Alexandra Defazio, M.Ed, Associate Therapist in Surrey, BC and Online

Counsellor  and Neuroptimal® Neurofeedback Practitioner

Hi, I’m Alexandra (she/her). I hold a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto and provide counselling and Neuroptimal® Neurofeedback services at Sojourn Counselling and Neurofeedback.

I offer a calm, welcoming space where you can slow down, feel understood, and begin making sense of what is happening in your life — whether that involves overwhelming emotions, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or major life transitions. Therapy with me is collaborative, compassionate, and paced according to your comfort level. Choice, consent, and emotional safety guide our work together, and you never need to share more than feels right for you.

I am passionate about supporting clients across the lifespan and enjoy working with young adults, adults, parents, caregivers, and older adults. I have a particular interest in grief and loss, including bereavement and ambiguous loss, as well as life transitions such as relationship changes, fertility and postpartum experiences, caregiving, relocation, career changes, aging, and identity development.

I also support clients navigating trauma, developmental and intergenerational trauma, attachment wounds, boundary challenges, and communication struggles. I understand that many emotional patterns develop within relationships and larger systems, and I work to help clients better understand themselves with compassion rather than judgment.

As a Hispanic, cisgender clinician, I value cultural humility and recognize the many factors that shape our experiences, including culture, family history, identity, community, and systemic influences. I approach therapy with an awareness of how trauma and chronic stress can affect the nervous system, emotions, relationships, and sense of safety in the world.

My approach is holistic, relational, and trauma-informed. I draw from several evidence-based approaches, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment-based therapy, somatic approaches, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy.

In addition to counselling, I also provide Neuroptimal® Neurofeedback sessions. Neurofeedback can support emotional regulation, nervous system flexibility, stress management, resilience, focus, sleep, and overall wellbeing.

Together, we work to build emotional regulation and nervous system stability so that exploring difficult experiences feels safer and more manageable. I welcome integrative, culturally rooted, and personally meaningful practices into therapy when they are important to you. Throughout our work, we will regularly check in about what is helping, what is not, and how to make sessions feel supportive and steady.

I provide therapy in both English and Spanish.

If you are unsure where to begin, that is completely okay. We can start right where you are and move forward together, one step at a time.

Areas Alexandra Commonly Supports

• Anxiety and stress
• Depression
• Trauma and PTSD
• Developmental and intergenerational trauma
• Grief and loss
• Pregnancy and postpartum adjustment
• Life transitions
• Relationship challenges
• Attachment patterns
• Boundary and communication difficulties
• Identity exploration
• Caregiver stress and burnout
• Emotional regulation
• Neurofeedback for nervous system support

Therapeutic Approaches

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Somatic Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Neuroptimal® Neurofeedback

Languages

• English
• Spanish