About

Living Life and Loving It
Counselling, Consulting and Nursing Services

Barbara Faris, MA, RCC, LPN

Office Location: Suite 4 – 45975 First Ave, Chilliwack, B.C., Canada, V2P  1W2

Kawkawa Lake, Hope, B.C., Canada,  V0X 1L0
p: 604.860.0507  or 604.860.9129

e: [email protected]

 

Living Life and Loving It offers assistance to seniors, adults, and children in Hope and Chilliwack, connecting them to resources and supporting them in living healthy fulfilling lives.

Barb’s Story regarding her aging parents and her motivation for providing care and support for the older community members in and around Hope, BC… As my parents grew older, my Dad had Parkinson’s Disease, and my Mom had a double bypass surgery but they still lived in their home. Mom looked after Dad in the years that followed, as his condition got worse. She allowed some outside help to come in to do light housekeeping and bath assists for Dad. Mom did not like some of things that the housekeepers did, for instance not putting things back where they belonged in the kitchen or insisting on wearing their outside shoes in the house. One person even stole from Mom. Mom and Dad refused my offer to put my life on hold and move to Victoria to care for them, and consequently Mom as the main caregiver eventually wore herself out. I really respected my Mom and Dad, they worked hard to stay independent. I wish services were available that would help them to continue to stay at home and be independent yet receive the care of someone that could be trusted. From this idea Living Life and Loving It was born.

I know first hand about the struggles of seeing my parents age and become weaker.  Mom eventually had Dad move into a care facility in Victoria.  Soon after, she broke her hip and chose to sell the house and put herself into a care facility.  For 2 years, she was in the separate facility than Dad and this was a very bad hardship for the both of them. The emotional pain they were both going through was huge: loss of health, loss of home and belongings, loss of even each other as a support and companion.

Mom would often say that it is anything but the ‘Golden Years’.  She called the room where she spent her last days, as God’s sitting room.  Dad passed 3 years before Mom and Mom was always glad that she got to be with Dad when he passed.  Near the end, she would ask me if she had made the right choices and decisions for herself and Dad and I began wondering if there were other options. I believe my Mom and Dad did the very best they could and that they never wanted to be a burden on anyone.

After experiencing my parents struggle with growing old, seeing the loss and struggles they had, I became passionate about getting the knowledge and skills so that I could help seniors in similar situations. I am your advocate who will work for you with integrity, so that you can experience the best quality of life possible, in your Golden Years.

That is where the dream of building a counselling practice focused on Living Life and Loving It all started. As a Licensed Practical Nurse of 46 years I have worked 10 years in acute care with experience in obstetrics, maternity, surgery, post op care, medical, orthopedics and emergency.  For 22 years I have worked with the geriatric population and for 5 years have worked as a pediatric home care nurse.

Experience:

  • Lactation Consultant and La Leche League Leader.
  • Diploma in Business,
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Art, Honours in Psychology
  • Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology.
  • Served on the Board of Region 5 of the BCACC (BC Association of Clinical Counsellors).
  • Worked on a five year research project with single mothers who had been physically abused by their teenage daughters.  It happens more than you think.  The mothers talked about their lived experience and is a voice that has not been heard before.  The project redefined the term family violence.  The daughters had all suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and were victims as well.
  • One and a half years working as a school counsellor with teens attending the Shxwetilthet alternate school on Stolo Nation grounds.  I developed the first successful program for these teens and led some support groups for teens who lived in families where there was chemical abuse.
  • One year practicum experience working as a counsellor at Fraser River Counselling.
  • Co-facilitated a support group for caregivers of people who have multiple sclerosis.
  • Developed an assertiveness group for teenage girls.
  • Served on the Board of Directors of the Trails Crossing Friendship Center.
  • Served on the Board of Building Healthy Relationships.

Professional Development:

  • 12th  Annual ATSS (Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists) Conference, The 3 R’s of Trauma: Resilience, Restoration & Reintegration, April 14-17th, 2004, Vancouver, BC.(2004)
  • 12th Annual David Berman Memorial Concurrent Disorders Conference (2009)
    • A 16 step Empowerment Approach to overcome trauma and addiction with love, strength, and power, by Charlotte Sophia Kasl, Ph.D.
    • Cyber Space and Concurrent Disorders, by Bruce Ballon B.Sc., MD, E.S.P.(C), FRCP(C).
    • Treating Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse, By Colleen Hyland, Ted Slater, & Kim Williams.
    • Sexual Addictions & Concurrent Disorders, by Paulette Tomasson.
    • Marijuana and Mental Health
  • Introduction to Neurotherapy, by Paul Swingle, Ph.D., F.C.P.A., R.Psych.(2009)
  • Resiliency and Attachment in Clinical Practice, by Denise Buote, Ph.D.(2009)
  • Suicide Prevention and Treatment Workshop using Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy, by John Banmen, RPsych, RMFT,(2009)
  • Sandtray Therapy, by Bart Begalka MA, RCC(2010)
  • Satir Workshop on Life Energy through surfacing yearnings and establishing positively directional goals featuring Virginia Satir on video.(2010)
  • OEI Level I (Observed Experiential Integration) by, Audrey Cook, Ph.D., Rick Bradshaw, Ph.D., and Kristelle Heinrichs, MA, RCC.(2010)
  • Building a Profitable Private Practice in Any Economy, by Chasidy Karpiuk, MA, RCC, CCC, and Mary Chaisson, MA, RCC.(2010)
  • Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy Levels I and III, by Kathlyne Maki-Banmen, MA, RCC & John Banmen, RPsych, RMFT.(2003)(2010)
  • San’Yas: Indigenous Cultural Safety Training: Core ICS Mental Health and Post Training: Unpacking Our Colonial Relationship.(2016)
  • BC Council on Substance Abuse: Building Better Workplaces Webinar.(2014)
  • Legal Service Society Intermediaries Conference.(2012)
  • Questions in Narrative Therapy presenting Stephen Madigan.(2012)
  • The Early Years Conference 2012.  The Development of Children’s Mental Health: How Do We Become Who We Are?
  • Real World Answers for Digital World Questions.(2017)