Nicholas van Sabben, RCC
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia. I came to this work later than most, and by a route almost nobody takes.
The first career
Before I ever sat in a counsellor's chair, I played professional hockey. Then I went underground — hard rock and soft rock mining — and worked oil and gas as a roughneck and floorhand. I ended up a Shifter Boss, responsible for crews on shifts where the schedule was behind, the contractor was pushing, and the safe option was the slow one. I have also owned and run businesses across several sectors.
That is not colour on a resume. It is the reason I understand what it costs to be the person who has it handled, and why the pressures of demanding, high-consequence environments are not abstract to me.
Why I changed direction
I finished my Master's degree in Counselling Psychology at 40. I got there after my own long road — one that included a serious mental health diagnosis, psychiatric hospitalization, substance use, the end of a marriage, and raising a child on my own.
I am telling you this for one reason only: so you know that when you describe the worst of it, you are not describing something I have only read about. I am not going to be shocked, and I am not going to quietly decide you are too much.
I want to be clear about the boundary, because it matters. My history is why I do this work — it is not what we spend your sessions on. The hour is yours. What my background buys you is a clinician who has been on the other side of the desk and does not confuse your situation with his own.
The work I am proudest of
One of the most significant honours of my career was being invited by Secwepemc Child and Family Services to work within Tk'emlups te Secwepemc territory, taking responsibility for the youth and families carrying the highest level of need. When situations are at their most difficult, I do not step back. I stay.
How I practise
I work with EMDR and DBT, alongside ACT, CBT, and somatic approaches. I specialize in trauma, emotional regulation, substance use and concurrent disorders, and personality disorders — the presentations that often get labelled complex or treatment-resistant.
I am direct. If I think you are wrong about something, I will say so. If I am not the right person for what you are carrying, I will tell you that too, and point you somewhere better. You will not get a sales pitch from me.
If any of this sounds right
The first fifteen minutes are free and there is no obligation attached to them. You tell me what is going on, I tell you honestly whether I am the right fit.
Book a Free 15-Min ConsultAccepting new clients · Appointments until 8:30pm weeknights & Saturdays · Or call (778) 921-0960