Victor Wakarchuk
(he/him)
RCC, MSW, RSW
Hi, I’m Victor Wakarchuk.
I help gay men find freedom from anxiety, stress and overwhelm so that they can start living life to the fullest again.
Do you feel unable to live in the moment because you’re constantly stuck in your head?
Does it feel like the life you want is passing you by while you suffer in silence?
Maybe the fear of anxiety, stress, or overwhelm is holding you back because you never know when it will come out of nowhere and take over.
When you think back to some of your worst moments, you might feel totally debilitated because you know how intense the overwhelm (or even panic) can get.
Perhaps you feel hopeless and all alone when your thoughts are spiralling, and like nothing works to make you feel better.
If you’re like many of the clients I’ve helped, you’ve probably decided enough is enough: something needs to change.
You want to get your life back.
You want to feel confident and in control.
You want to live your life how you want to live it, not how anxiety, stress, or overwhelm tells you to live it.
I’ve been there.
I’m a gay guy just like you. Being gay comes with its own challenges, and I know how stressful life can be.
You don’t need to suffer alone. I’m here to help.
My Approach
I know that reaching out for help can be difficult, especially when you don’t know what to expect. So here’s what you can expect from me:
✓ I provide a warm, non-judgemental and shame-free counselling environment so that you feel safe and supported.
✓ I’ll listen deeply to your concerns so that we can get a good grasp of “the issue.”
✓ I’ll help you move toward the life that you truly want, deep down inside. And if you don’t know what you want out of life, then we can explore that together too. 🙂
✓ I’ll teach you skills to bring you into the here-and-now so that you can start living life in the moment, rather than in the past or the future. These can be longer exercises like meditations, but can also be quick and easy skills to ground you in moments of panic.
✓ I help clients by using a form of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT is a research-based therapy with a significant amount of evidence that supports its effectiveness.
Most importantly, I help clients develop strategies to flexibility respond to an issue whenever or however it shows up in their lives.
Services Offered for Clients in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario
About Me
Growing up, I often felt alone in my experience as a young gay guy. The world felt like a very scary place. Sure, I found my crowd being a band geek and orchestra kid, but I felt like I was going through the motions of life without truly living life.
I felt anxious, worried and panicked much of the time. I’d often have thoughts like:
What if I don’t fit in?
What if people don’t like me?
When will this worrying stop?
I had no idea that there were tools I could learn which would help me thrive.
Thanks to a healthy amount of self-discovery and personal counselling, I learned that I could look inward to draw out parts of myself that had become scared and anxious.
By going toward the pain, I began changing the relationship I had with myself.
I became confident in who I am.
I learned to trust my body and emotions.
I was able to see my inherent “goodness,” which had felt like it was lacking for so long.
I’m fascinated by the ways that humans can cope, and even thrive, in the face of adversity and trauma. I’m also deeply intrigued by the power that meditation and mindfulness can have on one’s life.
I find meditative moments picking fresh veggies from my garden on a late summer’s evening. In the colder months, I love enjoying a leisurely breakfast of homemade blueberry pancakes with my husband. And of course, year-round I find baking a fresh batch of homemade cookies to be one of the best forms of self-care that there is!
I’m glad you’re here. You’ve taken an important and courageous step toward your wellbeing by searching for help.
Click the button below to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call so that I can get to know you better, and we can talk about getting you some help.
Training & Credentials
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor in good standing with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
I’m a Registered Social Worker in good standing with the British Columbia College of Social Workers, the Alberta College of Social Workers and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
I completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia.
Master of Social Work (MSW)
I completed a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Waterloo.
Diverse Professional Experience
Over 8 years of professional experience working in hospital and mental health settings– including an HIV clinic and a trans health clinic.
Training in Sex Therapy
Completed an intensive sex therapy training program through the University of Guelph.
Training in Motivational Interviewing
Training in Narrative Therapy
Session Fees
$175 per 50 minute session.
