I believe in your healing.
Relationship Therapy
Sometimes the relationship takes on a life of its own and get stuck in cycles. You feel hurt and unheard, but your partner might also say they feel hurt and unheard. This is often because you are hurting on deeper levels than you realize.
All consent-based relationship styles are affirmed.
Trauma, Anxiety, Depression
Either complex trauma or acute trauma, trauma is a part experience that programmed your threat detection. It is wise to assess a threat based on both what is happening now and the past experience. Yes, the threat is valid, but trauma causes the past to outweigh the present.
Therapy can bring back balance.
Self-Worth
Many in the current society deeply feel that they are not worthy unless they meet a certain standard. They may tolerate conditional love from others and from themselves. It traps people in this loop: when people attempt to overcome it they end up stating “I am lovable because …” which is a condition. Therapy can help you find a way out.
Companionship
These days it is difficult to find a person with whom you can truly be yourself. Even with those who love you the most, sometimes it is hard to show weakness, vulnerability, and fear. Often, a stranger is easier to talk to.
Even if you don’t have anything to “process,” even if your life is privileged and comfortable, you still deserve a place to get things off your chest, be yourself for a moment.
The Activists (aspiring, experienced, or burntout)
I will not guilt you, shame you, or lecture you about your complicity. I know of no social change that happened that way.
The awareness of anti-oppression has increased, but cultural embodiment lags considerably. In fact, it seems the gap between knowledge and strategic effective actions widened.
Having grown up an anti-fascism environmentalist kid in the 70’s – 80’s, I have a different perspective and cultural understanding. I will hold space for your process and, if you wish, be a resource.
Who Do I Work With?
The most important factor is not your race or gender but that you find something about me intriguing.
Some therapy participants are very different from me, seeking me out for the “fresh eye.” Others are similar to me, for the shared experience.
Some people look for me because of my systemic, global understanding of oppression and imperialism grounded in my lived experience and activism.
Social media content creators might find my lived experience (51K) valuable.
People of marginalized neurotypes (aka neurodivergent, autism, ADHD, gifted, artists) often say it is easy to talk to me.
Am I the right therapist for you? The best way to find out is by actually talking to me. If consult feels overwhelming, please check out the videos on this page.
About Tamaki
I am Tamaki Kano (鹿野環 | they/them), RCC, CCC, MCP-AT, M.Sc. I have worked in science and research, non-profit, corporate, government, and social services prior to becoming a therapist in my 40’s.
I became interested in activism in childhood and gained valuable experience across various causes across decades. But eventually I realized I could not heal the society if I couldn’t even heal myself.
I have diverse life experiences. Living across several cultures, working in various orgs from conglomerate to non-profit to government to small business, rural and urban, life transitions and “starting over,” adopting a traumatized rescue dog, playing and reffing hockey, systemic and interpersonal violence, and being out-trans nonbinary gay kid since the 70’s, to name a few.
Personal Values and Lifestyles
I would not expect you to hold the same values. I list them because people who wish to know my politics deserve to.
I strive for universal design. I continue to wear N95 (aura) / KN95 (GATA) except when outside and windy.
I do not use any AI note-taking, automated transcription, or feed machine-learning / LLM. On top of security and environmental issues, I do not believe AI can ever document therapy the way a trained therapist can.
I stand for I/indigenous sovereignty (including Palestine, Africa, and Turtle Island), Black Liberation, Disability inclusion, 2SLGBTQIA+ equity, harm reduction and safe supply, housing is a human right, and Japan’s full apologies and reparations.
Approaches
I practice PCT (aka “Rogerian”), EMDR, EFCT (an attachment-oriented relationship therapy), trauma therapy, somatic, the nervous system regulation, art therapy, DBT, and the anti-oppressive form of modern CBT. I respect all ways of healing, such as culture and community.
No matter how many psychologists endorse certain techniques, you are the expert of whether it works for you or not.
I am strongly informed by the common factor theory. It means that the therapist is more important than the therapeutic techniques.
I actively maintain a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, land back praxis in professional, personal, and political aspects of my life.
I do not believe in “curing” autism or ADHD. I believe the anxiety comes from the lack of accommodation and ableism, masking, and reactions to unmasking. However, I do also acknowledge and hold space for the difficulties with the bodies each of us lives in. I believe that affirming perspectives on neurodivergence sometimes does harm by turning into toxic positivity.
Fees
I keep my fees low instead of sliding scale.
I only offer a limited number of free or half-cost spots.
Individual Therapy (60 min)
Relationship Therapy (60 min)
Peer Consult (60 min)
$150 / 60 min
$180 / 60 min
$150+GST / 60 min
Direct billing with FNHA, ICBC, Greenshield, Blue Cross (including some StudentCare), and SunLife may be available. Please inquire.
Contact
Please use the form below.
Alternatively, you can email me or book a free consult.
asian, east asian, japanese, transgender, neurodivergent, autistic, adhd, gifted, neurospicy, neuroqueer, BIPOC, POC, racialized, immigrant, trans nonbinary non-binary enby agender pansexual gay bisexual
Tamaki Kano, RCC, CCC 