Rae Bandla

I am a queer, neurodivergent, chronically ill, nonbinary settler of South Asian descent living on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. I am currently wrapping up my graduate degree in Counselling Psychology after having worked and volunteered in mental health and health care for over a decade combined.

Navigating this world as a multiply-marginalized person has centred my value system on human agency, advocacy, and resilience. I aim to provide care that is centered on helping clients write their own stories of resilience and radical self-acceptance in the face of oppressive systems, especially by tapping into our innate human creativity. I am committed to dismantling systems of oppression by tackling their internalized consequences in our hearts; as someone who falls into that nebulous space between multiple binary systems, it is especially important to me that I actively hold a fluid, decolonial, and systemic lens in my work.

I enjoy playing games (video, board, and tabletop roleplaying!), writing and reading speculative fiction, making visual art, spending quality time with my partner of 15 years, and generally being a huge nerd about something. Eventually, I plan on running or co-faciliatating TTRPG groups in therapeutic settings.

I use an integrative approach that pulls from narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). My communication style can be described as curiosity-driven, strengths-based, and conversational. I frequently bring my creative nature by using colourful imagery, analogies, and intentional language to connect with people and co-create narratives that center agency and choice.

In the past, my primary areas of focus have been with suicidality, self-harm, and sexualized violence; I am quite comfortable broaching such topics openly and sensitively. Lastly, I work from a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and intersectional framework that also incorporates principles of harm reduction and decolonization practices.

I generally work from Mondays to Thursdays between the hours of 1 pm to 5:30 pm PDT. I am flexible and may open occasional Fridays within the same hours.

Book a free consultation online here, and if you have further questions, email our Client Care Coordinator, Nicole.

• University of Victoria, B.A. in Psychology
• City University of Seattle, Masters in Counselling Psychology