Hello, UBC Okanagan!

Dr. Charu Talwar, PhD, RCC

** • Science-Backed Well-Being & Human Thriving • Overcoming Grief, Loss & Trauma • Gottman Couples Therapy & Marital Stress Women’s Midlife & Hormonal Transitions • Career Burnout & Work Pressures • Mindfulness & Mindfulness-Based Practices**

​About Charu

​At the heart of my practice is a fundamental belief: “therapy should extend beyond managing challenges—it should create a path toward genuine flourishing, deep well-being, and long-term fulfilment”.

​I hold a PhD in Psychology, specializing in positive psychology, along with a post-doctoral research background in well-being from the University of Pennsylvania.

While my work is firmly grounded in scientifically backed, evidence-based frameworks—including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based approaches, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy—”I firmly believe that the therapeutic relationship always comes first. Science provides the tools, but a compassionate, trusting space is where true healing occurs”.

​I specialise in supporting women navigating the complex dynamics of midlife—balancing intense career pressures, staying relevant in the workplace, managing burnout, and holding the weight of competing family demands. Alongside these life shifts, physical and hormonal changes can feel overwhelming. Together, we move past survival mode to reclaim your vitality, cultivate mindfulness, re-anchor self-care, and prioritise your personal well-being.

​In my work with individuals and couples, I provide compassionate support for overcoming grief, loss, and trauma. Whether you are navigating marital stress, major life transitions, or painful setbacks, we work together to process painful experiences, build emotional resilience, and restore a sense of safety and inner peace. Using the Gottman Method, I help partners “break negative conflict loops, rebuild emotional trust, and cultivate a shared sense of purpose”.

​Whether you are feeling stuck in chronic stress, processing painful loss, or seeking clarity during a major life transition, my focus is to walk alongside you—helping you move beyond surface-level symptoms to build a life where you truly thrive.

“Why Work with Charu”

1. “A Relationship-First Approach”: Tools and modalities matter, but true healing happens within a safe, non-judgmental, and genuinely supportive connection. You will always be heard, validated, and seen as a whole person—not a set of symptoms.

2. “Deep Expertise Grounded in Science”: With a PhD in Psychology and post-doctoral research in well-being from the University of Pennsylvania, my practice bridges high-level academic rigor with practical, real-world application.

3. “Mindfulness & Present-Moment Awareness”: We integrate mindfulness techniques to help regulate your nervous system, reduce anxiety, and quiet the noise of daily demands.

4. “Support Through Grief, Trauma & Marital Stress”: I offer a grounded, empathetic space to navigate deep loss, trauma, and relational tension—helping you rebuild resilience and restore stability in yourself and your relationships.

5. “A Focus on Thriving, Not Just Coping”: Our work goes beyond symptom relief to help you unlock vitality, build resilience, restore meaningful connections, and design a life where you genuinely flourish.

6. “Specialised Understanding of Midlife & Modern Pressures”: I offer a targeted, empathetic lens for women navigating the unique demands of midlife—balancing career expectations, family dynamics, hormonal transitions, and burnout—giving you actionable space to prioritise yourself.

At the heart of Grace’s approach is the belief that people do not need to become someone different in order to grow. Through compassionate exploration, increased self-understanding, and meaningful connection, she hopes to help clients recognise their strengths, develop greater confidence in themselves, and move toward lives that feel more authentic and fulfilling.

Grace is especially drawn to working with adolescents and young adults experiencing challenges related to self-worth, self-esteem, family relationships, identity, belonging, and life transitions. She recognises that struggles with confidence or motivation rarely exist in isolation and enjoys helping clients explore the relationships, expectations, experiences, and internal narratives that may be influencing how they see themselves.

Grace has a particular interest in supporting individuals with ADHD and other neurodivergent experiences. Her interest is informed in part by her own lived experience with ADHD, giving her an appreciation for the ways neurodivergence can shape emotional regulation, motivation, relationships, confidence, organization, and everyday life. Grace approaches ADHD from a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming perspective, helping clients better understand how their minds work while developing practical strategies that support greater self-trust and wellbeing.

With a strong background in competitive soccer, Grace also understands the unique psychological and emotional demands experienced by athletes. She is passionate about supporting athletes and active individuals navigating performance pressure, confidence, perfectionism, injury, team dynamics, identity, major transitions, and the often-overlooked question of who we are beyond our achievements.

Overall Grace brings warmth, curiosity, and genuine connection to her work with clients. She is passionate about creating a collaborative and nonjudgmental space where people can feel understood, explore what may be happening beneath the surface, and develop a stronger and more compassionate relationship with themselves.

Jess offers a warm, strengths-based counselling approach grounded in trauma- and violence-informed care, client-centred practice, and deep respect for each person’s lived experience.

Jess tailors therapy to each client’s unique needs, drawing from Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, somatic awareness, and relational practices to support healing, resilience, and meaningful change.

Jess supports adults navigating anxiety, ADHD, burnout, life transitions, relationship challenges, parenting and caregiving roles, and the impacts of trauma. She is honoured to walk alongside clients as they reconnect with themselves, acknowledge the resilience they carry, and explore what matters most.

Jess believes therapy offers a space to slow down, reflect on our experiences, and better understand the stories we carry about ourselves, our relationships, and our lives. She is committed to creating a counselling space that feels warm, grounded, collaborative, and free from judgment.

Jess is a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work from Dalhousie University and more than 18 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and communities through her work in the non-profit sector.

Outside of her work as a therapist, Jess enjoys spending time with her husband and two lively boys. She finds joy working in the garden, swimming and paddleboarding in the lake, and adventuring in the woods with her boys.

As part of the Safe and Sound Therapeutics team, Jess looks forward to connecting with you and creating space to explore your story and the possibilities for what comes next.

Katie is a Registered Social Worker who is eager to hold space for and walk alongside you as you embrace who you are and explore who you wish to become.

Recognizing that each and every person has their own unique story and path, she practices from a person-centered, strengths-based approach and draws from a range of perspectives and techniques, including self-compassion, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and acceptance & commitment therapy.

As a Registered Social Worker for the past decade, Katie has supported individuals and families navigating an array of challenges and changes, including mental health diagnoses, which has given her insight into the impacts of trauma and compassion for the people she encounters. She also understands both the courage therapy requires and the benefits that therapy provides after seeking help for her own struggles. This empathy and awareness has inspired her to better serve others through counselling.

Along with a Masters of Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Work, Katie earned a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Psychology from Dalhousie University. She is registered with the British Columbia College of Social Workers.

Katie also holds her certification as a Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides, and offers guided walks that invite people to connect with the healing power of nature.

Beyond her work, Katie finds joy from time in nature and time with loved ones, including her partner and pup. She also practices forest bathing, gratitude, mindfulness, and yoga as forms of self-care.

Katie is grateful to have the opportunity to support you as part of the Safe & Sound team, and looks forward to accompanying you on your journey!

Lea, governed both by RCC and CCC, embraces a holistic therapeutic framework that considers the mind, body, spirit, and the impact of one’s environment and social factors. She employs a variety of techniques and strategies based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Somatic therapy, neuroscience, and mindfulness, all while using a trauma-informed lens to support her clients.

Lea specializes in women’s health, with a passion for empowering women in perimenopause and menopause. Lea has worked with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, life transitions, grief, low self-esteem, parenting challenges, and issues related to ADHD and autism, among other concerns.

With a rich tapestry of life experiences and diverse skills, Lea brings over twenty-five years of high school teaching experience, 400+ hours of yoga teacher training, and expertise in facilitating professional development workshops.

Having navigated life’s complexities herself, Lea has experienced both the client and counsellor perspectives. This journey has strengthened her belief in the transformative power of therapy. Her warm and collaborative approach fosters a safe, nonjudgmental environment where clients can openly explore their struggles and work towards achieving their personal goals.

Lea is passionate about empowering her clients to heal, evolve, and thrive through the right tools, support, and encouragement.

When she’s not working, Lea loves hiking with friends, staying active through workouts and yoga, cooking, and unwinding with comedy sitcoms alongside her family. She also enjoys thrifting fabrics to create handmade meditation cushions, yoga bolsters, and other upcycled treasures.

If you’re seeking a compassionate, skilled counsellor to support you on your journey, Lea is here to help.

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in patterns within yourself or your relationships can make it difficult to know where to begin. Mikaela supports young adults, adults, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, attachment and relationship concerns, family conflict, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and significant life transitions. Her work focuses on helping clients better understand themselves, feel more grounded, strengthen their relationships, and move toward meaningful and lasting change.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Mikaela’s practice is her specialization in animal-assisted therapy and the therapeutic human-animal bond. For clients who feel a strong connection with animals, incorporating a therapy dog into counselling can offer another pathway toward safety, grounding, trust, emotional regulation, and connection. Mikaela is especially interested in the ways animals can support clients who have experienced trauma, attachment difficulties, anxiety, or challenges feeling safe and connected within relationships.

Mikaela brings warmth, authenticity, curiosity, and humour into the counselling relationship. Her approach is trauma-informed, person-centred, relational, and strengths-based. She believes meaningful therapy begins by creating a space where people can feel genuinely understood rather than judged, rushed, or expected to become someone they are not.

Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, Mikaela works collaboratively with each client. She draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, Attachment Theory, mindfulness, and somatic approaches. These approaches can help clients understand patterns, regulate difficult emotions, develop greater psychological flexibility, strengthen relationships, and find practical ways of responding to life’s challenges that align with their values.

Mikaela holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Clinical Counselling and Human-Animal Interactions from Prescott College and is a Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist (C-AAIS). Her Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) registration is currently pending. Her passion for the human-animal bond also extends into her future research. Mikaela will begin doctoral studies in 2027 exploring the role of therapy dogs as potential attachment figures within counselling relationships, an area that brings together her interests in attachment, trauma, relational healing, and animal-assisted therapy.

At the heart of Mikaela’s work is the belief that healing does not have to happen alone. Through compassionate connection, increased self-understanding, practical strategies, and, when appropriate, the supportive presence of a therapy dog, Mikaela helps clients build greater trust in themselves and create relationships and lives that feel safer, more connected, and more authentic.

Saharrah is the Office and Social Media Manager at Safe and Sound Therapeutics. While working with Safe & Sound, Saharrah is also pursuing a degree in Creative Writing at the University of Toronto.

Saharrah brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to our team. Her experience working with several health and wellness brands has equipped her with the skills to drive engagement and enhance our online presence.

Saharrah is passionate about making a positive impact through innovative social media strategies and efficient office management. Her ability to weave storytelling into her work ensures that our daily operations and online community thrive.

When not working you can find her reading fantasy novels or enjoying our beautiful city.

Clients often describe me as intuitive, calm, and deeply present—someone who holds complexity with dignity and helps make sense of what feels overwhelming. Whether I’m supporting a child who’s struggling at school, a teen navigating identity, an adult facing change, or a family working toward healthier patterns, my work centre’s on connection, clarity, and the courage to build a full, authentic life. i

Passion for : Play-Based Therapy for Children and Youth with an Neuro-affirming approach.

Family Systems: I work with people at pivotal moments across the lifespan:

Relationship changes, personal growth, and life transitions—offering dignity-driven counselling rooted in connection, intuition, and community.

In a time marked by loneliness, anxiety, addiction, and emotional exhaustion, I help children, youth, adults, and families reconnect with themselves and with one another. My work centres on helping people meet their lives with dignity, curiosity, and courage—whether they’re navigating big emotions, facing fears, or longing for a deeper sense of connection.

Guided by Integrity - Rooted in Empathy

With over 15 years of experience, I support clients through trauma, grief, relational strain, emotional regulation challenges, neurodivergence, and the developmental transitions that shape identity across the lifespan. My approach is steady, warm, and deeply relational. I believe people heal when they feel seen—not managed, rushed, or judged.

Play-Based Approach;

For children and youth, I use a play-based, sensory-aware, relational style which means:

• Creating a safe space where children express feelings through movement, art, sand, story, and imagination.

• Helping them connect their inner world with their outer world—making sense of big emotions in ways that feel natural, playful, and empowering.

• Strengthening emotional regulation, communication, confidence, and resilience through experiential, developmentally attuned activities.

This approach not only supports emotional growth—it often transforms family dynamics, easing tension at home and helping parents understand what their child is truly experiencing beneath the surface.

School-Based Expertise

In my current role as a K–12 school counsellor, I collaborate closely with students, families, teachers, and support teams. This keeps me grounded in the real, everyday challenges children and youth face—social pressure, sensory stress, learning differences, anxiety, and the overwhelming pace of modern life. It also deepens my commitment to accessible, trauma-informed, community-rooted care.

Areas of Focus

• Play-based counselling for emotion regulation, behaviour, confidence, & communication.

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) — sensory needs, communication strategies, social supports.

• LGBTQ+

• Anxiety — grounding, coping tools, confidence-building.

• Friendships & social connection — belonging, conflict resolution, relational skills.

• Family dynamics & parent support.

• Life transitions, identity development, and career crossroads.

• Trauma, grief, and loss.

• Loneliness, addiction, and emotional overwhelm.

• ADHD & neurodivergent support.

• Resilience, self-awareness, and emotional development across all ages.

**

Shauna is an accredited Canada-Wide Clinical Supervisor, holding CCC-S as well as RCC-ASC designation.

Shauna Paynter is a Registered Clinical Counsellor specially trained in Autism through UBC Special Education Program. She is scientifically trained and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia, and a Secondary Post-Ed Degree from University of Victoria.

She earned a Master of Art in Transpersonal Psychology through Sofia University in Palo Alto, California and is currently working on her PhD in Psychology.

Shauna is highly skilled and trained in Person-Centered Group Process Facilitation and teaches on a regular basis. Teaching includes private groups, as well as students enrolled to become School Counsellors through Seattle City University.

Evidenced-based guidance and skill building for strengthening and sustaining strong mental health is her approach. She uses ACT, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, an empirically supported approach that will shift you and set a forward momentum that will take you to places of solid well-being within all levels of your existence.

How will your life be different after seeing Shauna?

1.) Ability to accept and make space for your anxiety and other difficult emotions.

2.) Clarity during decision making- doing what is right for you and staying true to who you are despite difficult circumstances.

3.) Knowing exactly what your core values are, what you stand for and why.

4.) The ability to create meaningful personal goals and take effective action toward those goals.

If you area a student looking for a practicum placement, or a clinical supervisor looking for professional support, Shauna is an accredited Canada-Wide Clinical Supervisor, holding CCC-S as well as RCC-ASC designation as well as “Supervisor of Supervisors” training.

At Safe and Sound, Telka is committed to a person-centered therapeutic approach that combines the best of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques.

Here, you’ll find a supportive space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and relationships in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Whether you’re seeking guidance in co-parenting or striving to connect more deeply with your partner, Telka is here to empower you and help you find clarity.

With a solid foundation built on her degrees in Sociology and Social Work from Laurier and Waterloo Universities, Telka brings a wealth of knowledge and years of hands-on experience working with children, youth, teens, and families.

Telka specialises in working with couples and employs a family systems along with empirically-based Gottman principles for couples work.

Having embraced the beauty and community of Kelowna for the past two years, Telka is not just passionate about the great outdoors—hiking, skiing, and pilates—she’s dedicated to helping you thrive within your own life journey.

Telka, your strategic ally at Safe and Sound Therapeutics. With a commitment to professionalism and excellence, Telka embodies our clinic’s values of integrity and empathy, providing you with expert guidance anchored in evidence-based practices. We invite you to take the first step towards transformative healing and wellness by scheduling your appointment today.

Join her in crafting a healthy, balanced life. The journey to your best self starts here, in alignment with our clinic’s mission of excellence and care. Book your appointment today and take the first step towards transformation!