About Sydney Gruenhage
Meet Sydney
There is something so sacred about counselling and I am aware of the immense privilege it is to work with children, youth, families, parents, and couples, in their journey–no matter where they find themselves. I am eager to walk with my clients through the messiness of life and pursue growth, self-discovery, and curiosity. I aim to cultivate an open space of safety, acceptance, creativity, and warmth in the therapy room where connection can thrive. I believe the body tells our story and true healing often begins when working from the ground up. I hope to provide an embodied practice where people feel truly seen and heard. I believe counselling can be more than sitting in a chair and exchanging words. It is alive. It can be experiential and creative. It can be loud and quiet all at the same time.
I believe with my whole heart that people are part of the systems in which they live. My approach when working with clients is through a systemic and attachment lens, attempting to understand their roles in family, community, and culture. In my practice, I draw upon Satir, Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray (NSST), Internal Family Systems, Emotional Focused Therapy, and Somatic-Embodiment work. I passionately work with a wide range of issues such as grief and loss, relationship issues, life transitions, emotional distress (e.g. anxiety, depression, shame, anger, stress, emotional/mental exhaustion), and traumatic experiences. I have had the privilege of closely training under the founder of NSST, Dr. Madeleine De Little, since the beginning of 2023. Because of this, I have a lot of experience working closely with children, adolescents, and their parents through play therapy and work in the sand tray (ages 3 and up).
“The body is always whispering. Be here, pay attention. We are alive and this is how it feels to be human” – Hillary L. McBride
Training | Education | Experience
Professional Affiliations
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors – Registered Clinical Counsellor # 22855
Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – Student Member #20171443
Education
- Master of Marriage and Family Therapy – Trinity Western University
Additional Training
- Introduction to Neuroscience and the Satir Model in the Sand Tray Workshop – 2023
- Transforming Trauma in the Sand Tray – 2023
- Grief Group Facilitation Workshop – 2023
- Introduction to Embodiment: Theory & Clinical Practice – 2022
- Neufeld Institute Intensive Level 1: Making Sense of Kids – 2022
Experience
Registered Clinical Counsellor