Kat Deschiffart
MACP | RCC | CCC
Your body & mind aren't betraying you—
They're communicating.
If you're reading this, you're likely exhausted—physically and emotionally. You're calculating energy for every single task. You're canceling plans again. You're wondering if people think you're being dramatic. You're asking yourself, "Will things ever get better?" I'm Kat Deschiffart, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP). I help adults living with chronic illness and eating disorders move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling confident, connected, and at peace with their bodies—even when energy is limited. I understand the invisible burden you carry because I've navigated health challenges myself. Together, we'll build a life that feels meaningful without burning you out. You'll learn to trust your body's signals instead of fighting them, set boundaries without guilt, and connect with others without feeling like a burden. This is therapy that honours your energy and meets you exactly where you are.
My Approach?
You're not too much. You're navigating too much.
I have lived experience with health challenges, so I understand firsthand the emotional weight of chronic illness. My therapy is energy-aware, meaning our sessions and approaches honour your energy levels. You're navigating something incredibly difficult, and you deserve support that recognizes both your struggles & your strength. Healing doesn't mean returning to who you were before—it means building a life that feels whole and meaningful within your current reality.
$140.00
INDIVIDUAL
RCC
# 23021
16+
AGES
CCC
#11254305
MAYBE YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE...
1
You're an adult living with chronic illness or pain.
For those navigating health conditions like PCOS, fertility challenges, and autoimmune conditions- concerns that can take years to diagnose while the emotional toll compounds.
You Might be Experiencing:
-
Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted after going to work or school, and needing to spend all of your free time recovering.
-
Devastation from receiving a diagnosis that feels final & brings more questions of "what now"
-
Burnt out from navigating the health system, waiting for diagnosis and answers that seem to lead nowhere
-
Grieving who you saw yourself as before the health condition
Specific Conditions I Support:
PCOS, Endometriosis, fertility challenges, sexual intimacy concerns related to chronic conditions, Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS), chronic pain, post-viral fatigue, IBS, Crohn's disease, and other diagnosed or undiagnosed chronic health conditions that impact daily functioning and mental health.
2
You’re struggling with an eating disorder, disordered eating habits, body image, or are in recovery.
This includes people navigating anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, bingeeating disorder, ARFID, OSFED,
orthorexia, or those experiencing a complex or confusing relationship with food or exercise.
Key Specialty Areas:
-
Creating space for open conversations about food, body, and family
-
Intimacy, vulnerability, & the dynamics that impact recovery
-
Exploring the overwhelming emotions that come with talking about food and body image.
You Might be Experiencing:
-
The impact of eating disorders on intimacy, interpersonal relationships, and sense of self.
-
Constantly monitoring what you ate, will eat, or "should eat" that day, or whether you've exercised.
-
Wanting recovery but terrified of letting go of food and exercise rules or not knowing where to start.
-
Fear of how your eating behaviours may get in the way of your personal relationships by cancelling plans or not feeling able to talk about what is going on.
3
You're navigating anxiety, relational stress, grief and loss, and other significant life challenges.
For anyone who needs support that's grounded, honest, and compassionate. Whether you come to counselling for relational conflict, emotions that feel all-consuming, or another one of life's challenges, I see the whole picture of what you're carrying.
You Might be Experiencing:
-
Feeling overwhelmed by everything and not sure where to start.
-
Relational conflict that feels stalled
-
Grief and loss that feels all consuming
-
Life transitions that feels like the rug has been ripped from under your feet
-
Emotions that go from zero to 100 in a second.
Why This Matters:
People need a space to uncover and explore the overwhelming emotions that come with some of life's most difficult challenges.
I can offer a non-judgemental space to help you find stable ground when everything feels chaotic.
WHO I WORK WITH
Women with Chronic Illness
Who are navigating women's health conditions (PCOS, endometriosis, fertility challenges), experiencing profound burnout from a health system with few answers, and feeling overwhelmed.
Adults with Chronic Illness
Who are trying to build careers while managing unpredictable bodies, calculating energy for every task, and wondering if they'll ever feel capable of "normal" work life again
Life & Mental Health
Who are experiencing anxiety, relational conflict, overwhelming emotions, or grief- and need grounded, honest support.
Adults with Eating Disorders
Who are struggling with disordered eating, body image concerns, and the mental exhaustion—and want to understand how family dynamics, relationships, and vulnerability patterns contribute to their struggles
University Students (18-25)
Who are managing chronic health conditions, eating disorders, or mental health challenges while navigating academic demands, identity formation, and the transition to independence
Anyone Grieving Their "Before" Self
Who miss the person they were before chronic illness, before the eating disorder took over, or before life got so hard—and are ready to build a meaningful identity within their current reality
WHAT WE'LL WORK ON TOGETHER:
Chronic Illness & Chronic Pain
-
Understanding the emotional toll of navigating the health system for years without answers
-
Managing changing and inconsistent energy levels
-
Rebuilding trust with a body that feels unpredictable
-
Processing grief over who you saw yourself as before
-
Setting boundaries without guilt
Eating Disorders & Body Image
-
Understanding how family dynamics contribute to eating disorder development
-
Breaking free from obsessive food and body thoughts
-
Exploring other forms of coping with uncomfortable emotions and situations
-
Rebuilding trust and attunement with your body through a body-wisdom approach
Family Conflict & Relationships
-
Understanding cycles of family patterns passed down through generations
-
Building communication skills that honour your needs
-
Repairing relationships with parents, partners, or family members
-
Creating space for honest conversations about difficult topics
Anxiety & Overwhelming Emotions
-
Understanding what your symptoms are trying to tell you (anxiety as messenger, not enemy)
-
Managing emotions that go from zero to 100 instantly
-
Building emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills
-
Processing the mental exhaustion of chronic health conditions
-
Learning to recognize when physical symptoms become mental health concerns
Navigating Life Transitions
-
Figuring out who you are when your body won't cooperate with your plans
-
Navigating major life transitions (health diagnosis, relationship changes, career shifts)
-
Processing the grief of losing your "before" self
-
Building a life that feels meaningful within your current reality
-
Reconnecting with yourself beyond illness or struggle
Boundaries & Energy Management
-
Setting boundaries without fear of being "too much"
-
Understanding people-pleasing patterns and what they're protecting
-
Learning to say no when you have limited energy
-
Communicating your needs to loved ones without guilt
-
Prioritizing yourself when you're used to putting everyone else first
THINGS I WON'T DO WHEN YOU WORK WITH ME:
I Won't Ask You to "Just Push Through"
I Don't Do Toxic Positivity or Perfectionism
I Won't Make You to Explain Yourself
I Don't Force Talk About the Hard Stuff:
I won't rush you.
Lived Experience & Professional Training
I'm not just academically trained in therapy—I've lived through health challenges that give me an understanding of what my clients face. This unique combination creates a therapeutic relationship built on genuine empathy and clinical knowledge.
My Approach?
YOU'RE NAVIGATING A COMPLICATED JOURNEY
My approach starts exactly where you are—no pressure to have everything figured out, no expectations to be further along than you feel.
Together, we'll begin by understanding your unique experience and what you need most right now. From there, we'll clarify what a meaningful life actually looks like for you—not what you "should" want based on other people's expectations, but what genuinely matters to you given your reality.
You'll learn practical, sustainable strategies for managing energy, setting boundaries, and communicating your needs without guilt—tools that honour your body's capacity instead of pushing past it. Through somatic and emotionally-focused work, we'll reconnect you with your body, rebuilding trust with it even when it feels unpredictable or unsafe.
We'll also explore how family dynamics, relationships, and intimacy patterns have shaped your experience, because healing doesn't happen in isolation. This process creates lasting change: from overwhelmed to grounded, from isolated to connected, from fighting your body to working with it—all at your pace, not anyone else's.
I DRAW FROM SEVERAL APPROACHES
Somatic/Body-Based Approaches
Attuning to what your body is telling you and building nervous system regulation through neuroscience-based therapy
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
Working with emotions as information and building attachment security.
Narrative Therapy
Understanding and reshaping your story to create a meaningful path forward.
Person-Centred Therapy
Providing support through empathetic and non-judgmental connections.
Solution Focused Care
Building on your strengths and what's already working to create practical, sustainable change at your pace
Body-Trust & Intuitive Eating
Learning to listen to your body's wisdom instead of controlling it—rebuilding trust through compassion, not rules
WHO I AM—BACKGROUND
DEGREES & EDUCATION
MA | Counselling Psychology
YORKVILLE UNIVERSTIY (2024)
Narrative Therapy
Van. School of Narrative Therapy
PROFFESIONAL REGISTRATIONS
Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC)
# 11251645
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
# 23021
SPECIALIZED TRAININGS
Emotionally-Focused Individual Therapy
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy
I'm Kat Deschiffart, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), based in Abbotsford, BC. I chose this path because I understand the emotional burnout that can come when navigating health concerns, what it's like when energy feels like currency you never have enough of, and the pressure to "just push through" despite everything you're carrying.
I'm passionate about making quality mental health care accessible to people who often feel overlooked or exhausted by traditional therapy and medical approaches.
I know firsthand what it's like to navigate the emotional weight of eating disorders, to feel like you're constantly calculating whether you have enough energy to make it through the day, and to wonder if anyone truly understands what you're going through
This lived experience is the foundation of my therapeutic style. When you work with me, you're not explaining your reality to someone learning about it for the first time—you're sharing it with someone who has walked a similar path.
I'm passionate about neuroscience and understanding how our brains and bodies work together, which supports my body-centred, emotionally-focused therapeutic approach.