Opening up is tough…

It’s natural to feel nervous about starting therapy. Talking about your emotions can feel scary… especially if it isn’t something you have done much before. It is also courageous that you are here. You are worthy of support.

 
Image of counsellor Lara Rabb smiling on the beach in Port Moody.

I’m Lara.

I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the founder and director of Alara Counselling & Relationship Centre.

I know how hard it can be to let someone in when you are struggling. I also know we will value what you have to say, hold you with a gentle presence, and validate your experience as the expert you are on your own life.

 

Are we a good match?

Who We Are

  • Therapists who are highly skilled, but also relatable and kind

  • Innately curious and ready to learn more about you

  • Committed to the process of your growth and your hopes for therapy

  • Excited to go to work each day

  • Parents, nature enthusiasts, aspiring poets, animal lovers, and creative humans

  • Representative of many different walks of life; representing the BIPOC and Queer communities with pride and celebration.

Who You Are

  • Deeply curious about your internal experience and emotions

  • Looking to cultivate a more fulfilling relationship within yourself, or with others

  • Motivated to better understand yourself or how you relate to your partner

  • Searching for therapy that is non-judgmental, and kind

  • Open to exploring how emotions show up in your body

  • Ready to engage in some tough conversations in hopes of having a deeper level of emotional intimacy

Why Alara?

In Armenian culture, the name Alara means “Water Fairy.” In mythology and folklore, the Water Fairy is a divine spirit deeply connected to rivers, lakes, and seas—a symbol of serenity, purity, and protection. This elemental bond reflects a reverence for the natural world, and the Water Fairy is often seen as one who speaks from the heart.

At Alara Counselling & Relationship Centre, we believe in the deep interconnectedness of all things. Connections between people, and with the natural world around us. Sometimes, life leaves us feeling disconnected. But we trust that through heartfelt expression, attentive listening, and a return to the sacred within each of us, we can find our way back to connection, to wholeness, and to home.

Our Approach

Friendly & Inviting

We will welcome you to therapy with warmth and acceptance. We believe relationship is at the heart of our work together, and will invite you to come as you are.

Curious & Hopeful

We believe you are the best source of knowledge we have to work with in the therapy space. We will be curious to hear what you’d like to be different and hopeful we can find our way there together.

Present & Intentional

We pay attention to what is happening between us, or what is happening between you and your spouse. We are intentional about how we use our time, and what we share about what we see.

A cozy corner of a modern office with a patterned armchair, small round side table with plants and decor, white cabinet with framed photo and plant, grey wall with decorative wall art, large window with city view, carpet, and a fluffy rug.

Our Mission Statement

At Alara Counselling & Relationship Centre, our mission is to create a compassionate space where individuals and couples—especially parents and Queer folks—can slow down, feel deeply seen, and reconnect with their inner wisdom. Rooted in empathy, congruence, and a non-judgmental stance, we believe that healing doesn’t come from being told what to do, but from being gently supported as you return to the wisdom that is already within. We honour the richness of diversity, celebrate Queer love and identity, and walk alongside our clients as they move toward increased clarity, and deeper self-understanding.

Therapies We Practice

  • This means we believe you are the expert on your own life. The goal of this form of therapy is increased self-understanding and self-acceptance. Our hope is you will feel better understood and more trusting of your own experience.

  • This therapy looks at emotions as central to our functioning. The goal is to better understand how emotions show up in your body, the meaning you give to them, and the actions they are most trying to communicate to you. Emotions are biological tendencies that can tell us a lot, but we often ignore them.

  • The goal of AEDP is for the client-therapist relationship to be a safe-haven for self-discovery and exploration. You will be invited to explore emotional and relational experiences deeply in hopes of having a new emotional or corrective experience in the therapy space.

  • Here the goal is to explore your bodily felt-sense of your experience so you can better understand your emotions and behaviour. Often we are unaware of what we are really feeling. Focusing shifts the attention internally in hopes of finding newer, clearer, meanings for experiences beyond simply using cognition.

Let’s talk

Finding the right counsellor is super important. Want to know more? Schedule a complimentary conversation.