A smiling woman with wavy blonde hair wearing a brown jacket over a white shirt, standing against a light blue background.

Melissa Drabbant

MA, RCC

Registered Clinical Counsellor (#): 20637

Locations: Surrey & Vancouver Therapist Online

Serving: Adults Young Adults Couples

Youth Families Children

I believe healing happens in connection. We’re not meant to face pain, grief, or change in isolation — and therapy can offer a space to be met with care, curiosity, and respect for your full story. My hope is that you’ll feel safe bringing all parts of yourself — not just what feels “put together,” but also what feels vulnerable, stuck, or raw.

With over ten years of experience in the mental health field, I’ve supported children, youth, adults, couples, and families across a variety of settings, including private practice, community agencies, residential care, and group therapy settings. I’ve helped clients navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, relationship issues, life transitions, and more. My approach is collaborative, grounded in deep respect for your lived experience, inner wisdom, and capacity to heal. I work relationally, exploring emotional patterns, core beliefs, and relationship dynamics to help you better understand yourself and how you engage with the world. Alongside this insight-oriented work, I integrate psychoeducation, practical skill development, and evidence-based strategies to support emotional regulation, resilience, and meaningful, day-to-day change.

It has been an honour to accompany clients through their most vulnerable and transformative moments, witnessing their courage, creativity, and strength, even in the face of struggle. You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin — we can start exactly where you are.

GET TO KNOW MELISSA

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GET TO KNOW MELISSA

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GET TO KNOW MELISSA

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GET TO KNOW MELISSA • GET TO KNOW MELISSA • GET TO KNOW MELISSA •

My Professional Background

    • Trauma, Childhood Abuse, and Complex-PTSD

    • Relationship Issues (singlehood/dating, partnership/romantic, & friendship)

    • Family of Origin and Family Conflict

    • Anxiety & Depression

    • Emotional Dysregulation

    • Burnout

    • Self-Esteem & Personal Growth

    • Shame & Self-Worth

    • Body Image

    • Grief & Loss

    • Life Transitions

    • First Responders

    • University Students

    *if you want to work with me and don’t see your concern here, mention it on your inquiry form! I’ve worked with many areas and it’s possible I have experience working with yours before, too.

    • Trauma-Informed

    • Relational and Attachment

    • IFS Parts Work

    • Emotion-Focused Somatic/Body-Based

    • Mindfulness and Compassion

    • Person-Centered

    • Psychoeducation

    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

    • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

    • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Level 1 (AEDP Institute)

    • Trauma, Dissociation, and the Body: A Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Approach Webinar (Sensorimotor Institute)

    • Sandtray Workshop (Dr. Bart Begalka)

    • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (Trinity Western University)

    • Bachelor of Arts (Trinity Western University)

    • English

Get To Know Me Personally

  • I take care of myself by connecting with close people, exercising regularly, and wandering through nature.

  • I have always felt drawn to the stories of others, as well as a desire to journey with people through the ups and downs of life. Through my own therapeutic experiences, I realized that I also wanted to cultivate a space where others could feel genuine belonging and connectedness amidst their healing.

  • I moved to Australia for a period between my degrees. This was never a part of the plan, but I am so glad I followed through on that adventure!

  • An actor and a singer.

  • I am spending time with my close people, heading to the ocean, watching a movie/show, or doing physical activity. I also enjoy listening to a range of podcasts, going to concerts, and travelling.

  • Counselling is not for “broken” people who need “fixing.” It is not my belief that people are broken, or that they need to be fixed. Counselling can help clients explore and unlearn the survival strategies they have been using for a long time, which are no longer serving them. It can be a place for clients to rediscover the wisdom and resources that already lie within them, as well as learn other helpful strategies for reducing pain and enhancing connection.

  • The moments when clients have made a connection or sense of something they have never been able to understand or articulate. I find these moments very powerful.

  • Genuine, empathetic, and relatable, along with a calming presence.

  • “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

    the world offers itself to your imagination,

    calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-

    over and over announcing your place

    in the family of things.” – Mary Oliver

New Clients

Please fill out the New Client Inquiry form below to book an appointment with Melissa.

Existing Clients

Our online booking feature is available to clients who have already had a first appointment with Melissa.