About

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Jan Christensen, M.A., CCC, RP

I’ve been working in the field of mental health for over 35 years; the majority of my work has been in community mental health programs, which has provided me with a solid foundation for my private practice, Sage Tree Circles. Over the years, I have had many opportunities to learn from people – the individuals that I have worked with in counselling and psychotherapy, the community groups who innovate and develop new programming to support mental health and well-being, the professional psychotherapists and counsellors that I’ve provided supervision and consultation to, and the teams of counsellors, psychotherapists and front-line workers that commit their professional work to services in the mental health sector. The academic and professional training that I have received has provided me with a framework in which to do my work – it is through working with people that the deeper learning develops.

In working with diverse individuals, facing a diversity of life challenges, I have come to believe in the strength of the human spirit and the universal desires to find meaning and purpose in one’s life, to have meaningful relationships with others, to believe in oneself, to have the ability to face life’s challenges– and to enjoy being alive.

The services that I offer are rooted in respect and collaboration with the individuals that I am working with. I strive to understand the individual’s unique life, and the situations that they are living in, and their own desire for change.

I work from an Integrative perspective – this is a perspective that sees the connections between mind (thoughts/beliefs), body (physical/emotional), and spirit (connection to one’s essential nature, and to a larger sense of meaning in life). I have worked with individuals and families of diverse cultural backgrounds, diverse spiritual practices, indigenous community members, and the LGBTTQ community. I support individuals in healing from trauma, developing life skills, facing difficult challenges, and finding their own balance in life.