About

Hello, I'm Yvonne Paquette, founder of  Shaded Path Counselling.

I'm a master's level social worker and a mental health counsellor, currently living and working in the Victoria, BC, area - the traditional territory of the Ləkʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Though I have mixed European settler and Algonquin heritage (North Bay/Mattawa), I do not identify as First Nations. My heritage informs my allyship and grounds my approach to decolonization of the land and mind. My personal experiences navigating mental health challenges, substance use, intergenerational trauma, and front-line support work, have given me an intimate understanding of life's shadows and what it is like to start a healing journey and continue down a path intertwined with darkness and light, always searching for the comfortable shade.

My path to counselling was forged over a decade of frontline social work in the Downtown Eastside and Greater Vancouver Area. I became increasingly frustrated with social systems that moved me away from truly serving people's needs. I realized that what was truly needed was meaningful, non-judgmental support from clinicians who understood the reality of living through stigmatized circumstances and who were willing to meet people where they were at – even if that meant meeting people on street corners, alleyways, or in challenging housing environments.

This conviction led me to broaden my skills, pursuing therapeutic counselling education rooted in Indigenous and allied scholarship through UVIC, NVIT, and Langara College. Throughout my work with various systems and organizations, my unwavering commitment to direct human support always brought me back to the counselling path. My life path has spanned diverse fields, from retail, to sheet metal, to community drop-ins, supported housing, and inpatient treatment and psychiatric emergency services - each reinforcing my belief in the power of supporting people in the here and now.

These direct experiences are the bedrock of my non-judgmental approach. While some might pathologize certain thoughts or behaviors, I see them as creative and deeply meaningful coping strategies – helpful friends waiting to be understood.

I've found profound good in the darkness and surprising beauty in the shadows, discovering my authentic self in the balanced shade between light and dark. My aim is to help you find your own unique shade and empower you to define your own worth, on your own terms.