Cynthia Routhier, MA, RCC — Bilingual Couples & Trauma Therapy in BC

How I work

Individual therapy — for trauma, anxiety, and life transitions

If you’ve done talk therapy before and felt like nothing really changed, it may be that the work needed to happen at a level words alone can’t reach. I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help your brain reprocess what’s still stuck, alongside somatic and attachment-focused approaches that work with the body and nervous system, not just the story. We move at your pace.

I work with adults navigating:

• Trauma and PTSD (including complex trauma)
• Anxiety, panic, and chronic stress
• Depression and low mood
• Attachment wounds and difficulty in close relationships
• Emotional dysregulation — feeling too much or too little
• Life transitions: immigration, separation, grief, career change, identity shifts
• Burnout and the long-tail effects of chronic over-functioning

Couples therapy — when something deeper is going on

Many couples reach me after trying a few sessions elsewhere and not seeing change. Often that’s because the conflict you’re stuck in isn’t just about communication skills — it’s about attachment, old trauma, and the nervous system patterns each of you brought into the relationship.

I integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, and the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT). When the situation calls for it, I can also work with one or both partners individually using EMDR to address the trauma underneath the dynamic. Few therapists in BC offer both.

Common reasons couples reach out:

• Walking on eggshells — one partner managing the other’s mood
• Feeling disconnected — together but lonely
• Constant arguments that don’t resolve, or arguments that one of you freezes through
• Affair recovery and rebuilding trust
• Major transitions: cohabitation, marriage, parenthood, fertility loss
• Intercultural and bilingual couples — including couples where one partner is French and the other English

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is therapy in French as effective as in English?

For many people, it’s more effective. When you can express yourself without a language barrier, the work goes deeper. Many of my clients use both languages within a single session, switching back to English for some topics, returning to French for others. That’s completely normal, and I follow your lead.

I live outside of Vancouver, can I still see you?

Yes. I offer therapy online to anyone living anywhere in British Columbia. You only need a private space and a stable internet connection.

I’m new to Canada. Do you understand the immigration experience?

Yes. I work regularly with clients navigating immigration: isolation, culture shock, grief for the country left behind, the pressure to “succeed” in a new country, and the invisible weight of starting over in a language that isn’t yours. We can do that work in French.

Do you work with couples where one of us speaks French and the other doesn’t?

Yes, bilingual and intercultural couples are a significant part of my practice. We find a session format that lets each partner feel fully heard. Read more about bilingual couples therapy →

What if I’ve done a lot of therapy already and feel stuck?

You’re not failing therapy. You may have been doing the kind of therapy that wasn’t designed to reach where the difficulty actually lives. EMDR, somatic, and parts-based work can often move things that years of talk therapy haven’t.

How much is a session? Is it covered by insurance?

Individual sessions are $150 and couples sessions are $165. Counselling services are covered under most extended health benefit plans (look for “Registered Clinical Counsellor”). Sliding scale spots are available — please ask.

How do I get started?

Book a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk briefly about what you’re hoping to work on and whether we feel like a good fit. There’s no pressure to book a full session afterward.

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Recent writing

• How Nature Supports Trauma Work (Even When Therapy Happens Indoors) — the neuroscience of how time outdoors lowers amygdala activity, restores attention, and interrupts rumination.
• ADHD, Shame, and How Trauma Therapy Helps Heal the Inner Critic — why ADHD-related shame is often a form of small-t trauma, and what helps.

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Book a Session

Vous préférez lire en français? Visitez ma page en français →

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Emergence Counselling & Wellness provides online therapy across British Columbia.

I help people expand their “emotional intelligence toolbox” by exploring/practicing emotion regulation strategies, soothing skills, healthy communication and relational patterns.