About Joy Steem
Meet Joy Steem, MDiv, RCC
Counselling Children, Youth, and Families Through Life’s Challenges
There is something profoundly meaningful about being invited into people’s stories — especially the stories of children, youth, and families finding their way through life’s challenges. My work as a counsellor is shaped by deep respect for the dignity, complexity, and resilience of every person I meet. Each story I encounter is unique, and it is a profound honor to be invited into the therapeutic journey, helping people explore, reflect, and grow. I am particularly passionate about working with children and youth experiencing anxiety, stress, emotional distress, or challenges with identity and self-expression.
With children and youth, I aim to create spaces that feel safe, curious, and alive with possibility. For younger children, this often means exploring feelings through play therapy, imagination, and storytelling, while with teens, it involves a mix of honesty, humour, and meaningful conversation about the challenges of growing up and discovering identity. I am passionate about helping young people discover who they are and live into that identity, even when life makes it hard to know or trust themselves. I believe my clients are the experts of their own stories — I am here to help them find their voice, make meaning, and explore strategies that fit their unique world. I also have a special focus on supporting neurodivergent children and youth, helping them navigate their experiences with empathy and understanding.
Partnering with Parents and Honouring Family Systems
I deeply value partnering with parents and caregivers, honoring both their care and the challenges they face. Families take many forms, each shaping how young people experience the world. By collaborating closely with caregivers, I provide guidance, support, and strategies that reinforce lessons and skills learned in therapy, creating continuity between the therapy room and home life. Together, we co-create solutions that work for the family as a whole, ensuring that children and youth feel supported, understood, and empowered.
A Background Rooted in Presence, Justice, and Deep Listening
My background in spiritual care, restorative justice, and writing has taught me the value of presence, peace, and deep listening — the kind of listening that allows people to feel truly known. When individuals feel understood and validated, they are able to step more fully into their authentic selves. This perspective informs every aspect of my work, emphasizing that counselling is not only about solving problems but also about witnessing growth, exploring identity, and nurturing resilience.
A Warm, Collaborative, and Systems-Focused Approach to Therapy
In the therapy room, I bring a warm, collaborative, and flexible presence, creating a space where clients feel safe to explore and express themselves. I work from a family systems perspective, recognizing that relationships and environments profoundly shape how we see ourselves and relate to others. My approach draws from multiple modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray (NSST), and Play Therapy, with a particular focus on sand tray therapy and play therapy for children. I am especially drawn to working with clients experiencing anxiety, stress, emotional distress, life transitions, or challenges with identity and self-expression, helping them navigate these experiences in ways that honor their individuality and strengths.
I see emotions as indicators of what truly matters, and I aim to help clients respond to them in ways that promote self-understanding, growth, and meaningful connection. My sincere hope for those I work with, young or old, is that they come to feel truly seen, valued, and empowered to live in alignment with what matters most to them.
Helping Clients Feel Seen, Valued, and Empowered
“We are not problems to be solved, but mysteries to be encountered.” — David G. Benner
This quote reflects the essence of my practice: I walk alongside clients with curiosity, empathy, and respect, helping them encounter their inner lives, relationships, and stories as rich, meaningful, and full of potential. Every session is an opportunity for connection, learning, and growth, whether through play therapy, sand tray therapy, or family-focused counselling.
Training | Education | Experience
Professional Affiliations
- BC Association of Clinical Counsellors – Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)- member # 24704
Education
- Master of Divinity in Clinical Counselling (MDiv) – Tyndale University
Additional Training
- Narrative Therapy Foundations
- Neuroscience and the Satir Model in the Sand Tray (NSST) – Level One