Danika Bazant
MA, RCC (she/her)
Registered Clinical Counsellor serving Nanaimo and Central Vancouver Island
Individual therapy for adults 18+, in-person and online, Monday to Friday
EMDR, somatic therapy, talk therapy
Helping you connect to your most authentic self
Hi there, welcome to my site. What’s bringing you here? Perhaps you are:
Feeling “triggered” all the time, or not like your “normal” self?
Unable to stop thinking about something that really bothers you, and why you can’t just “get past” it?
Experiencing challenges in relationships, or noticing the same things happening over and over again?
Unable to “level up” to do something you dream about doing?
You may be wanting to begin on your healing journey, perhaps aware that something needs to change but you aren't sure what it is; or, you may know exactly what needs to change but you're experiencing fear about it.
Either way, I commend you for being brave and showing up for yourself. Allow me to walk alongside you and accompany you on your journey.
About Me
Danika Bazant, MA, RCC (#12079)
I have been a Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2014 and have a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria. I have over 15 years of experience in the counselling field working with adults, children and families in public mental health settings, substance use treatment and non-profit societies.
I specialize in working with adults (18+) in overcoming trauma and have undertaken training in various trauma-processing modalities. Some of the approaches which inform my practice are:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Somatic Attachment Therapy
Integrated Body Psychotherapy (IBP)
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Solution-Focused Therapy
I am a member of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). I am also an Occupationally Aware Clinician and in my graduate training completed a project on the challenges that first responders face in accessing mental health supports.
I also have many years of experience working as a mental health therapist within the public health system which has helped me to have an in-depth understanding of many of the difficulties impacting health care professionals such as nurses and other public system employees.
Life-long learning is a passion of mine, and staying current in my profession and serving clients as best as I can is important to me. That being said, I have a full appreciation of the myriad of lessons, gifts and challenges that come from just being a human being living our everyday lives; this provides me with the continual inspiration to do this work.
Specialties
Relational Work
Relational / Relationship Issues
Family of Origin / Family of Creation Dynamics
Life Transitions
Burnout / Career Transitions
Separation / Divorce / High-Conflict Divorce
Loss of Relationships
Trauma
Post-Traumatic Stress / Anxiety
Complex Trauma
Abuse Recovery
Performance Anxiety / Enhancement
EMDR Intensives - Extended Sessions, Half or Full Days (online or in-person)
Recommended treatment length and plan will be discussed in detail with you depending on your goals. Please contact me for further information and to schedule a free 15-minute consultation
What is EMDR? From the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) Website:
“EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences (Maxfield, 2019). EMDR therapy has even been superior to Prozac in trauma treatment (Van der Kolk et al., 2007). Shapiro and Forrest (2016) share that more than 7 million people have been treated successfully by 110,000 therapists in 130 countries since 2016.”
What is an EMDR Intensive?
An EMDR Therapy Intensive fast-tracks the healing that you would experience in a typical EMDR session. Instead of going to counselling for your weekly or bi-weekly session, you would dedicate a specific block of time (from 3 hours to 3 days) to work intensively. Like the name, it certainly can feel more “intense”; however, clients typically get used to the process quickly and experience powerful transformation in a shorter period of time.
This might be for you if you:
Already go to therapy but want to focus on experiencing transformation in a certain area
Have done EMDR in the past and want to concentrate on something specific
Are preparing for a big life event or transition
Have a painful experience from the past that is still bothering you and you want to feel more empowered
Feel free to contact me to discuss if an EMDR Intensive is right for you.
Which is more effective, EMDR via week-to-week therapy or an intensive?
Research is growing on effectiveness of EMDR intensives. Several studies have shown that they are just as effective as weekly therapy. It might be an option for you if it suits your budget and you just want your “feel better faster”!
Get in touch with me
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we would be a fit for working together. I will ask you what has been going on for you that is leading you to seek out counselling at this time. It is also your opportunity to ask me any questions you might have about me, how I work, and how we might work together.
If you decide you wish to go ahead and book with me, I will ask you the following:
Are you looking for in-person or virtual/online sessions?
How frequently do you want to work together (once a week, every 2 weeks, once a month, etc.)?
Which email address and phone number would you like me to use to contact you?
First session: You will receive an appointment confirmation with a link to my online intake and consent form. I ask that you fill this out within 24 hours of our first meeting. This allows me to know more about you for when we meet for our first full session.
If you cannot make our meeting and need to reschedule, I ask that you please give me 48 hours’ notice. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to connecting with you.
