Academic Background:
- Certificate in Focusing-Oriented Therapy, International Focusing Institute, 2017
- Master of Arts, Counselling Psychology (Emphasis on Integral Counselling Psychology), California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, 2007
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Travel Industry Management), University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, 1988
Languages:
- Minored in French, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1987-88
- Basic Cantonese and Mandarin
Continuing Education Highlights:
- Music-Integrated Therapy (12-Week Training), April 2022
- Core Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Training presented by the Provincial Health Services Authority, March 2019
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (4-Day Externship), July 2011
- Gottman Couples Therapy, Nov 2011
- The Psychology of Action: The Role of the Body in the Treatment of Trauma and Attachment, Oct 2009
Community Projects:
- World Tai Chi Day – One World. One Breath, Project Lead, Nanaimo, 2024
- Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum, Founding member. Conference manager, 2015 – 2022
Pauline Goh, MA, RCC, FOT
Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified Focusing-Oriented Therapist
Crisis points (i.e. marked by physical illness, overwhelm, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, hitting “rock bottom,” “falling apart,” “feeling stuck,” “caught between two places”) can be catalysts for change and transformation in our lives. They offer us opportunities to gain more self awareness and insights, so that we can live our fullest potential. I have found this to be true, based on my own life experiences, and through witnessing my clients’ respective journeys.
My personal history has encompassed migration and travel, working and living in different parts of the world, being entrenched for 15+ years in the corporate world, and working as a counsellor/psychotherapist in the last 16+ years as a second career. Like many others, my awareness has shed light on repetitive patterns, previous blind spots, false selves vs true self, and the ongoing practice of self love. A deeper connection with myself (and others) is the gift on the other side, from reaching out for support throughout the journey.
In my work with clients, I accompany them safely and at their own pace, to explore what is present moment by moment, and to unpack and clear away what is no longer serving them. In life and nature, there is quiet and there is movement; there are seasons of activity, seasons of rest. Sometimes, we experience what feels to be stagnant, and then the next moment, there is flow. Your body knows the answer, and I am here to accompany you in this exploration, with curiosity, compassion, and non judgment.
I am passionate about Tai Chi as a body-mind-spirit practice and a way to engage with community. I am also a Vipassana meditation student who appreciates the practice of stillness, equanimity, and self inquiry. My other interests include resting, nature walks, gardening, parenting, cooking, music, traveling, and conscious dancing.
>> To read more about my specialty areas and therapeutic approaches, please click HERE.