Wondering if youth counselling is for you?
● Does who you feel inside not match with who you see in the mirror?
● Does your version of ‘normal’ look different from everyone else?
● Does where you come from make it hard for you to connect with others?
● Are you under the age of 19 years old and in need of someone to talk to?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, youth counselling might be what you need. So keep reading…
Growing up is hard work. Your body is changing, your brain is growing. And there is nothing we can do to stop that.
But if you find yourself alone, misunderstood, and confused about who you are… Youth Counselling can help
Hello, my name is Nita Agustin
I offer youth counselling services for young people, just like you, who need someone to talk to when life gets to be too much.
Youth counselling is something that is very near and dear to me.
You see, I was once that confused, questioning youth unsure about the world around me and worried about what it meant to be who I was. That’s what light the fire in me to help youths navigate the world around them.
I’m not perfect, and I don’t expect you to be either.
But together, we’ll be unstoppable as we navigate some of the things holding you back from being your glorious, confident self.
Wondering what to expect with Youth Counselling?
Just like any other service that I provide, the first thing we need to consider is:
Are we the right fit?
Not every counsellor has the expertise you need to meet your specific needs. Before we dive too deep, you should know my areas of specialty include:
● Personal Identity and self exploration
● LGBTQ+ stuff (eg. gender identity and sexual orientation, to name a few)
● Living in-between cultures (Third Culture Kids or international students moving from elsewhere and settling in Vancouver, BC)
If you read this far, then I get the sense that you are looking for someone to see you through a difficult time or a confusing period. To make things easier for you, I highly recommend you check out my instagram and the video to get a sense of my vibe.
● See if you connect with my style,
● Visualize what us working together looks for you
● AND- if you’re a minor - loop in your parent or guardian
● Trust your gut to guide you in this decision
Together we can navigate this time in your life to help you gain the confidence you need to shine as the person you are meant to be! :)
How Long Will I Be in Youth Counselling?
If there is one thing I want you to know, it's that the youth counselling progress looks different for everyone.
My goal is for you not to feel rushed or like you have to meet certain milestones within certain timeframes.
We’re moving at your speed. Whatever that may be.
You see, some days you will feel like you’ve made incredible strides, others you’ll feel like you’re at square one.
But no matter what happens, or where we start our day, working with me means I’ll be there to talk, listen, and help you work through what’s holding you back.
Wait… is this session just for just me, or?…
YES! Absolutely!
Let’s be real, you’re here because you’ve reached an age where talking to your parents just doesn’t cut it.
Maybe they don’t really understand.
Maybe you just need a different point of view.
Well, to be fair, your parents need to sign up on your behalf (the informed consent).
Though the session itself are meant to be just the two of us, whatever it may be you want to talk about
Unless YOU want to include your parents, guardian, best friend, or brother or sister - whoever - it's YOUR choice.
All sounds good to me. What now?
Let’s sign you up for Youth Counselling :)
After you’ve done your homework, and decided that I’m the youth counsellor for you, here’s what you need to do:
● Loop in your parent or guardian (if you’re under 19yrs old)
● Schedule your intake first session (This is our icebreaker sesh. Here we learn from each other about what brought you to counselling and how I can help you get to where you want to be)
● Fill in the client intake and informed consent forms
● Show up for your first session
That’s it! The process is simple.
Though, if you’re still wondering about a thing or two, hit me in the DM
Who says youth counselling is boring?!? Here’s what fellow professionals gotta say about your Spunky Counsellor
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Stef F, Professional Branding Photographer, Langley BC
Nita is one of those vibrant people that you realize you’re lucky to have met! As a counsellor and a person in general, Nita genuinely cares about the people she’s helping. Nita is not afraid to be herself in front of clients and I think that’s super important as a counsellor because most counsellors tend to be overly neutral to the point of lacking relatable personality. For a youth counsellor, Nita is able to help clients to the fullest by being empathic, knowledgeable and most importantly: relatable. Highly recommend Nita for any youth looking for support.
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Stefan Zafalin, Chief Branding Officer, LA
If you’re on social media, you see lots of people talking about acceptance and diversity of races and genders, but so many times the actions aren’t there, the feeling of a safe space is not there. In a world that seems biased against you, Nita provides an incredible space for queer counseling with genuine listening (and not trying to speak your truth for you, but let you speak). If you are even slightly concerned that you may hold back from people around you and that there is a barrier you need to get across when it comes to LGBTQ themes, especially in combination with youth counseling, have a chat with Nita. It is well worth your time.
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Zaineb Ghlayem, Neurodiversity Affirming Educator in Langley, a mother of 2
I have referred youth to work with Nita. She is very caring, honest and understanding. Nita provides a safe space to her clients where they can be themselves by supporting them to know themselves. I highly recommend her as she is a professional and an amazing person to be around. Area of specialty: LGBTQ+, Youth.
As parents and caregivers, trusting your child’s well-being to someone else can be a big change.
I approach youth counselling similarly to how I approach my other clients: as my true self.
At a glance you might assume I’m unprofessional because I ditch the neutrals for bright colours and bold patterns.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m a quirky, off-beat licensed clinical counsellor. My jam is helping youths and young adults explore their curiosity and learn to live as their authentic selves.
Youth and adolescence are a period coloured with lots of confusion. There are lots of different stereotypes out there, and society constantly tells us who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to do in the world. And, that could be overwhelming for your teens.
I am here to relate, to listen, to talk to support and to be a person in your youth’s corner they can trust.
I won’t be telling them who they’re supposed to be, instead, I will walk alongside them and ask questions about what your youth think or wish.
If you still have any questions about how that looks like in practise, I encourage you to find out a little more about me.
Parent corner What Parents Need to Know About Youth Counselling…
Wondering whether I give progress reports?
Not really.
When it comes to sharing information about their session, it is completely in your youth’s hands.
In some cases, I can provide a general update on the progress and shifts happening between then and now, though any specific details is up to them. If and when a parent requested updates, I will inform your youth during session and ask their permission first on what information they would feel comfortable sharing.
I so resonate with your general curiosity and desire to have a sense of what’s going on, though in all of this I want to be super mindful of your youth needs for space and a sense of autonomy over their life.
One exception is definitely during cases of emergency, if there is a threat to your youth’s safety, that’s when confidentiality no longer applies and I will inform you of what’s going on.
We acknowledge that Nita Agustin Youth Counselling in Burnaby 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.