Allison Winik (she/her)
RSW MSW BSW
Nice to meet you!
I'm a Registered Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers (Registration #16305) and the founder of Clearwater Counselling. I hold an Advanced Master of Social Work from the University of British Columbia, with a specialization in Health and Social Care.
With European ancestry on both sides of my family, I am a settler on these lands. I grew up on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples (Windsor, Ontario), and later made my home on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver), before moving to the territory of the ɬaʔamɩn (Tla'amin) people (Powell River). I recognize my privilege and responsibility as a settler and steward on these lands.
Before founding Clearwater Counselling, I worked in healthcare across Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), where I developed a deep understanding of the pressures, complexities, and emotional weight that come with working in and navigating the healthcare system. That experience shapes the way I show up with every client.
My approach is rooted in evidence-informed practices including attachment theory, EMDR, Internal Family Systems (parts work), and somatic therapy, always within a person-centred framework. I aim to meet people where they are, with compassion, curiosity, and without judgment, blending clinical knowledge with a holistic understanding of the whole person.
I currently offer in-person counselling in qathet, BC and virtual counselling to anyone across Ontario & British Columbia. I am accepting new clients.
Registration and Professional Standing
I practice in accordance with the ethical standards set by the BC College of Social Workers and remain in good standing with the College. You can verify my registration by searching my name and registration number #16305 here: https://bccsw.alinityapp.com/Client/PublicDirectory/
A Note on Tax Benefits
Registered Social Workers are recognized as medical practitioners under the Income Tax Act, which means you may be able to claim counselling fees on your income tax return. For more information, visit: https://bccsw.ca/for-the-public/announcement/
My Passion for Reproductive Mental Health
My journey into reproductive mental health has been both professional and deeply personal. Living with Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) has shaped how I relate to my own body, mental health, and reproductive experience. Over the years, I’ve navigated challenges related to hormonal imbalance, fertility uncertainty, and the disconnect that can come from not feeling fully understood in a healthcare system that often separates mental and physical health. This experience led me to explore how reproductive health and mental health are intimately connected, not just in theory but in the day-to-day realities of those affected.
During my Master of Social Work degree, I had the opportunity to combine my passion for reproductive mental health with a clinical practicum in New Zealand, where I worked with the Te Whatu Ora Perinatal Mental Health team. There, I provided both individual and couples counselling to clients experiencing antenatal and postpartum anxiety, depression, substance use challenges, and grief and loss. I also offered abortion choice counselling and supported individuals to make informed, empowered decisions in a safe and nonjudgmental space. In this role, I witnessed firsthand the strength of New Zealand’s community-based, wraparound approach to perinatal care.
This experience deeply influenced my vision for perinatal mental health services in British Columbia, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities. I’m committed to bringing what I’ve learned in Aotearoa back home: care that is warm, accessible, trauma-informed, and rooted in genuine partnership with birthing people and their families. My goal is to create spaces where people feel heard, supported, and empowered through every stage of their reproductive journey.
Credentials & Education
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I hold an Advanced Master's of Social Work from the University of British Columbia with a specialization in Health & Social Care.
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I am registered with the BC College of Social Workers (ID#16305)
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I am currently completing my Certification in Perinatal Mental Health from the Postpartum International Society
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Abortion Choice Counselling Training
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Working with Youth & Trauma Advanced Training
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Motivational Interviewing Foundations
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Internal Family Systems Foundations
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The Embody Lab: EMDR & Somatic Therapy Certificate (In Progress)
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Pregnancy, Early Parenthood, and Infant (PĒPI) Training
Behind the name
A love letter to Clearwater…
Every summer, our family of 5 would drive 19 hours to a small town in rural northwestern Ontario to visit aunties, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. My earliest memories are from these roadtrips: narrow pine trees, feet dangling off my booster seat, singing to dad’s playlists (John Denver, A-ha, Gordon Lightfoot, U2 tunes burned into cd’s), waking up as we arrived at Grandma’s house, being greeted with the smell of comfort (fresh bread).
Every summer we would make the journey here, to Clearwater.
Every summer when we returned there was always newness and nostalgia, both ritual and offering, both creating and revisiting, both birth and death. As a family, our visits to Clearwater remained consistent throughout some of our most challenging years, it was a presence that always brought clarity, calm, and joy.
The last summer I spent at Clearwater was the summer before I started my Bachelor of Social Work degree, that same summer we buried my father at Clearwater, laying him to rest in his favourite place amongst the pine trees and water that raised both us both.
When thinking of a name for a counselling practice that aims to support families through some of life’s most transitional periods, choosing the name Clearwater was the perfect fit. It was at Clearwater where I set my intentions towards pursuing a career in social work, and it feels full circle to get to honour this place that has been my place of grounding throughout my life.
It is my hope that Clearwater Counselling & Perinatal Services brings the same peace, steadiness and hope into the lives of individuals and families seeking support.