where your spark is safe to shine
You don’t need fixing—you deserve space to let your spark glow.
At Bright Spark Counselling, I work with people navigating eating disorders, disordered eating, body image, perfectionism, poor self-esteem, and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity in a way that centers curiosity, compassion, and liberation. Together, we’ll loosen the grip of old narratives and create room for you to take up space, trust yourself, and shine in ways that feel true.
Your spark is already there—this work is about helping it glow a little brighter.
you might want to work with me if…
You’ve been struggling to find freedom from negative body image, disordered eating, or body shape and weight distress.
Your food fear or rigid food rules, semaglutide/GLP-1 use, a difficult relationship with exercise, orthorexia, and/or eating disorders is impacting your quality of life.
You’re tired of your life feeling smaller, chaotic, or dependent on your mood.
You want to navigate burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, ineffective coping skills, stress, and low-self esteem among other challenges.
You’re ready to explore what’s keeping you stuck while in the company of someone who collaborates with you.
You’re seeking hormone or surgical readiness assessments.
You want to celebrate successes big and small.
Who i am
Hello! My name is Rachel Ness (she/her), MA, RCC and I am a queer, White, temporarily able-bodied, cisgender woman of British, Scottish, and Polish ancestry. I am new to the area now called Victoria and live on the stolen lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən, Songhees, Sc’ianew (Beecher Bay), MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. I’m a somatic counsellor, which means my primary approach to supporting clients is through the body.
I specialize in working with people who have eating disorders (Binge Eating Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder), disordered eating patterns, and body image distress. I am working on getting my certificate as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist.
When I’m not working, I love to spend time with my family and pets, take walks, attend dance performances and roller derby, do all the crafts, and stick my feet in the ocean.
My Approach
My work is grounded in somatic psychotherapy, which I use in conjunction with expressive and evidenced-based practices. These include Culturally Responsive Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, and Brief Solutions Focused Therapy to name a few. In sessions with me, you can expect to use music, movement, sound, drawing, and talking to approach challenges from multiple angles.
It is important to me in therapeutic work to acknowledge and explore the interplay of intersecting identities. I have worked with clients who identify as neurodivergent, 2SLGBTQIA+, multiracial, and having physical disabilities and/or chronic illness. Populations I’ve worked with include survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, people on parole or probation, university faculty and staff, people pursuing eating disorder recovery, and students.
My values
Respect
Authenticity
Empathy
Compassion
Bodily Autonomy
Harm-Reduction
Playfulness
Collaboration
frameworks i use
Somatic Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
Health At Every Size (HAES)
Expressive Arts Therapy
Anti-Diet
Culturally Responsive Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy
Feminist Therapy
Hey, Let’s work together!
I offer free 20-minute consultations in-person, virtually, and by phone to discuss what you’d like to work on in counselling. This is also an opportunity to get to know each other and discuss what’s important to you in a therapeutic relationship. If you decide that you’d like to work with me, I offer in-person and virtual 50-minute counselling sessions at Allies Integrated Health located in Victoria, BC.