I make sure to prioritize having a regular schedule for sleep, work and play. I also intentionally spend fun and relaxing time with my family, friends and pets. I like to listen to and practice some form of meditative activity briefly each day to check in with myself.

In my teen years, I had friends that had struggles in their home and at school. I felt so much compassion for them and wanted for them to be simply understood and to be seen for more than their actions. I began in Child and Youth Care and worked with a lot of young people to offer that kind of care. As time went on, I could see I wanted to do more and offer more, and I grew into a therapist as a way to offer a therapeutic relationship to support people on a deeper level.

I really had it in my heart to work with youth in Africa; however, I wasn’t sure how that would look and how to achieve that dream. I tried a few different avenues and eventually found a way to work and live in Ethiopia for seven years, but also to work and live in Indonesia, Australia and Vietnam. I wanted this for so many years and kept searching for ways and opportunities until it came to fruition. Our dreams can and do come true.

I thought I would be a journalist, then perhaps a writer. I still would love to be a published author.

I’m usually with my family and love to cook for them and to play games and sports with them. I really love gardening and plants, and try to keep that a part of my life in my own yard and out in nature in general. Recently, I have been golfing, fishing and kayaking. I have always loved reading and watching movies that evoke great thought and emotion; sometimes I don’t have time for this all, but I try to keep a balance.

One thing that I believe is, you are the expert on you. I find that sometimes people see counsellors as experts and that counsellors change people; I think it is the opposite. Your knowledge and understanding of YOU and YOUR experiences guide the therapy. You being courageous and trusting to share those hurting parts of yourself is the key factor in your healing. Counsellors hold specific knowledge and skills that can guide your journey inward. This knowledge and these skills, paired with genuine care and support, can create a space to heal and grow. It is powerful to acknowledge your commitment to healing and your hard work in therapy.

I really love to see people grow and heal and gain confidence. Watching longer-term clients’ lives grow naturally through life stages and experiences is a gift. It is an honour to celebrate with clients their accomplishments and life milestones. It also feels so humbling and inspiring to watch the resilience in each human spirit in each person I encounter. I am often awed by what pain people can survive and overcome.

Most clients have described me as calm, caring and genuine. I also get feedback that I am helpful and that the help feels sincere and supportive.

“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

BCACC;  https://bcacc.ca/counsellors/leslie-fahr/ 

website: https://lesliefahrpsychotherapy.com/