Finding the right counsellor is an important part of the journey to finding your authentic self.
Before you make your decision, I want to make sure you know who I am.
Get to know your LGBTQ Therapist Burnaby
Alo, I’m Nita Agustin (they/them), your friendly neighbourhood LGBTQ therapist based in Burnaby, BC. I’m here to walk alongside you as you navigate identity, relationships, and the big questions that come with being human.
If you’re expecting a very buttoned-up, clipboard-holding, “professional-professional” counsellor, I’ll gently warn you now, that’s not me. I show up the way I invite my clients to show up: as my whole self. I speak openly and laugh loudly. I ask questions out of curiousity. And I encourage you to do the same 🙂
At the heart of my work as an LGBTQ therapist is a deep commitment to creating a space where youth and young adults feel safe, heard, validated, and affirmed, no matter what they bring into the room.
Showing Up as My Whole Self (So You Can Too)
I also want to share that I come into this work with lived experience.
I’m queer and AuDHD- came out later in life. That makes me a loud and proud NeuroQueer :)
I’m also an adoptee, who was adopted as an infant.
And I’m a newcomer who has spent much of my life living in-between cultures and straddling identities
These aren’t labels I share to check a box , they shape how I listen, how I attune, and how seriously I take the courage it takes to name yourself in a world that often asks you to stay small, quiet, or “palatable.” As an LGBTQ therapist, I know how exhausting it can be to constantly explain yourself. My hope is that, here, you won’t have to.
A Few More Deets About Your LGBTQ Theapist Burnaby…
Growing up queer in Indonesia and making a big move to Burnaby, BC in 2011 profoundly shaped how I see the world. Navigating cultural expectations, belonging, and identity across contexts has given me deep insight into LGBTQIA2S+ experiences, cross-cultural transitions, and the quiet work of finding yourself.
For a long time, I lived with a sense of being slightly out of sync. It wasn’t until later in life that pieces began to click: my queerness, my neurodivergence, and the ways adoption and migration shaped how I learned to adapt, perform, and survive.
I know what it’s like to realize something essential about yourself after you’ve already built a life. I know the mix of grief, relief, confusion, and tenderness that can come with that knowing. And I know how powerful it can be to have someone sit beside you, without rushing you toward answers, while you make meaning of it all.
On a more personal note:
~ I personally identify as highly sensitive and spend lots of time reflecting on the meaning and purpose of life
~ I decided to live out my queerness in my early 30s, something which goes against the grain of Indonesian Chinese culture
~ I was born and raised in East Java, Indonesia (it’s the world’s largest archipelago country, with more than 17k islands!!) and left Indonesia soon after completing high school to pursue psychology studies
~ I love gardening and hiking in the summer and during the colder months I read and write a lot more
~ I’m a self-professed foodie making my way through the multicultural delights Vancouver has to offer
Here’s my absolute jam as an LGBTQ therapist Burnaby:
If you’re here because you’re curious and need someone to guide you through a challenging point in your life, I would love to be your guide. As an LGBTQ therapist, I am not one size fits all.
I’m best known for helping clients find clarity in:
Exploration of personal identity & relationships
We never arrive and constantly evolve as an individual. The way we see ourselves and live our lives in our early 20’s looks starkly different from in our 30’s.
From my journey with clients, I witnessed how impactful having a sounding board to process how the many pieces of their self-identity fit, or doesn’t fit together. We moved from confusion to clarity.
We could talk about faith & spirituality, life or career aspiration, relationship issues, self esteem.
Some of the most common relationships issues clients share include boundary, communications, attachment pattern
My LGBTQIA2S+ clients typically process their gender identity, sexual orientation, coming out,…
Finding meaning and purpose in life
Have you ever wondered if what you are doing today will lead to where you want to be? This could be school- or work- related. Having a trustworthy listener is helpful to either validate that you are where you are supposed to be. Or, to have someone journeying with you through the process of making any changes or transitions in life.
Cross-cultural differences and adaptations
Do you feel overwhelmed with the prospect of making friends and building a new life in Vancouver, BC?
For those of you who have been living in Vancouver for a few years and visiting home regularly, you still feel homesick every now and then. And to make matters worse, you don’t feel like you’re fully Canadian, but wait… you are not fully (your culture of origin) either. So, who the heck are you then??
What fellow community members have to say about your LGBTQ Therapist Burnaby
Sara Jones
Professional Organizer and a mother
“Nita is incredibly passionate in her very well chosen profession as a youth and LGBTQ therapist. They truly live the advice she gives about becoming your most confident and best self. They are my go to referral for youth looking for counselling.”
Alex Frolek of Stelex Solutions,
A strong believer of accessibility to LGBTQ mental healthcare
“Nita's approachability and warmth make people feel seen, heard, and supported in incredible ways. As an LGBTQ therapist, they have a lot of empathy and honest insights to share which resonate deeply with queer counselling. Their ability to create a safe, nurturing space allows for honest, open conversations that are so instrumental in people's journey of self-discovery, exploration, and acceptance. They are very personable and deeply understands the LGBTQ+ community and their unique challenges…If you're looking for genuine support and guidance that celebrates all facets of your identity, Nita is the therapist you've been searching for.”
Jen Greenwood
Independent Director at Pampered Chef and a mother of 2
“I have known Nita for over a year now, and I have found them to be a fun, kind, genuine & compassionate person (located in the Burnaby region of the Greater Vancouver district). They are uniquely qualified to provide guidance & assistance to anyone looking for an LGBTQ therapist. Nita brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. I would recommend her counseling expertise.
Just in case you’re curious about how I show up in my work as LGBTQ Therapist Burnaby
When you come see me, I want you to feel at home. You’re welcome to show up exactly as you are, unsure, messy, curious, overwhelmed, hopeful, or all of the above.
I’m not here to be an authority in your life. I’m here to be an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, and a steady voice of compassion, understanding, and motivation. As an LGBTQ therapist, my role is to walk with you, not ahead of you.
I completed a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology, and is registered as both Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #19626) and Canadian Certified Counselor (CCC #10011137). I am a member in good standing with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
I am a life-longe learner, so I keep up-to-date with the ever-changing world we live in:
2025 Synergetic Play therapy (SPT) by The SPT Institute
2024 Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes by Transcare BC and Health Canada
2023 Gender Affirming and Hormone Readiness Assessment Training by Matsui De Roo
2023 Queering Mental Health by Our Landing Place
2022 Gender Spectrum Family Symposium: Understanding Gender and Supporting Transgender Youth
2022 Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) presented by DBT Center of Vancouver
2022 Motivational Interviewing (MI) delivered by Christine Urquhart at Change Talk
2021 Observed and Experiential Integration Level I, by Rick Bradshaw at Sight Psych
2020 Delivering Telehealth Counselling: Using Video, Phone, and Text-based Methods to Connect with Clients
2019 Sand Tray/ Rice Tray Workshop delilvered by Dr. Bart Begalka
2018 Trauma and Empathy Workshop
This is what paved the way for me to be a kickass LGBTQ Therapist in Burnaby
We acknowledge that as an LGBTQ Therapist Burnaby, Nita Agustin operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples and are grateful to be on this territory.