Meet Your Counsellor at Sozo Counselling

Get to know the compassionate counsellor at Sozo Counselling, serving Kelowna, West Kelowna, British Columbia, and beyond. Discover our counselling style, experience, and what you can expect when you come to us for support. We are dedicated to guiding you on your journey to healing and growth.

Meet Carin Benson

Carin's Approach to Counselling * Read more

Master Practitioner of Clinical Counsellor - provisional, RPC, DFA, CPCA

Training in Gottman Method Relationship Therapy, Connect Parenting, ADHD, and currently training in EMDR Trauma Therapy.

**I offer faith-based counselling on client’s request.

My passion is supporting healthy families. Children thrive in homes where their primary caregivers are healthy, supported, and in a loving, connected relationship with each other. One of the most important factors in creating a thriving home is the quality of the relationship between caregivers.

Research shows that our happiness, resilience, and even health are deeply connected to the quality of our relationships. As John Gottman, a leading relationship researcher, says, “The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life.” In counselling, I help individuals and couples strengthen these connections because thriving in relationships creates thriving lives.

My counselling practice is grounded in a holistic, integrative approach that honours the whole person; emotionally, mentally, physically, and relationally while also considering past experiences and future goals. I take a directive approach and provide tangible tools and practical skills. Lasting change happens when we look at the full picture of someone’s life, not just one part of it.

I draw from several evidence-based approaches, including:

  • Humanistic & Person-Centered Therapy – creating a safe, respectful space rooted in empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard.
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – offering practical strategies to challenge unhelpful thoughts, reshape behaviours, and build healthier patterns.
  • Brief Psychodynamic Therapy – exploring how early experiences, attachment, and unconscious patterns influence current relationships and struggles.
  • Gestalt Therapy – increasing self-awareness and working through unresolved emotional experiences in the present moment.
  • Trauma & EMDR-informed strategies – supporting emotional regulation, grounding, and the safe processing of trauma.

Every client is unique, and therapy is adapted to meet each person where they are, integrating multiple modalities to create a personalized, effective approach.

The goal is simple: to walk alongside clients with curiosity, compassion, and practical support, helping them strengthen relationships, build resilience, and create a life that feels more connected, meaningful, and fulfilling.

Carin Benson

Master Practitioner of Clinical Counsellor~ provisional, RPC, DFA, CPCA

Meet your Counsellor

“Family is at the centre of my life and my work". ~ For over 27 years, I’ve worked alongside youth and families, which has given me a deep understanding of complex relational dynamics and a genuine ability to connect with young people. I have extensive experience working with Adults as well as supporting teenagers with challenging behaviours. I believe “Strong relationships are at the heart of lasting change.” I’ve spent decades facilitating group workshops and speaking to diverse audiences; from children and youth to parents and professionals.

 

Beyond the counselling room, I’m a mom to four incredible children who keep me grounded, humble, and endlessly proud. "Family is at the centre of my life" ~ both the one I was born into and the one I’ve intentionally built through deep friendships and community involvement, including our schools and the hockey community. I feel most like myself outdoors: skiing in the winter, on the water in the summer, hiking, camping, playing racquet sports, and soaking up time in nature whenever I can. I’m also, unapologetically, an animal lover.

 

"I believe healing is whole-person work" ~ where physical movement, brain science, metabolic health, and emotional connection all matter. I’m guided by strong values and character and known for being optimistic, playful, and genuine. "I believe laughter belongs in healing spaces".

 

I’ve fallen and risen, been stretched, grown, and experienced both deep pain and insurmountable joy. I personally know the deep power of of supportive relationships, self-awareness, and the beauty of FUN.

Resilience has been etched and woven into every fiber of my being, and I know it's a gift not meant solely for me. "For me this work isn’t just about what I do ~


It’s a calling".

"Sozo Counselling helped us navigate a challenging time in our marriage. Carin's holistic approach and dedication to understanding our needs made all the difference."

Happy Client