About Allius Services
Allius Services was incorporated in 2020, but Lurline Raposo, the founder and Clinical Director, has been in private practice since 2011, first in Calgary, AB, now here in Nanaimo, bc.
Our clinic name, “Allius,” comes from combining ALL, I, and US - reflecting our commitment to fostering connections. For the Allius team, it is all about people connecting with themselves in order to connect better with others. This is what we aim to support in our work with people, both young and old.
Our team would like to acknowledge that our clinic is located on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish People -- the Stz'uminus, Snuneymuxw, and Snaw-naw-as Nations. We recognize the importance of the lands we each call home. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and responsibility in improving relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their cultures.
Our Team
Lurline Raposo
MA RCC-ACS, RPT, BCRPT-S
Clinical Director/ Registered Clinical Counsellor & Play Therapy Supervisor
Lurline is an experienced professional with over 20 years of dedicated work in the field of children, youth, and family support. Her primary focus is assisting parents in effectively caring for their children. She holds several important credentials, including being a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Play Therapist, Supervisor for Play Therapy, an Accredited Clinical Supervisor with BCACC and a Parenting Coordinator.
Throughout her career, Lurline has worked extensively with complex families both in British Columbia and Alberta. Her expertise is recognized as she is a BC Hear the Child Roster Member and a Roster Member for BC Parenting Coordinators. She has completed her Family Mediation training and she serves as a Family Court Assessor. Lurline’s specialized training encompasses various areas, such as family mediation, parenting coordination, needs of the child reporting, and parental capacity assessment.
In terms of clinical supervision, Lurline offers her guidance in multiple practice areas. She brings a diverse range of counselling models into her approach, including attachment-based and neuroscience approaches, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, family systems, and more. By incorporating these different methodologies, she ensures a comprehensive and effective approach to therapy.Ladona Pinder
MA RSW RCC
Counselling Associate/ Registered Social Worker & Clinical Counsellor
Ladona brings over 20 years of experience in working with children, youth, and families. Her expertise lies in providing support for attachment, behavioral difficulties, developmental differences, parent coaching, and resolving family conflicts. She has received formal training in various therapeutic approaches such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Neuroscience Satir in the Sandtray, and Prepare Enrich couple and family interventions.
Nicole Puckering
BA MA RCC
Counselling Associate/ Registered Clinical Counsellor
Allius Services is privileged to have Nicole as a Counselling Associate and a member of the Ahousaht First Nations. With an MA in Counselling Psychology and a BA in Child & Youth Care, specializing in Child Protection, Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. For the past decade, she has dedicated herself to working with children, youth, and families who face trauma, conflict, and complex family situations. Her passion lies in supporting kids, families, and parents through their challenges. Nicole is also open to assisting individuals dealing with mood disorders, life transitions, and other family difficulties.
Michelle Mills
BA MA RCC
Counselling Associate/ Registered Clinical Counsellor
Michelle completed her MA in Counselling Psychology and holds a degree in Child and Youth Care with almost a decade of valuable experience working supportively with children, youth, and adults. For the past four years, she has dedicated her efforts to a school environment, providing assistance to children and families with diverse and complex needs. Michelle possesses a deep understanding of both child development and attachment in parenting. She prioritizes a trauma-informed approach, emphasizing empathy and care to foster a robust therapeutic relationship with her clients. Through her work experience, Michelle has recognized the significance of respecting each individual’s unique life journey and delivering non-judgmental, compassionate care that facilitates healing.
Michelle’s therapeutic toolkit includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindful Self-Compassion, as well as play-based interventions such as Neuroscience and Satir in the Sandtray into her practice. She offers parent support from her training in both Gottman and Dan Siegel's models for supporting parents and children. Michelle also supports couples through Prepare-Enrich interventions. Michelle's commitment to ongoing professional development reflects her dedication to providing the highest quality of care to her clients.
Chaowen Yuan
BA, MS.Ed
Counselling Associate
chaowen@allius.ca
Chaowen has been working with children, youth, and families for the past 10 years. She obtained her MS.Ed in Developmental Psychology and has worked as a youth counsellor and mental health educator for schools and non-profits where she supported kids and youth with complex needs, helping them to navigate through their challenges and build resilience.
One of Chaowen's areas of expertise lies in assisting youth and families with career development and major choices. By helping young individuals recognize their potential and facilitating constructive conversations within families, she has empowered numerous individuals to make informed decisions about their future.
Chaowen is keen on continuing to support families and individuals to achieve their goals in therapy with her move to BC. She creates a compassionate space where clients can freely express themselves, fostering a sense of trust and safety. Through her therapeutic work, she aims to empower her clients to overcome obstacles and lead fulfilling lives. Chaowen is in the process of registering as a Registered Clinical Counsellor upon meeting all her BCACC requirements.
Liz Baerg
BHS, MA (In Progress)
Counselling Student Intern
Liz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and has over 20 years of experience working with families, teens, and new parents. Most recently, Liz has been working in employment services, assisting individuals with barriers to find employment. Liz has completed her graduate study coursework at City University and will be applying this knowledge to her work at Allius Services.
Amy Christensen
BA
amy@allius.caAllius Services is excited to introduce our new Administrative Assistant Amy. Amy has recently achieved her Bachelors in Psychology and is planning on pursuing a Masters in Counselling Psychology, with the goal of becoming a Clinical Counsellor.
Amy has experience working with children and families, specifically in the animal-assisted therapy field. She is passionate about young adult individuality, self-confidence practices, and the potential that animal-assisted therapy holds to influence the future of counselling.
Amy is always willing to learn and greatly enjoys supporting the clinic by helping the counsellors and the clinic’s clients with administrative support.
Our Mission
To foster improved intra-personal and interpersonal connections that bring greater harmony to the individuals, families, organizations, and communities we serve.
Our Vision
Healing through better connections both inside and out.
Curiosity
We prioritize our professional learning while continuously striving to improve our practices and models to offer greater benefits to the clients we serve.
Play
We believe “playfulness” is a cornerstone of healing and wellness. As such, clients of all ages are encouraged to incorporate humor, expressive arts, sand
Balance
We know that sustained emotional availability can only be achieved through balance and self compassion. Clinicians and coaches must feel supported in
Diversity
We appreciate the uniqueness of each person and family with whom we work while thoughtfully considering the influence culture, identity, history, and socio-political systems have on us.
Meaningful Connection
The healing power of relationships is a foundational principle, and we seek to cultivate true connections with clients, each other, and our community.
Authenticity
We are humans first and counsellors second. As humans who face suffering throughout our lives, as clinicians, we can guide with this shared vulnerability.
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Allius Services serves clients across Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Port Alberni, and the surrounding areas.
Allius Services gratefully operates on the traditional lands of the Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, and Stz’uminus Nations. Our team acknowledges the necessity for reconciliation and redress for all First Nations People.