Rachael Cruickshanks, MC, MSc, BSc

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Rachael Cruickshanks is a pre-registered clinical counsellor completing her Master of Counselling at Adler University, expected December 2026. She approaches her work with the sense that it is a real privilege to sit with people in some of their most raw and honest moments. Her hope is that during sessions, clients feel safe enough to put down the masks they carry in the outside world. Rachael strives to create a space where clients feel seen and respected as they share their story.

Rachael's approach is rooted in an emotions-focused perspective, drawing from attachment principles and mindful, somatic awareness. She works from a person-centred, feminist lens, incorporating cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques and EMDR to help clients work through trauma and get unstuck where talk therapy alone isn't enough. Rachael understands that starting therapy can feel daunting, so she works collaboratively and invites clients to set the pace of their sessions. Her work is grounded in an anticapitalist stance, meaning she aims to honour people's humanity over their productivity. Her community work includes co-founding Care Beyond Capital.

Rachael welcomes individuals and couples over the age of 19, and is passionate about working with people who are navigating trauma, grief, life transitions, stress, anxiety, burnout, relationship concerns, and/or struggles with body image.

You can expect warmth and genuine care from Rachael. Originally from the UK, her style weaves together compassion, some gentle challenge and a spritz of British humour. Outside of counselling, she spends as much time as she can exploring BC's glorious nature. She enjoys crocheting, braves cold-water dips, practices yoga, and loves to cook (even if the results vary from day to day).

Highlights:

  • Alongside her formal training, Rachael continues to study decolonizing practices, working toward care that feels genuinely inclusive for clients from all walks of life. She completed her clinical practicum with Vancouver Therapy Collective, and holds Gottman Level 1 and Sensate Focus training. She is currently completing Certified Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples Level 1 with the Centre for Psychology and Emotional Health, deepening her work with couples navigating connection and conflict.

    Rachael is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

  • Rachael has worked across a range of healthcare and community settings since 2016, including offering CBT in primary care mental health services in London. She has also worked with several charities, including Canuck Place Children's Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Care. These experiences shaped her sense of humility and her appreciation for the small but meaningful moments that make life feel full. She completed her Master of Science in Clinical and Health Psychology in the UK in 2016.

  • During her MSc, Rachael's thesis studied coping skills and tolerance of uncertainty in relation to performance anxiety among university athletes. The work gave her a close look at how people respond when their sense of control slips and how much pressure we place on ourselves to perform, even outside of sport.