My roots
Esther Kane, MSW, RSW, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Victoria, BC
I grew up in the inner city of Toronto and began my work there counselling and facilitating groups for women struggling with chemical dependencies and food/body images issues. After obtaining my Bachelor of Social Work at Ryerson in 1996, I moved to British Columbia and continued my work as a therapist. In 1998, I obtained my Masters in Social Work from UBC. My graduating research on Jewish Women and Body Image was published in the Journal of Collaborative Therapies shortly thereafter. In 2001, I completed an intense two-year post graduate training program in Family Systems Therapy at Pacific Coast Family Institute in Vancouver.
Since then, I have studied and taken many trainings in the areas of healing trauma, anxiety and depression through both somatic and mindfulness-based approaches.
I have worked as a therapist and group facilitator with individuals, couples and families for over twenty years and feel just as passionate and excited about my work as I did when I first started out. Therapy is definitely a “calling” for me and I am so grateful to be able to fulfill my earthly purpose each and every day. It is both an honour and a privilege.
Who I am Today
My husband, Nathaniel Richman, Web Developer extraordinaire, and I feel blessed to live in the heart of Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island and enjoy everything it has to offer- mostly, long walks along the beach. When I’m not working, I enjoy cooking, practising yoga and meditation, travelling, reading, and cuddling my adorable Siberian cat, Abe. I am blessed to have a fantastic marriage, wonderful friends, and a loving and supportive family.
I have also experienced several major life challenges and have come out the other side a deeper, mature, and more loving person: I survived a deadly battle with anorexia and bulimia in my teens and early 20s and have lived to tell the story. I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) I have worked incredibly hard at accepting the traits that go along with this, and learning to practise very good self-care over the years to achieve balance and equanimity.
I truly believe that I cannot help people unless I’ve done my own personal work and continue to on a daily basis. I am a living example that psychotherapy works and is an invaluable tool for human growth, healing, and self-acceptance.
I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in good standing of the British Columbia College of Social Workers. I am also a member in good standing of the B.C. Clinical Counsellors Association and have met all of the requirements of this professional body to have been given the designation of Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC).
