Kitsilano invites us to balance structure with softness, discipline with delight. As the neighbourhood finds its new rhythm, we too can welcome this season as a chance to gently realign with what matters most.

Finding The Right Therapist For You

Finding the right therapist for you can at times feel like a daunting task. Here are some pointers on how to get started.

Research tells us that the relationship between client and counsellor is one of the greatest predictors of success in therapy. So just like dating, it is important to take the time to find someone you click with.

The Basics

• Does this counsellor have experience working with people like me or with the challenges I am facing?

• Does this counsellor use modalities that I think would be well suited for me?

• Do I get the sense that I would feel accepted, understood, and supported by this counsellor?

The Vibes

• Does it feel like I could trust this counsellor? Is there a sense of comfort or ease when speaking to them?

• Is there a personality match? Do they feel like someone I would get along with?

• Does the counsellor bring the energy I am looking for (ex. Someone who is kind and compassionate, someone who is gentle, someone who has more of a coaching demeanour who might push me, someone who feels genuine)? 

• Do I feel I could genuinely myself with them? 

The Logistics

• Is my counsellor adequately qualified? (ex. has an appropriate designation such as RCC or CCC, guaranteeing appropriate education and training)

• Does the location/timing of appointments work for me? 

• Is this counsellor within my price range? 

The Most Important Pieces

• Don’t settle. Therapy is a significant time, emotional, and financial commitment, make sure you find a therapist that feels right for you. 

• Always trust your gut.

The Initial Consult

Finding the right fit with your therapist is often the greatest predictor of success in therapy. Let’s make sure we get you there.

We offer a complimentary 10-15 minute phone call so that we can get to know one another. Here is what you can expect:

• During the call we will cover three topics:

  • Why counselling is feeling like the right fit for you at this time.

  • Time for you to ask about your therapist’s approach to counselling or the counselling process in general.

  • Next steps, whether this is booking a session or finding you the right referral.

We want you to feel great about your decision to invest your time and resources at Kits Counselling. If it doesn’t feel like the best fit for you, no worries, we will work with you to find some other referrals because helping you to get the support you need is our first priority.

Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us at erin@kits-counselling.com.

Preparing For The First Session

The first session can undoubtedly bring nerves, and hopefully some excitement. Here’s a few tips to guide you as you enter into counselling.

1. Make your appointment. You have already made a huge step in deciding to come to counselling, finding a counsellor that you are interested in working with, and now it is time to book your appointment. This is no small feat!

2. Get directions. Take a couple moments to figure out your commute to your appointment so you have less to worry about on the day-of! Don’t worry, once you are booked in we will send you our Arrival Guide to make your journey is as easy as possible.

3. Give yourself some extra time. Getting to your first appointment can often be the hardest part; giving yourself an extra 10 minutes to navigate through the commute can help to lower stress levels and make the whole experience a bit more pleasant for you!

   If possible, give yourself 10 minutes to decompress after your first session. You might want to grab a snack, some sunlight, listen to music, call your best friend, journal, or just sit quietly for a couple of minutes before rejoining your day.

4. Think about what you want to talk about. Taking a few minutes before your first session to think about your goals can be helpful. In our first session we will discuss why you are coming to therapy and what you want to get out of it. We do this because we know that therapy is an emotional and financial investment, so we want to make sure that you get the most out of our time together. Maybe there is something specific you want to talk about, or maybe you just feel a general need to come to counselling - either of these and anything in between is a-okay!

5. Go easy on yourself, this is a big step! Coming to therapy isn’t always easy, so be easy on yourself when any nerves come up. You’ve got this!

6. Reach out with questions. We are here to answer any questions you might have leading up to our first session. Feel free to reach out to erin@kits-counselling.com and we will be happy to support you in any way we can.

Podcasts & Company

The hardest part of loneliness is that sometimes there is no easy fix. When we feel like meaningful connections are hard to come by, a temporary solution can be to at least feel like we are in on the joke.

Here are a few podcasts that make us giggle.

Armchair Anonymous

Listen to real stories, from real people, that are often real, real funny. You’ll cringe, you’ll wince, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and most of all, you will feel connected to all of our shared humanity.

Queers Gone By

As one reviewer writes: “Kate Butch and Caitlin Powell revisit the TV shows and movies they grew up with and ask the question: “Did this make us queer?” It is lighthearted, irreverent, sometimes absurd and occasionally poignant, but always utterly hilarious.” Enjoy!

Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer

It’s silly, it’s raunchy, and it’s heartfelt - viewer discretion is advised! Nicole talks about therapy, relationships, grief, and the beauty and struggle of “existing in a body that society sees as Other.” Come for the laughs, stay for the giggles.

Giggly Squad

Speaking of giggles, the Giggly Squad is a fun podcast that explores pop culture and the hilarious lives of the two hosts, who happen to be best friends. Listen to Hannah and Paige talk about dating, fashion, mental health, and horoscopes.