Christina Savage, RCC-ACS | Counsellor in BC, English & Portuguese
Accepting New Referrals in English & Portuguese
She/her · Online across BC
Maybe you grew up between two cultures and never felt fully at home in either. Maybe you're questioning parts of your identity, or noticing old patterns showing up in your relationships, your eating or your focus. You shouldn't have to explain everything from scratch to be understood.
Christina Savage is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Approved Clinical Supervisor (RCC-ACS #11978) with more than 20 years of experience. She offers warm, collaborative counselling in English and Portuguese for adults, couples, families and parents, online across British Columbia.
As a first-generation Portuguese Canadian, Christina has navigated challenges tied to family dynamics, cultural and gender identity, and sexual orientation. Her own journey showed her that healing and self-acceptance are possible. She helps clients take pride in who they are and find communities of acceptance and belonging.
How Christina Works
Sessions are warm, collaborative and paced by you. Christina's work is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive and culturally sensitive. She draws on Internal Family Systems (IFS), Family Systems, Narrative and Feminist therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), tailoring each session to your needs and to what you want to change.
Who Christina Works With
Christina works with adults, couples, families and parents from diverse backgrounds, including 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, neurodivergent people, newcomers, and people coping with trauma, disordered eating, anxiety, depression, grief, separation or divorce. She does not see children or teens directly; parents can work with her on supporting their kids.
She has also supported many local and international students through school, life transitions and cultural adjustment.
Why Clients Choose Christina
She understands from the inside. Her own experience of growing up Portuguese in Canada and embracing her identity shapes how she listens.
Two decades of experience. She holds a master's degree in counselling, a counselling diploma and a BA, and she trains and supervises other counsellors.
Your language. Sessions in English, Portuguese, or a mix of both.
Affirming by default. Trauma-informed, anti-oppressive and 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming.
Areas of Practice
Stress and burnout (work, academic, general)
Anxiety, depression and mood
Abuse (physical, emotional and sexual) and domestic violence
ADHD, procrastination, time management and sleep
Eating disorders, body image and disordered eating
Identity, sexual orientation and gender identity
Perfectionism, guilt and self-worth
Family conflict, parenting, separation and divorce
EAP/EFAP counselling
Counselling for Portuguese-Speaking Clients and Families
Living between two cultures can mean feeling torn between your family's expectations and the life you're building here. Christina helps clients sort through intergenerational conflict, immigration stress and the quiet pressure to be "the strong one," bringing her own experience of growing up Portuguese in Canada to every session. Learn more about Portuguese-language counselling and newcomer and immigration adjustment.
Identity, Sexual Orientation and Gender
Questioning who you are, coming out, or finding your place in a family or culture that doesn't yet understand you can be lonely. Christina offers an affirming space to explore identity at your own pace, without having to educate your therapist first. The goal is self-acceptance and belonging, on your terms. See 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming counselling.
ADHD and Executive Functioning
If procrastination, time blindness, poor sleep or constant overwhelm leave you feeling always behind, you're not lazy. Christina helps adults understand how their brain works and build practical systems for focus, planning and rest, with compassion for the shame many people carry after years of being misunderstood. Learn more about ADHD therapy and executive functioning.
Body Image and Disordered Eating
Your relationship with food and your body can affect everything else. Christina works gently and without judgment, exploring what eating patterns do for you and what sits underneath them. See body image and disordered eating.
Trauma, Anxiety and Depression
Past experiences of abuse, loss or chronic stress can leave you anxious, numb or stuck in self-criticism. Christina helps you understand these responses, build a sense of safety and reconnect with your strengths. Learn more about trauma therapy, anxiety and depression.
Students and Life Transitions
Starting school, moving to a new country, separating from a partner or losing someone you love can unsettle your sense of who you are. Christina has supported many local and international students, and adults through separation, divorce and grief. See life transitions and grief and loss.
Book a free 15-minute consult with Christina →
Atendimento em Português
Falar sobre o que dói é mais fácil na língua em que a gente sente. Christina é canadense-portuguesa de primeira geração e oferece todos os seus atendimentos em português, para pessoas de Portugal, do Brasil e de outras comunidades lusófonas na Colúmbia Britânica.
Ela conhece de perto os desafios de viver entre duas culturas: o estresse da imigração, as expectativas da família, os conflitos entre gerações e as dúvidas sobre identidade. Com ela, você não precisa traduzir o que sente nem explicar sua cultura do zero.
Atendimento online em toda a Colúmbia Britânica, em português, inglês ou nos dois idiomas, como for mais natural para você. Agende uma consulta gratuita de 15 minutos →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the first consult really free?
Yes. A free 15-minute video call lets you meet Christina, ask questions and see if she feels like the right fit, with no commitment.
Can I have sessions in Portuguese?
Yes. Christina offers all her counselling in Portuguese or English, and you can switch between them.
Are sessions online or in person?
Christina's sessions are online only, by secure video, anywhere in BC.
Is Christina 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming?
Yes. Affirming care is central to how she works, not an add-on.
Who does Christina work with?
Christina works with adults, couples, families and parents. She does not see children or teens directly; parents can work with her on supporting their kids.
What happens in the first session?
It's a conversation about what brings you in and what you'd like to change. You choose how much to share, and you'll leave with a sense of how therapy could work for you.
How much does it cost? Is it covered?
See current rates. Many extended health plans cover Registered Clinical Counsellors, so check your plan.
For counsellors and practicum students: Christina is a BCACC Approved Clinical Supervisor and a Yorkville University approved supervisor. She supervises clinical counsellors and practicum students at the diploma and master's levels, and teaches counselling courses. Learn about clinical supervision at Psychotherapy Room.
Ready to Talk?
You don't need to have the right words yet. Book a free consult and start with whatever feels most pressing. Online across BC, from Vancouver to Kelowna, in English or Portuguese.