Tina Borsa

I'm pansexual and Iranian living in the unceded traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I moved to Canada as a refugee when I was just 2 years old.

I used to be an Art and English high school teacher but also taught sex education and mental health classes during the pandemic. If you had a teacher you would visit during lunch to gossip with, that was me! I helped a lot of kids dealing with bullying, discrimination, oppression and mental health challenges and became a counsellor to help myself be more effective at helping other people. My students meant a lot to me but I felt limited by how much I could help them in the current school system. I now run a support group for 2SLGBTQIA+ teachers and specialize in Neurodivergent and Queer minority stress.

I have lots of interests and hobbies: video games, skateboarding, rock climbing, digital art, crochet, and watching movies. Maybe it's the ADHD, but I love having new life experiences. I have lived in a van and made a living by picking mushrooms, while also exploring alternative, non-normative ways of life.

I am myself in my practice. I show up authentic, hoping that it can help others do the same. I want to validate how you feel and with you as a team. I genuinely care deeply about the folks in my care and believe in your capacity to overcome the challenges that happen in life. I know a lot about what it feels like to not fit in, struggle with emotions, and have personal and professional experience overcoming those challenges. I want to empower you and help you consider things from a different perspective. I use culturally adapted CBT, parts work, Somatic Therapy, DBT, Feminist Therapy, and Gottman Methods. I am gentle, kind, and ask my clients what their preferences. Consent in counselling is important to me and I do my best to explain the why to folks.

I am generally available between 9am-4:30pm PST on weekdays. Book a free consultation online here. If you aren't able to find something on my schedule that works for you, reach out to our Client Care Coordinator, Nicole and she can help you find a spot.

Master of Clinical Counselling
2025

British Columbia Qualified Teacher

Bachelor of Education
English Literature and Art Education

Canadian Counselling Psychology Student Membership

Transforming Trauma with Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) (2025)
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Working with Trauma and the Body: The Fundamentals of Somatic Therapy (2025)
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Navigating Open Relationships, Polyamory, and Swinging in Therapy (2025)
Tammy Nelson