Personal Philosophy: I believe counselling is one of many avenues to personal healing. As a counsellor, my overarching goal is to provide a safe, nonjudgmental, and understanding environment for personal exploration and awareness. Ultimately, I believe this process can result in a more harmonious and trusting relationship with oneself and, in turn, more fulfilling and rewarding relationships with others.

What to Expect: As I view you as the expert on your own life, I will work collaboratively with you. Initially, I will be focused on acquiring an understanding of your experiences, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. I will then work with you to achieve your goals for counselling. This process will be different for each person.

Theoretical Orientations: I use a combination of Schema Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. Since I work collaboratively, this means that you will also be learning about and identifying concepts that are most relevant to you and your experiences. Schema Therapy provides concepts related to how we view others, the world, and ourselves, and identifies various ways people cope with their schemas. Schemas influence how we think, feel, and behave. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy focuses on uncovering and altering distortions of thought or perceptions, which may be causing or prolonging psychological distress. I draw upon Emotion-Focused Therapy to help you identify, process, integrate, and accept the assortment of feelings you are experiencing and I use Solution-Focused Therapy to help you identify your strengths, hopes, and goals. Finally, I draw upon Buddhist Psychology for grounding exercises, such as focusing on the breath, and alternative ways of viewing our feelings and experiences.

Areas of Focus: I offer individual counselling for adults struggling to accept their sexual orientation or who are questioning their sexual orientation. I also offer counselling for individuals coping with the impact of childhood sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse. Some of the challenges you may be experincing may include depression, anxiety, low self esteem, anger, shame, substance abuse, disordered eating, problems with trust and intimacy, difficulties with assertiveness and identifying your feelings, and a profound sense of loneliness/lack of belonging.

I Offer a Free 30-Minute Consultation Session: The overall purpose of this session is to see if we are a good fit for each other. During this session, I will ask what brought you to counselling and what your goals are. I will then provide you with a brief overview of Schema Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. The remaining time will be for you to ask me any questions you may have.

Fees: $90.00 per hour (sliding scale available).

Address: Locations in Kitsilano and Downtown Vancouver.

Office Hours: Mondays &Tuesdays, including evenings.

Appointments: The best way to arrange an appointment is to call me at 778-990-1825. If I am unable to answer, you may leave a message on my confidential voice mail. I will return your message within 24 hours. Alternatively, I can be contacted via e-mail at gbekar@shaw.ca.


Love After Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.