Holly Yager | Registered Clinical Counsellor & Owner 

---

Holly Yager (M.Ed., RCC, CCC) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Canadian Certified Counsellor for women and couples in Vancouver, BC with a specialized focus on reproductive health and fertility counselling for issues including infertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum depression for over 10 years.

Holly Yager has been employed as a counsellor at BC Women's Hospital since 2004, gaining valuable experience in a variety of reproductive health areas including: specialized women's health, pregnancy decision-making, reproductive & sexual health, pregnancy loss, birthing options, elective cesarean section, and reproductive endocrinology & infertility. In addition, Holly completed a clinical internship at the BC Reproductive Mental Health Program at St. Paul’s and BC Women’s Hospitals, where she provided therapy to women, couples, and groups experiencing mood and anxiety disorders related to hormones and pregnancy.

Holly Yager established Well Woman Counselling in 2007 and shares her time between her private practice and her position at BC Women's Centre for Reproductive Health where she helps individuals and couples cope with infertility, assisted conception (IVF/IUI), donor conception (third-party reproduction), pregnancy loss, and chronic pelvic pain.

In addition to reproductive health counselling, Holly enjoys helping clients work through issues related to personal growth, self-esteem, anxiety, panic, depression, grief & loss, trauma, and relationship concerns.

Specialized focus on reproductive health & fertility counselling:

• Coping with the stress of infertility and trying to conceive
• Coping with the use of assisted conception/assisted reproductive technologies (ART's)
• Decision-making between fertility treatment options (IVF, IUI, donors)
• Experienced third-party reproduction counsellor for donor conception according to guidelines set out by ASRM, CFAS, and AHRC
• Hypnosis for fertility, pregnancy, labour, and childbirth
• Making the decision to become a parent
• Mood and anxiety disorders related to hormones and pregnancy
• Parenting and pregnancy support
• Pregnancy decision-making
• Pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, recurrent loss, termination, post-abortion support)
• Postpartum depression & anxiety
• PMS/PMDD and menopause/perimenopause support

Additional areas of interest:

• Anxiety, panic, excessive worrying, obsessive thoughts
• Couples and marriage counselling
• Depression
• Grief & loss and bereavement
• Life and career transitions
• Personal growth (self-esteem, confidence, assertiveness, boundaries, anger)
• Relationships (couples, family of origin, colleagues)
• Stress management
• Trauma, PTSD, past trauma, childhood abuse
• Women's issues

Counselling approach:

Holly works from a person-centered, feminist perspective where clients are the experts on their own lives and where an open collaboration between client and counsellor is key. Known for her professional, yet open and relaxed style, Holly's approach allows clients to feel at ease during counselling sessions.

Holly uses a variety of effective, evidence-based therapies and techniques, depending on the client's needs:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Clinical hypnosis / hypnosis for fertility, pregnancy, labour and childbirth
• Emotion-focused couples therapy (EFT) (based on attachment theory)
• Eye movement desensitization & reprocessing (EMDR)
• Mind-body techniques (guided visualization, focusing, mindfulness, relaxation techniques)
• Motivational interviewing (MI)
• Solution-focused therapy (SFT)

Education:

• M.Ed., Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia
• Dip.Ed., Guidance Studies (Counselling Psychology), University of British Columbia
• B.A. Adv., Psychology, University of Manitoba

Designations:

• Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #2981), BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
• Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC #3009), Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

Approved provider for:

• Third-party reproduction counselling (donor conception) adhering to guidelines set out by ASRM, CFAS, and AHRC
• Peaceful Pregnancy® Hypnosis
• Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)
• Shepell-fgi Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Professional associations:

• American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
• BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
• Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
• Canadian Fertility & Andrology Society (CFAS)
• Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis, BC Division (CSCH)

Contact Holly Yager:

• Book an appointment with Holly using the online scheduling system
• Email Holly for more information