At Empower Counselling Services, we work with adults in Winnipeg and across Manitoba who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or held back by the past—often while appearing to manage on the outside.
Our approach is grounded in evidence-based therapy, including trauma-informed care and EMDR, combined with something equally important: real human connection.
Many of the people we work with are used to pushing through, figuring things out on their own, and holding a lot internally. Therapy can be a different kind of space—one where you don’t have to carry it alone anymore.
A place to make sense of what’s been weighing on you—and begin to resolve it, not just understand it.
We’re not trying to be the most polished therapy practice out there. Our focus is on being authentic, transparent, and straightforward, yet deeply compassionate.
That means showing up as real and genuine humans—present, honest, and fully in your corner.
Our approach is shaped by advanced training, ongoing education, and evidence-based therapy—not just good intentions.
While our style is real and human, our work is intentional, informed, and focused on meaningful change.
We aim to create a space where you don’t have to mask or pretend you’ve got it all together.
A place where you can show up as you are, and begin from there.
We believe therapy works best when there is a real, human connection—where you feel seen, understood, and supported through the hard parts, not just the easy ones.
Whether you’re navigating trauma, relationships, or that sense that something just feels… off, we’re here to help you make sense of it—and begin moving forward.
You might be someone who’s used to getting through, figuring things out, and being the one others rely on.
And at the same time, something still doesn’t feel settled underneath it all.
We’re a small team of therapists who care deeply about the work we do.
Each of us brings advanced training, ongoing education, and a commitment to providing thoughtful, evidence-based therapy—while also showing up as real, genuine humans in the room.
Because who you work with matters.
A steady space to slow down, feel, and begin to understand yourself in a different way.
Hi, I’m Liona.
You may not always have the words for what’s going on—but you can feel that something isn’t quite right. Maybe things have been building for a while, or maybe something has shifted recently, and you’re starting to pay attention in a new way.
However you arrived here, you don’t have to have it all figured out.
In our work together, we can take things at a pace that feels comfortable and manageable. There’s space to slow down, to notice what’s coming up, and to begin making sense of your experiences in a way that feels supportive—not overwhelming.
I aim to create an environment where you feel safe to be yourself, without pressure to say things perfectly or to move faster, or slower, than you’re ready for. We go at your pace.
Through talk therapy, we can take the time to explore what’s been coming up for you—at a pace that feels manageable and supportive.
There’s space to slow things down, to notice what you’re feeling, and to begin making sense of your experiences without pressure to have it all figured out.
My approach is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and respect for your unique experience—while also drawing from ongoing training and evidence-based practices.
Over time, this work can help you feel more connected to yourself, more steady in your emotions, and more able to respond to life in ways that feel aligned with who you are.
You don’t have to go through that process on your own.
Making sense of what still feels heavy—especially when you’ve been holding it together for a long time.
Hi, I'm Vern.
You might be someone who’s used to holding things together—getting through, figuring things out, and being the one others rely on. And at the same time, something still feels unsettled underneath it all.
Often, people in this position don’t always see themselves as needing support—but something still doesn’t feel right.
Maybe clicking on this page took effort. Maybe you’ve been thinking about reaching out for a while.
Either way—you made it here, and that matters.
In our work together, we won’t rush past things or stay on the surface. We’ll take the time to understand what’s been weighing on you, where it comes from, and what’s keeping it in place.
I aim to offer a space where you don’t have to mask, filter yourself, or explain things perfectly—just a place to start, as you are.
Alongside talk therapy, I use approaches like EMDR to help process experiences that may still feel stuck or unresolved.
This can be especially helpful if you’re noticing patterns that don’t seem to shift with insight alone—like overthinking, feeling on edge, being hard on yourself, or struggling in relationships in ways that don’t fully make sense.
My work is grounded in trauma-informed care, ongoing training, and current research—but how we work together matters just as much as what what approach we use.
Therapy, to me, is not about fixing you. It’s about helping you understand yourself more clearly, process what’s been carried for a long time, and begin moving forward in a way that feels more steady and aligned.
You don’t have to do that alone.
Finding the right therapist is an important part of this process.
You might find yourself drawn more to one approach or way of being—and that matters.
At Empower Counselling Services, we bring over 20 years of combined experience in trauma-informed care. We’ve seen how experiences can shape the way you think, feel, and move through the world—and how meaningful it can be to have a space where those experiences are met with care and understanding.
More than anything, we aim to offer a place where you feel comfortable enough to show up as you are.
You don’t have to get it exactly right—just notice which person of our team feels like the best fit for you.
At Empower Counselling Services, our approach is grounded in something simple:
Therapy works best when it feels like a real human connection.
Not overly clinical. Not distant. But present, steady, and genuine.
At the same time, our work is grounded in advanced training, ongoing education, and evidence-based approaches to therapy. This means you’re not just being supported—you’re working in ways that are informed, intentional, and designed to help create meaningful change.
We work with adults in Winnipeg and across Manitoba who often appear to be managing on the outside—showing up, getting things done, being the one others rely on. But internally, something still feels unsettled. Heavy. Or just… off.
You may not always have the exact words for it. But you know something hasn’t fully resolved.
One of the most important parts of therapy is having a place where you don’t have to hold everything together.
A space where you can:
You don’t have to come in with clarity. You don’t have to be completely sure what you need.
We’ll meet you where you are—and move at a pace that feels steady and manageable.
Much of our work centers around trauma—both single events and more complex, long-standing experiences, including things like emotional neglect, chronic stress, or growing up in environments where you had to adapt in ways that still follow you now.
This can show up as:
If this feels familiar, you can learn more about how we approach this work on our trauma therapy for PTSD and CPTSD page.
We gently work to understand where these patterns come from—and more importantly, how to begin shifting them in a way that feels meaningful and lasting.
Insight is important—but often, it’s not enough on its own.
That’s why we integrate approaches like EMDR therapy alongside talk therapy, especially when working with trauma and deeper emotional patterns.
If you’re curious about how this works, you can read more on our EMDR therapy page.
This allows us to go beyond just understanding your experiences—to actually processing and working through them, so they don’t continue to feel as present or overwhelming in your day-to-day life.
We stay engaged with current research, ongoing training, and evidence-based approaches.
But how that shows up in the room matters just as much.
We don’t believe therapy has to feel overly formal or clinical to be effective. We bring what we know into the space in a way that feels natural, conversational, and grounded.
Because healing doesn’t just happen through techniques. It happens in relationship.
And when your experiences were shaped in relationship, it can be powerful to work through them in a relationship that feels safe, steady, and real.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before reaching out.
In fact, many people we work with are used to waiting until they feel completely ready—or until things feel “bad enough.”
If something here feels familiar, that’s enough to get started.
There’s space to begin this gently, at your own pace—with support.
This page introduces the therapists at Empower Counselling Services in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and outlines their approach to therapy. It highlights a focus on real, human connection alongside trauma-informed, evidence-based counselling, including EMDR. The goal is to help individuals feel seen, understood, and supported while working through what’s been weighing on them and moving toward meaningful change.
141 Sherbrook Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2B5