When you’re overwhelmed, stuck, and don’t know where to start, we come alongside you.
We all experience stress and anxiety from time to time, it’s part of being human. But when stress becomes constant, or anxiety starts running the show, it can leave you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure where to even begin. That’s where we come in. At Alive Counselling, an award-winning counselling clinic in Kelowna, we specialize in anxiety, stress, and burnout counselling using practical, personalized, evidence-based strategies, so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
You’re Not Alone in This
Anxiety thrives on isolation and avoidance. It convinces you that you’re the only one struggling, that something is wrong with you, or that if you just try harder, you’ll figure it out on your own. So you push through, avoid the things that trigger you, and hope it settles down. Until it becomes too much.
Whether it’s racing thoughts at 2am, dread before a big presentation, a knot in your stomach before a game, or the constant hum of “what if” running through your head, anxiety shows up differently for everyone. And you don’t have to sort through it by yourself. We meet you exactly where you’re at, take a nonjudgmental look at what you’re carrying, and walk with you toward feeling more calm, confident, and like yourself again.
Stress vs. Anxiety vs. Burnout: What’s the Difference?
People often use these words interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing. Understanding the difference can help you name what you’re actually experiencing, and get the right kind of support.
| Stress | Anxiety | Burnout | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A response to a specific external pressure or demand | A persistent sense of worry, fear, or unease, often without a clear or proportional trigger | Emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion from prolonged, chronic stress |
| Timing | Usually short-term, tied to a specific event or deadline | Can be ongoing, and may show up even when there’s nothing obviously “wrong” | Builds gradually over weeks or months |
| How it feels in the body | Tension, racing heart, tight shoulders, during the stressful event | Racing thoughts, restlessness, tight chest, stomach issues, that may linger | Fatigue, numbness, detachment, feeling “empty” or unmotivated |
| What helps | Problem-solving, time management, addressing the specific stressor | Understanding triggers, reframing thoughts, nervous system regulation | Rest, boundaries, re-evaluating what’s sustainable, often a longer process |
If you’re not sure which of these fits what you’re going through, that’s okay, that’s exactly what our first session together is for.
Common Signs of Stress, Anxiety & Burnout We Help With
- Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re “spread thin”
- Racing or repetitive worried thoughts
- Trouble relaxing, being present, or enjoying the people around you
- Perfectionistic thinking and fear of not measuring up
- Avoiding social situations, speaking up, or taking risks
- Performance-related stress in sports, school, or work
- Physical symptoms: tight chest, upset stomach, muscle tension, trouble sleeping
- Feeling exhausted, detached, or “running on empty” (burnout)
- Obsessive or intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors (OCD)
- Separation anxiety in children or worry about being apart from loved ones
- Social anxiety around people, performance, or judgment
- Performance anxiety before games, presentations, or high-stakes moments
Our Approach: Practical, Personalized, Evidence-Based
We specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the gold-standard, evidence-based approach for anxiety, because your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are all connected. Change one, and you start to shift the others.
But CBT isn’t the only tool in the toolbox. Anxiety doesn’t just live in your head, it lives in your body too. Every client is different, so we draw from a range of modalities to build an approach that’s actually built for you:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), our core, evidence-based approach for identifying and reframing the thoughts driving anxiety
- Somatic and body-based approaches, to help you notice and work with where anxiety shows up physically, not just mentally
- Polyvagal Theory and nervous system regulation, understanding the mind-body connection so your nervous system can move from “fight or flight” back to calm
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), learning to relate to anxious thoughts differently rather than fighting them
- Narrative Therapy, so counselling never feels one-size-fits-all, your story shapes the approach
- Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), to help you get unstuck and move forward, focusing on what’s working and what’s next
- Attachment-Based Therapy, reviewing attachment needs and relationship patterns that may be fueling anxiety
- EMDR Therapy, for anxiety rooted in past trauma or distressing experiences
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based approach for children and teens processing trauma-related anxiety
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness
- Internal Family Systems (IFS), understanding the different “parts” of yourself that show up under stress
- Play Therapy, for younger children to process and express anxiety in age-appropriate ways
- Nature-Based Therapy & Walk & Talk Therapy, for those who process best while moving or outdoors
- Christian, Faith-Integrated Counselling, for clients who want biblical truth woven into their healing, see our Catch-Check-Choose framework and our Christian Counselling page below
We take what’s clinical and make it practical: personalized tools, breathing and grounding strategies you can use in a classroom, locker room, boardroom, or at home, and real homework between sessions so progress doesn’t stop when the session ends.
Performance Anxiety in Sports
Anxiety doesn’t just show up in everyday life, it shows up on the ice, on the field, on the court, and before the biggest moments of competition. Performance anxiety in sports can look like overthinking every play, freezing under pressure, a racing heart before puck drop or tip-off, or a fear of making mistakes in front of teammates, coaches, or scouts.
As a former elite athlete and mental performance coach, this is an area I know both personally and professionally. We help athletes at every level, from youth to professional, build the mental tools to manage pre-game nerves, quiet the inner critic, and perform with confidence instead of fear.
For athlete-specific mental performance work, visit our Sports Psychology & Mental Performance page.
What We Work On Together
- Identify your unique anxiety triggers
- Understand where anxiety comes from, so it doesn’t keep popping up in other areas of life
- Notice where you feel it in your body
- Identify the negative or irrational thoughts fueling anxiety and low confidence
- Challenge and reframe unhelpful thoughts into more balanced ones
- Learn healthy coping strategies built for you, not a generic list
- Practice breathing and grounding techniques you can use anywhere
- Shift the way you talk to yourself, with more kindness and less criticism
- Improve relationships, confidence, and day-to-day functioning
- Feel equipped, not just informed, with real tools you’ll actually use
We Support Every Age and Stage
Anxiety doesn’t just affect adults. We provide anxiety, stress, and burnout counselling for:
- Children, through play therapy and age-appropriate tools
- Teens, navigating school, social pressure, and performance stress
- Adults, managing work, life transitions, and chronic worry
- Couples, when anxiety affects communication and connection
- Families, supporting both the person experiencing anxiety and the people who love them
- Athletes, performance anxiety and tools
If you’re supporting someone else through anxiety, rather than experiencing it yourself, we can help with that too. Learning how to be a steady, supportive presence, without carrying it all for them, is its own skill, and one we can help you build.
More Specific Types of Anxiety We Support
Anxiety shows up differently for everyone. Explore more specific support for:
- Separation Anxiety, for children and families navigating time apart
- Anxiety in Children and Teens
- Social Anxiety, this has increased so much in the last few years! We are here to support for anxiety around people, social situations, and judgment
- Performance Anxiety for anxiety tied to sports, academics, and high-stakes performance, see our Sports Psychology & Mental Performance page for athlete-specific support
- Counselling for OCD, for obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
- CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, learn more about our core evidence-based approach
- Postpartum Anxiety, supporting new moms in their transition to motherhood with intrusive thoughts and general anxiety in the postpartum season and throughout parenting in general we are here to support!
- Browse all anxiety-related resources on our Anxiety Resources page
Looking for Christian Counselling for Anxiety?
Faith is often a core part of how people process anxiety and find hope in the middle of hard seasons. If you’d like your counselling to integrate a Christian, faith-based perspective, visit our Christian Counselling page to learn more or contact us to find the right fit!
US Anxiety Counseling & Coaching
If you’re located in the United States, connect with Barbara through Alive Coaching Group, where she offers online mental health coaching and online counseling in Tennessee as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC MHSP) for anxiety.