Demill Keevil, MC BA
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) #10001143, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) #14812
About Demill
I am an art therapist and counsellor in West Vancouver. My educational background combines two of my greatest passions: art and psychology. I completed my undergraduate degree at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I completed my graduate studies at Adler University, where I earned a Master of Counselling Psychology: Art Therapy degree. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), a Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC), and a Professional Member of the British Columbia Art Therapy Association (BCATA). I am also the Ethics Chair for the BCATA.
My path to becoming a counsellor and an art therapist was greatly influenced by my personal healing journey and those who helped me through difficult periods of my own life. I know this process works because I have seen it work in my own life as well as the lives of others. I have an optimistic view of the counselling process, and I believe that everyone is capable of change. To me, the therapeutic relationship is a collaborative one in which the counsellor must be open to each client's individual needs. Nobody has more expertise on the client's life than the client, so as a counsellor I try to create an environment in which clients feel safe to openly share their experiences without criticism or judgment.
One unique thing about Oasis Creative Counselling is that you'll have the opportunity to participate in counselling, art therapy, or both. Counselling involves healing through primarily verbal processes (i.e., talking, writing), whereas art therapy is a metaverbal modality of treatment that involves various forms of expression (i.e., drawing, painting, sculpture, collage).
I generally work with a combination of verbal counselling and art therapy methods, but some clients prefer to stick with one or the other. During your initial session, we will discuss your individual needs and expectations, and we will collaboratively decide how to structure our sessions.
I operate from a person-centered model, which means that I believe it's vital for me to empathize with your experiences without judgment or criticism. I also believe it's important for me to be genuine and real in our counselling relationship.