Heidi Wigmore BSc MC RCC
Hello! I was born and raised in Victoria, BC/Lekwungen Territories. I am aware of how fortunate I was to be born into this world in such a beautiful place, and I do not take this awareness for granted. I have a vested interest in the health and well-being of our community. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). Here are some things you might like to know about me:
I hold a Masters in Counselling from City University of Seattle. This comprehensive masters program gave me a rich perspective in helping people to see themselves in broader contexts. It also helped me to understand people through a non-pathologizing lens. I believe we are a product of both nature and nurture; that we are formed not only through biology but also through the influence of family, community, and culture.
I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Victoria. My curiousity of the Bigger Picture led me to want to study the Little Picture, where I recognize the interplay between the micro and macro of our lives. From my studies, I supplement my knowledge as a counsellor with ideas that include: genetics (the growing field of epigenetics is fascinating), neurochemistry (for example, the workings of various medications), microbiology (gut health, for instance), and other interrelated biochemical processes of our bodies.
There has always been a magnetic pull toward the helping field. I have given my energies to organizations such as the Beacon Community Services, Citizens Counselling Centre, Power To Be, Vancouver Island Sexual Health Society, United Way, Need Crisis & Information Line, and Greater Victoria Police Victim Services. Helping people to find clarity in difficulty, or sit with challenging/stuck feelings, or process deep wounds is a privilege. It never ceases to amaze me the daring acts of vulnerability that each of us take in order to heal, connect, and grow. As a counsellor, I have worked with people facing all sorts of issues, and identify as a generalist counsellor. I have experience running therapy groups including grief and loss, mindfulness and cognitive therapy training, as well as anger management and exploration. I do and have run groups both in-person and online.
Here are some focused and continuing education studies:
Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy (EFiT): Level 1 Training
Complicated Grief Therapy: Level 1 and Level 2 Training
Understanding Critical Incident Trauma: Workshop for Mental Health Professionals
Couples Counselling Training through Citizens Counselling Centre
Healing from Cravings, Addictions & Choiceless Behaviours (Sarah Peyton)
Introduction to Polyamory and other Non-Monogamous Relationship structures in Clinical Practice
Introduction to Loving Presence in Body-Focused Counselling (Hakomi-based)
Applied Theatre for Community Building: A Collaborative & Educational Workshop in Partnership with ICA
Vision Fast/Wilderness Vigil practice (School of Lost Borders Model)
Introduction to the Four Shields Model and Vision Fast Work
Counselling as if the Earth Mattered: Introduction to Ecotherapy and Foundational Practices
Introduction to Somatic Experiencing
Mental Health and Addiction Community Course through Island Health
My master's thesis was broadly about the field of ecotherapy and ecopsychology. It has never made sense to me that modern psychiatry and psychology have largely ignored the vital human-to-nature relationships. Our human-to-human relationships shape us greatly and play a powerful role in how we feel and exist in our day-to-day lives. But ecopsychology also reminds us that we are a part of nature and cannot exist and thrive without our connections to Earth and the natural world.
I come from European ancestry, a lineage of Irish and English. I self-identify as part of the settler group of Canada. I take my ancestry, history, and position in society seriously, and believe there is much to be understood about ourselves by understanding the historical and current contexts with which we live.
Some of my sources of joy are: the relationships with my family and friends; music, especially live music; being outside, whether it means a day by the ocean, digging in the garden, or going for a walk; learning about all the different parts of the world, whether participating from a firsthand perspective or being formally educated on a given topic; dancing; enjoying coffee at one of my favourite coffee shops; or going on adventures where I can explore, experience, and appreciate the world in a new way!
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" ~Mary Oliver
"For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?" ~bell hooks
“Sometimes the beauty is easy. Sometimes you don’t have to try at all. Sometimes you can hear the wind blow in a handshake. Sometimes there’s poetry written right on the bathroom wall.” ~Ani Difranco
"There is really no such thing as voiceless. There is only the deliberately silenced or the preferably unheard." ~Arundhati Roy
“So much of what we call abnormality in this culture is actually a normal response to an abnormal culture. The abnormality does not reside in the pathology of individuals, but in the very culture that drives people into suffering and dysfunction.” ~ Dr. Gabor Maté
"This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival." ~Rumi
"You have traveled too fast over false ground; Now your soul has come to take you back." ~John O'Donohue
"And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth." ~Raymond Carver (Late Fragment)
