Skyelar Napier, M.A., R.C.C
Registered Clinical Counsellor.
Master’s in Counselling Psychology.
Registered Yoga Teacher
In my practice, I work collaboratively with clients in defining problems and developing solutions. My purpose is to help you gain a clearer understanding of what is true and necessary for you while providing guidance and support in working toward change.
My clinical practice incorporates twenty-five years of training and experience in the treatment of:
- Anxiety, depression, trauma and phobia
- Eating and other behaviour disorders
- Grief and loss
- Parenting challenges
- Couple’s Counselling
In my work with individuals, I incorporate the therapeutic benefits of Mindfulness with both Cognitive-Behavioural and Somatic Experiencing therapies. I believe that all of us have an innate ability to heal our emotional wounds. My experience has shown me that when we attend to both the mind and the body in the healing process, desired change can occur much faster and with greater ease. These changes are experienced immediately as well as over the long-term.
I am trained in various treatment modalities including Dynamic Attachment Repatterning Experience (DARe) (see www.drdianepooleheller.com) and Observed and Experiential Integration (OEI) (see www.sightpsych.com).
As well as individual therapy, I work with couples to help them achieve and maintain a more meaningful connection with one another. Fifteen years of marriage has made me ever more sensitive to the stresses and changes that can negatively impact a committed relationship. From minor tune-ups to major problems, I have found the Bader -Pearson Developmental Model to be invaluable. Using this model as a road map, I am able to guide couples toward a deeper understanding of the root causes of their conflicts and, at the same time, provide concrete and effective methods to more easily deal with them.
I welcome any inquiries into my services!
Testimonials
Prior to finding Skyelar my wife and I had visited several marriage counsellors, including one dedicated to helping couples who have decided to separate. Not having any real experience with counselling before this, I wasn’t sure what to expect, or how to measure success. I thought the few we’d seen before Skyelar were pretty good, but there was also something missing. In hindsight what was missing was a personal connection, a feeling that we were more than just that hour’s session. When we first sat down with Skyelar she told us that we would have to work hard to make our sessions and our marriage work. This was exactly what we wanted to hear—finally someone not afraid to push us, to make us work and hold us accountable to the goal we had to stay together, or at least navigate ourselves to a better place than we were at.
In Skyelar we found someone who seemed to really care, was not afraid to share her own experiences and gave us real tools to work with. It’s incredibly difficult to put into words the feeling of having come so close to our marriage ending and then having the extreme fortune to turn it around. I credit Skyelar for this—we could not have done it without her. She has changed my opinion of counselling, and when I think of her, I feel deep gratitude that she was there for my wife and me. B.G.
I first went to Skyelar during a time when I was having difficulty finding contentment in my daily life. From my vantage point the world seemed like a bleak and pointless place and no amount of talking about my experience with friends and family was shifting my perspective. For this reason I had very little hope that a therapist could make a difference – how could another conversation be of use?
I worked with Skyelar for a year and during that time we had many insightful conversations but more importantly for me were the times we didn’t talk at all. I learned to breathe, to listen to my body, to feel, to step away from my spinning, whirling and often very self-critical mind. The actionable tools of acceptance and self compassion taught by Skyelar changed my life. Prior to therapy I carried many negative fundamental beliefs about myself and life in general that left me feeling stuck – always seemingly ‘learning’ the same lessons over and over again. Since therapy I have been able to create the life I have always said I wanted.
During this transformational process Skyelar was patient and kind – I would recommend her to anyone (and I often do) looking to find support and guidance through a difficult time. B.M.
Skyelar’s warm, caring and professional manner has allowed me to not only trust her completely but has given me the confidence to create significant abundance and growth in my life. After every appointment I felt lighter, happier and full of hope. Skyelar has been a beacon of light on my independent path of self-discovery and I can only hope others give themselves the gift of talking to her. I strongly recommend the Alpine Anxiety Clinic to anyone who is ready to start feeling better. E.D.
Finding a therapist you can trust can be challenging. Trusting and being vulnerable was a big issue for me. I am a married homemaker and mother of an adult daughter who struggled with anxiety and a eating disorder. My husband is in real estate and works long hours. I had withdrawn from life and was trying to find a way back to trusting people enough to open myself up to them. I needed a life outside of my daughters illness as I had become very isolated. I needed a life with more balance. One of the biggest insights I realized by working with Skyelar, was that it wasn’t so much about trusting others as it was really about trusting myself. Trusting that no matter how others behaved or what challenges I faced, it was really up to me to believe that I had the ability to make choices that either gave me more power in my life or took that power away. It was up to me. I loved this because it gave me the ability to make choices that were in my best interest and stop blaming others. I had struggled with drinking and binge eating as a way to numb stressful feelings and I had issues with anger that had ruined many relationships. Skyelars patience and understanding was the cornerstone of support that gently encouraged me into seeing how my unhealthy behaviours were directly connected to feelings that overwhelmed me and caused me anxiety. Skyelar provided a safe and non judgemental place for me to explore these feelings and work through them. I am learning compassion for myself and others and taking responsibility for the role I play in my own life. After working with Skyelar for some months, my husband and I entered into couples therapy with Skyelar to understand the dynamics of our relationship and ways we could communicate better. This was helpful as it gave us insight into how things affected us differently. We learned to develop compassion and understanding for our different ways of seeing life and with this new awareness we were less likely to criticize or become defensive when dealing with stressful situations. Skyelar has an open door for us to come back whenever we feel we need extra support as we manage the challenges of life. All this is a work in progress. With her support and careful attention to our needs, I am confident she will always have our best interest in her heart. D.C.
In May 2018, and after 42 years of marriage, our relationship wasn’t in a good place. We were constantly bickering, there was a low level of respect and trust between us and communication was at an all time low. Our marriage was in trouble.
We called Alpine Clinic, spoke to Claire and she referred us to Skyelar. What a blessing! Her approach was extremely gentle and her willingness to share her own personal experiences allowed us to feel we weren’t alone with our issues. Through listening, reflecting and guiding us to think about ways to improve our relationship we are now in a totally different, and much better, place. There’s still work to be done (isn’t there always?) and who knows, maybe we’ll be back. We would recommend Skyelar as the kindest most thoughtful and effective counsellor possible, in fact we already have. R and A L.