Counsellor Bio
Elizabeth Ibarra (pronouns She/Her) has been a Child and Youth Counsellor with Team Kwun’atsustul at Cowichan Tribes since Oct 2021, after she moved to Vancouver Island from Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised on Treaty 13 on the traditional territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the New Credit River, the Anishnawbe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, Elizabeth has spent years living and working closely with different First Nations communities. Herself the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants with Mesitza heritage, she has a passion for taking a multicultural and intergenerational approach to her work, and believes that healing communities, and individuals, just means supporting people in getting in touch with the strengths they already carry.
Her professional credentials include a 2019 Master’s Degree from the University of Toronto - Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work’s Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency Program, as well as experience on working with different Indigenous communities across Canada and the world. Her counseling approach is all about adapting to the unique needs of the individual, family, or community she is working with through incorporating both culturally traditional and neurological/psychological knowledge around mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Elizabeth’s primary focus on Team Kwun’atsustul is working with children above the age of 5, youth, teenagers, younger adults, and their families. She is experienced in working through counselling topics related to trauma and resiliency, genocide, historical family experiences, sexualized violence, grief and loss, self-harm/suicide, foster care, lateral violence, abuse, gender identity and sexual orientation/health, anxiety, depression, and more.
Elizabeth is also receiving on-going training and clinical supervision on how to support children/youth in expressive forms of play therapy, which includes art and sand tray.
Counsellor Availability & Afterhours Resources
Elizabeth’s counseling hours are typically between Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm, excluding Stat Holidays. If Elizabeth is unexpectedly off-work the day of your appointment, another TWT Health Center staff member will notify you as soon as possible by the contact information you provided.
If Elizabeth is unavailable during the workday due to other appointments, and you need to talk to a member of the Cowichan Tribe’s counseling team, Kwun’atsustul’s Daily On-Call Counselor can offer support between Monday-Friday from 8:30am-12pm, and 1-4:30pm. Please call the TWT Health Center at (250)-746-6184 to get connected to the Daily On-Call Counselor.
Elizabeth will not respond to afterhour calls, emails, or texts until she is available the following workday. For any urgent afterhours counselling support, please call one of the 24/7 Crisis Lines below until you reach someone. If you think your or someone else’s life is in danger, please call 911 immediately:
Kuu-us Crisis Line Society (Coast Salish) 1-800—588-8717
Vancouver Island Crisis Line Society (Island) 1-888-494-3888
1800SUICIDE (Provincial) 1-800-784-2433
310Mental Health Support (Provincial) 310-6789
Kids Help Phone (National) 1-800-668-6868
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness (National) 1-855-242-3310
SAFETY NOTICE
If you are a child or youth under 19 who is being abused or neglected, or you believe that you know a child or youth under the age of 19 who is being abused or neglected, please be aware that the Child and Youth Counsellor has a Duty to Report these concerns to a child welfare worker through either the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), or Lalum’utul’ Smun’eem Child and Family Services.
Please call one of the numbers below if you have these safety concerns. If she is available, the Child and Youth Counsellor would be happy schedule time to sit together with you to provide support for this phone call. If you or someone else you know is in any immediate danger please call 911 now.
Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD): 1 800 663-9122
Island Health Children’s Helpline 250-310-1234 (For Emergencies Requiring a Social Worker)
Lalum’utul’ Smun’eem (LS) Child and Family Services: 250-742-1002
