About

---

Hello, I'm Larissa Szlavik, MSW. I'm a Registered Social Worker in B.C., specializing in counselling therapy. I'm passionate about facilitating conversations that help people connect to meaning and move beyond their struggles. My practice is carried out in the spirit of Dignity, Respect, Social Justice, Creativity, and Curiosity. In this space, your words matter. Stories are sacred. I ask lots of thought-provoking questions that seek out the storylines that bring forth fresh perspectives, greater possibility, healing, and liberation.

​

Therapeutic conversations help people connect more fully to their voice, their convictions, their relationships, and the world around them. Healing takes many forms, this is a journey as unique as the individuals who seek it. Humans are amazing and complex. Life is messy. I am prepared to talk about all of it without judgment. Often, the conversations I have with folks include topics of trauma, abuse, colonial violence, sexual assault, and suicidal thoughts. 

Much of my inspiration comes from nature. The name "Narrative Roots" is inspired by the way trees communicate and support one another through their root systems. 

I trust in peoples' abilities to run their lives, and I respect the diverse identities of those I work with. My practice is 2SLGBTQAI+ affirming, decolonizing, and carried out with cultural humility. 

I completed a Master's in Social Work (Clinical Specialization) at the University of Calgary in 2019. During my two practicums there, I worked with legally involved youth, and at an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic providing counselling to individuals who have been subjected to abuse, violence, and trauma. Before becoming a Social Worker, I spent a decade supporting brain injury survivors and neurodivergent folks in Victoria, BC. I'm trained in Therapeutic and Trauma-Informed Yoga (500-hour Advanced Certificate from Ajna Yoga Therapy College, Victoria, BC, 2016), and have guided classes in various mental health settings. Other certificates include: 50-hour meditation teacher training with Tibetan Bön Lama, Gehse YongDong Losar (Yoga MCC, Calgary, 2021); 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course with Mark Brown (Calgary, 2017); Certificate in Response-Based Practice; and I am currently working towards Level 1 certification in Nature-Based Therapy..

I am grateful to my teachers at The Centre for Response-Based Practice (Cathy Richardson, Linda Coates, Allan Wade, Shelly Dean); The Calgary Narrative Collective (Sanni Paljakka, Loree Stout, Tiffany Saxton, Chelsey Morton, Tom Stone Carlson, David Epston); and Human Nature Counselling Society (Bonnie Dyck, Katie Rose, David Segal, Sarah Duncan)

 I am a registered Provider with the First Nations Health Authority, Crime Victim Assistance Program, Veteran Affairs Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, and the Interim Federal Health Program. 

 I was born and raised on the territory of the Musqueam First Nation at the mouth of the Fraser River (Richmond, BC) to immigrant parents. My family on my mom's side escaped Soviet Occupation of Magyarország (Hungary), and my family on my dad's side fled Deutschland (Germany after) WWII. I have an Italian half-brother. My parents met in Canada. When I was a baby, I'm told, I was obsessed with fish. Water is my element. I love swimming in ocean and jumping into cold lakes. Watching sunlight from below the surface is my favourite pastime. I could spend years staring at waves and currents. Water is a source of endless metaphors, magic, and inspiration for life. 

 My in-person sessions are available at my Comox office (located in Strathcona Plaza). Hours are generally Sunday-Thursday with some evening availability.

Narrative Roots Counselling is situated on the unceded territory of the K'omoks First Nations. It is an honour to serve the people of this land who have been here since time immemorial. I do so with gratitude for the K'omoks people and for the use of these lands. I respect the territory upon which I operate my business by offering an inclusive space, one that is committed to healing, decolonization, and that acknowledges the local struggles. 

​

– “Care takers of the ‘land of plenty’ since time immemorial”