I love this option for my schedule with my sport. It can be difficult to balance school, work, practice, training, games, travel, and a social life. I am able to have my sessions in the evenings. I can also check in before big game weekends so that I feel confident and in the right headspace to perform.
We are passionate about coming
Counselling Options
Counselling:
It’s OK to not be OK all the time. But, it’s not OK to stay there. If there are areas of your life, you wish to live more alive in, I would love to help you with:
- Groups help foster a sense of connection where we educate, equip & empower you with others in a common struggle
- Anxiety, Stress, & Depression
- Identifying, Challenging, and Replacing Negative Self-Talk and Limiting Beliefs that are holding you back (specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT)
- Understanding your “issues”, so that they do not keep coming up in other areas of your life like weeds
- Practical Coping Strategies
- Practical Mental Health Care Tips to improve your overall wellbeing
- Identify your unique triggers and how to manage them
- Improving Self-Confidence
- Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, Parenting, Motherhood, Miscarriage, Infertility struggles & other Women’s Issues
- Relationship Issues, Communication, and Conflict Resolution
- Couples Counselling & Family Counselling, including pre-marital
- Social Anxiety
- Boundaries & healthy relationships
- Holistic and integrative approach incorporating nutrition, physical health & exercise, spiritual, social, emotional, & mental health to care for you in the most complete way possible. I collaborate with your physician, naturopath, physiotherapist, coach, strength coach, or other practitioner so that you get a complete “team” approach.
- Self-Care areas of Physical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, Practical, Social, Financial, Professional/Work, Space. When we are running low we need to replenish ourselves in practical but powerful ways. Empty cups cannot pour!
- Christian Counselling for those interested in incorporating and growing in their faith as I have a background in ministry and a strong personal Christian faith.
- Grief and Loss
- Trauma & PTSD
- Focus and practical Goal-Setting
- Increasing Motivation, Sense of Direction & Fulfillment
- Learning your unique strengths & values, and how to apply them. One tool I love is Strengths Finders for Personal & Professional Growth & Development
- Life Balance & Guidance
“Barb’s experience and expertise has helped normalize what I was going through, feel heard, and learn useful coping strategies. She has a calming presence, genuine heart for people, and impactful ways of helping. I always leave better than I came.” – Client A.
“Barb has been a bright light and walked with me through some dark times. She has been instrumental to my personal, professional, and relational growth and I’m truly grateful!” – Client S.
This is a safe space where I can unload. I feel heard, seen, and loved for who I am. So then I feel I can bring my best, authentic self into my work, my relationships, & my life. I feel recharged! – Client K.
I now understand where my anxiety is coming from. It’s not as overwhelming. I know my unique triggers, how to identify them, and most importantly, how to cope and get through them. –Client J.
Sports Counselling:
Specializing in supporting athletes’ Mental Health & Mental Game, as a former elite athlete and elite coach:
Not only do I know what it is like as an elite athlete, and as a university coach, but I grew up in a prestigious athletic family in the United States. My grandfather was a professional baseball player. My father was an elite dual-sport athlete and Sports Medicine Specialist/Orthopaedic Surgeon for professional sports teams. I lived and breathed sports. So, I know the passions as well as the pressures.
Athletes have unique pressures that not everyone understands. It can feel like you are alone. But let me encourage you–as a former elite athlete and professional coach of elite athletes–I know you are not. That is why I am now a mental health professional; I saw the immense need among my athletes and experienced it myself when I was an athlete. I personally benefited from these sports psychology and mental health strategies, not only in my performance in my sport (winning National Championships & playing at the highest levels), but taking care of my mental health just as I cared for my physical health to be the best me I could be. I’d love to help empower you in that, too.
My background is in hockey, but I work with athletes across levels and sports, from high performance youth, Junior/Major Junior, University (NCAA & USports), professional, and Olympic levels. I offer flexible and Online sessions to accommodate an athlete’s demanding schedule.
- Now, I am passionate about helping athletes create a practical and personalized “Mental Workout” they can use before practices & games to enhance performance & confidence
- Sports Psychology and Performance strategies
- Individual & Team/Organization sessions
- Reasons to work with a Sports Counsellor
- Identify negative, limiting beliefs holding them back
- Taking control of your “Mindset” and making the most of the chances you are given–even amongst a pandemic, injury, limited exposure or playing time, or other situations that are out of your control
- Focus, Motivation, & Goal-Setting
- Getting in “the zone”, staying in “the zone”, and how to get back in “the zone”
- How to Prepare for Games
- Maintaining Composure amidst Pressure
- Stress & Time Management
- Mental Toughness & Resilience
- Confidence & Consistency
- Sport and Position Specific Sports Psychology Strategies (specializing in Hockey, and Goaltending)
- Performance Anxiety, Managing Nerves
- Emotional Control
- Visualization, Breathing, Grounding, & other Sports Psychology Strategies
- Managing & Navigating Pressures of the University Recruiting Process (NCAA & USports) & while in University using my experience as a former athlete at The Ohio State University (NCAA D1) & Coach (Ohio State, UBC).
- Coming back from Injury & support in the Rehabilitation process as someone who navigated this and eventually a career-ending injury
- Identity after Sport, Life Transitions
- Team Building
- Life Skills transferable outside of sport
Coaching:
Personal/
Professional Growth & Development
Leadership, Team-building, and Personal/Professional Growth & Development
- As a former and fellow high-performer, I help high-achievers perform their best in their sport, business, work, music, and other areas of life to follow their passions.
- It can be difficult to turn it off, relax, and find a healthy work/life balance, or confuse that your performance equals your worth. (My #1 Strength is “Achiever.” So, I get it).
- I also help with Goal-Setting, Motivation, Sense of Direction, Purpose & Fulfillment,
- Clients will be given a Strengths Finder Assessment with a personalized write up and debrief of your unique Top 5 Strengths, and how to apply them in your life.
- This is a team-building & leadership enhancement tool used by 90% of Fortune 500 Companies.
People who know and use their unique Strengths are:
- 6x as likely to be engaged at their work, school, or team.
- 7.8% more productive in their role.
- 3x as likely to have an excellent quality of life.
- 6x as likely to do what they do best every day.
“We loved doing the Strengths with Barb. It has helped us individually—and through a career change—and collectively as a couple. It helps me understand and appreciate my spouse more, and I now feel like I can encourage him better.” – Clients C. & M.
Consulting
Consulting for Organizations, Corporations, Groups, and Teams
- I am a mental health consultant and mental health advisor for a number of prestigious corporations and organizations.
- I am a mental health consultant and sports psychology consultant with a variety of professional athletic organizations and teams.
- I provide written content, resources, videos, educational information and am a referral for their employees, staff, and athletes.
- I love speaking to universities, schools, churches, and groups to educate, empower, and equip them in caring for their students’, staffs’, and their own mental health.
- Interested in adding a mental health consultant or advisor to help your team, group, workplace, or organization thrive? Please contact me at [email protected].
Speaking Events & Workshops:
For a list of my previous & upcoming Speaking Events, please see my social media pages and Events website page. The most recent ones include:
- UBCO students on Bell Let’s Talk Day on Social Media and Mental Health
- Speaking event with University of British Columbia President, Dr. Santa J. Ono on the important of Mental Health and students
- NHL Night with Josh Gorges, Quintin Laing, and Wade Redden
- This is What Hope Looks Like: Jordin Tootoo
- Creating a “Mental Workout” for athletes with BC Hockey
- Staying Motivated during COVID: WHL Academy
- BrainTrust Canada & Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist Kelsey Serwa
- Heritage Christian School
- Quarantine Quarrels: Communication and Conflict Resolution amidst COVID for Couples & Families, for The House Church
- Mom’s Mental Health for Mamas for Mamas
- Mom’s Mental Health for The House Church
- “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” with Aligned Chiropractic
- “Gratitude” events with Third Space Life Charity, Women in Leadership, Kelowna RCMP
- “Pressure, Performance, & Identity” with Breakout West Music Conference & Festival
- “Overcoming Stress & Anxiety” with Wildfire Women
- Replacing Negative Self Talk with The Women’s Place (TWP Fitness)
- Women’s groups and ministries
Topics are personalized to your needs. They have included:
- Monthly Sports Team Interactive Workshops (See Sports page for list of common topics I speak to teams about regarding mental health and the mental game).
- Common Signs, Symptoms, & Strategies in Anxiety & Depression for Organizations, Corporations, Teams, Schools, and Churches
- What Does it Mean to be “Mentally Healthy?”
- What Does “Mental Toughness” Look Like in Real Life?
- Top 10 Lies We Believe & How to Replace Them
- Fight, Flight, & Faith: Faith & Mental Health
- Speaking at churches, Bible studies, and ministries
- SMART Goal Setting
- Changing Negative Self-Talk
- Finding Your Why
- Values
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress management
- Self-esteem, Identity
- Family
- Anger
- Resilience
- Life Balance & Guidance
- Coping Strategies
- The Connection between the Brain and the Body
- Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
- Breathing, Muscle Relaxation, & Grounding Techniques
- Couples Strengthening
- 5 Love Languages
- Communication & Conflict Resolution
- Secure Attachment in Parenting
- Building Emotionally Healthy Families
- Building Emotionally Healthy Marriages
- Motherhood
- Becoming a New Mom
- Educating, Equipping, & Empowering Women in the Community
- Gratitude
- Performance, Pressure, & Identity
- Overcoming Anxiety & Stress with Wildfire Women
- Change the way you Think, Change the way you Feel, Change the way you Live
- Confidence
- Motivation in Sport
“Doing what is best for our babies means taking care of ourselves as mamas. For me, this is meeting with Barb. She is able to share her knowledge and background in attachment theory in a way that makes sense, but it is her honesty and support that is especially rejuvenating.” – Client K
Barb is a gifted speaker that makes it interactive, educational, and fun! ”
Alive Counselling is a team of therapists offering individual, couples, & family counselling in Kelowna and throughout British Columbia.
For your comfort & convenience, we also offer Online Counselling including flexible hours, days, weekends, & evenings.
We offer Walk & Talk Therapy sessions, and also 30 minute therapy sessions for those with a time and financial constraint.
Please note: Session rates start at $125 + 5% GST/hour, or $75 for 30 minutes
Extended health care benefit plans typically cover care with a “Registered Clinical Counsellor“; however, please check with your provider for details.
Testimonials
Client T
Stephanie Schaupmeyer
Captain, UBC Thunderbirds
In my 5 years with the UBC Thunderbirds, the discourse surrounding mental health as a high performance athlete has changed so much. I have learned that being mentally tough on the ice is inextricably linked with being mentally well in the other areas of your life. I learned that this idea of a strong, mentally unbreakable athlete just isn’t possible. We all need support at times, and it’s ok to ask for it. When I started actively working on my mental wellbeing just like I actively worked on my hockey skills is when I began to really feel mentally tough in other areas of my life.
Shaemus McLeod
Goaltender for Humboldt Broncos
Serious athletes train both their bodies and minds for peak performance. Barb continues to be a motivational inspiration to me and my goaltending career both on and off the ice. She is not only an exceptional mental coach but takes the time to work through the personal trials of day to day life. I look forward to working with her for many years to come.
Client M
The work I have done with Barb has changed my life. With her help I learned that I was not only worthy but, capable of helping myself. Walking with her has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had.” – Client M.
Client J
I like how interactive our sessions are with exercises, materials to look at for a visual, and homework to complete and debrief together. The flexible hours allow me to take some power back over my schedule so that I am not as spread thin, but more fulfilled!
Jocelyne & Monique Lamoureaux
Team USA, Olympic Gold & Silver Medalists
Whether it’s on ice and or off ice training the mental component of the game is bigger than the physical at times. I believe in sport and in life there are always obstacles, extrinsic and intrinsic. The biggest and most important mental skill I think a person can have is the ability to rebound from mistakes, criticisms and doubt with the confidence that you have the ability to get the job done and to improve yourself every step of the way.
J
I just wanted to say thank you. I had my interview after our group and using a lot of your grounding strategies, I was able to keep my anxiety from spiralling, which meant I was also able to answer questions with a clear head and with confidence. I will be happy to share this small victory at our next meeting to encourage others and share my appreciation!
Kate Kowalchuk
NCAA and CIS Goaltender
After meeting Barb she changed my life, helping me to reach deeper and find out how to be the person and player I wanted to be even with my set backs with post-concussion & outside obstacles. I am forever grateful for the ongoing support and help I was lucky enough to receive from my coach and mentor Barb Egan.
Client C
At first I was skeptical of Online Counselling. However, I love the flexibility for my family and schedule. I’ve created a spot in my home, with my tea, and look forward to this time that I may not otherwise be able to fit in. It has made such a difference in my life and for my family’s life!
Client A
I am able to engage and connect in a very authentic way in our Online sessions. I actually feel like I can be more open and vulnerable, leading to more self-awareness and growth.