Careers
Becoming a Counsellor
When Vicky reflects on her 15 years at Communitas, she often says, “I grew up here.”
Vicky was just 20 years old when she began her career as a mental health worker with Communitas. She is finishing that career, having managed Communitas’ Supported Independent Living (SIL) services since 2019. This month, Vicky will begin a new role as a counsellor, serving with Fraser Health as a substance use clinician.
Having been able to complete her education while she has worked at Communitas has been a gift that Vicky does not take for granted. She was in a practical learning environment while she was studying first for her bachelor’s degree and then completing her masters.
“Through my education, I’ve learned clinical skills but I’m person-centred, which is what Communitas is: it’s always people first,” Vicky explains. “So now I have the practical training and knowledge, but I always apply that person-centred ethos to my learning.”
Vicky is passionate about people. She began her job here with no end goal in mind, all she knew was that she wanted to serve people. As she grew into her role, she realized that she had a deep desire to see people move towards wellness and so she began her journey with formal education.
“I’ve felt supported in those decisions all along the way,” Vicky says. “Communitas has been a safe place for me to learn and grow.”
Part of that growth was developing as a leader. She had just stepped into her role as SIL manager when the pandemic struck. Vicky says it was a “crash course” in leadership.
The pandemic turned out to be both a difficult and extremely rewarding time. Together with managers of other services, they created “Zoombaya”, an award-winning, online service that supported the people they served throughout the pandemic.
“I will forever be proud of what we accomplished in the pandemic,” Vicky says. “It was such a hard time for the people we served and also for us as staff but we came out of it more resilient.”
The experience also strengthened her desire to continue her formal education and get her masters degree in clinical counselling.
One of Vicky’s highest values is the conviction that all people are made in the image of God, that they have inherent value, and deserve to be treated with dignity. She believes that counselling, when done right, can play a pivotal role in a person’s journey towards mental wellness.
“We all have what we need within us, counselling simply helps draw out what is already there,” she says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than sitting across from someone and seeing them have their ‘aha’ moment. It’s so awesome.”
When asked what she’ll miss the most about Communitas, there is no hesitation in her response: “the people.”
“I have built such strong relationships,” she reflects. “There’s so much wisdom here. I’ve been so fortunate and I’m so thankful for the people who have invested in me.”
She hopes that the person who steps into the SIL manager role will also discover the wisdom and dedication of the staff team that she has felt privileged to lead and walk alongside over the last several years.
Vicky also encourages anyone working at Communitas to recognize that there are learning opportunities all around them.
“The staff here do their jobs incredibly well and they can teach you stuff you’d never learn elsewhere,” Vicky says. “This is a safe place to learn, to fail, to grow – the beautiful thing is that there is so much grace here.”
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