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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
