Grace K. Voo

Grace is a pastor’s kid and grew up serving in a variety of church plants and church ministries.  Throughout her teenage years, she was able to volunteer with the United Nations and the Lutheran World Federation.  These opportunities brought her to the slums in South East Asia where she was able to experience God’s compassion for all peoples.  Through this, Grace discovered her compassion for working with and caring for people. 

Grace obtained her first degree at Simon Fraser University (B.Sc., Biology) followed by SFU’s Professional Development Program (Specialization in International Education).    She taught in the Richmond school district and then went to Hong Kong and taught in international schools there.  Grace returned to Vancouver to complete a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership at the University of British Columbia (M.Ed, UBC).  Her research was on teacher mentorship, best practices on how principals can support newly beginning teachers.  This research was published in the BC Educational Leadership Research Journal (2006).  

In 2005, she joined the Vancouver Christian School Association where she taught high school science, provided academic counselling for students, and continued more training in clinical counselling at UBC where she completed a second Master’s degree in Clinical Counselling (M.Ed, UBC).   She eventually took on the role as the vice principal, and then principalship.

Grace has a wealth of experience working with individuals, children, teens, adults, couples and families in Vancouver.  She finds joy in working with pastor’s and their families.  Grace continuously provides individual, group and family counselling to those experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, addictions, psychosis, suicidality, and self-harm.  Grace has worked in both the educational system and community setting with immigrant children and youths, children and youths with moderate to intensive behavioural concerns, gifted children and youths, and children and youth with special needs. 

Grace has worked in both the educational system and community setting with immigrant families, children and youths with moderate to intensive behavioural concerns, gifted children and youths, children and youth with learning differences, teens, young adults, premarital couples, prenatal/postnatal moms, couples, and families. Grace is skilled in helping individual/families build and find meaningful connections in the community.

Grace feels a strong burden to be an advocate and bring healing into families.  Her specialization is in trauma & family counselling.  Grace primarily works from an existential-humanistic perspective.  Existential therapy is unique in that it is more of a philosophical orientation to therapy than an actual therapeutic theory.  Grace encourages her clients to reflect on life, recognize the importance of their choices and reactions, and learn to exercise responsibility in shaping their own lives by finding meaning.  She uses research-based, individualized and experiential interventions to help clients become more self-aware and to find true freedom, find peace in the midst of anxiety, deal with the reality of death, and find meaning and purpose in life.  She models authenticity and prayerfully joins clients on their own life journey.

Grace is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors) as well as a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association). As well, she is a member of the Christian Principals Association of BC and a board director of the Gifted Children Association of British Columbia.  Grace attends and is a member of New Life Lutheran Church in Vancouver.

As a skilled speaker and an active member of the global community, Grace has lectured at the University of British Columbia, advocates for teacher wellness with the Federation of Independent Schools Association, and supports the work of the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia.  She is a certified parent educator and provides skill-based trainings for parents, and churches.  She is also able to provide educational consultation so that the day-to-day functioning for students with diverse needs can be met.  

Grace is driven to reduce the stigma attached to counselling, to deliver outstanding counselling to the community, and to work in collaboration with pastors and churches.  She believes that healing takes place within community and not apart from it.

Grace is married to a gracious and loving pastor who is working on his PhD in Biblical Studies, and together they have three beautiful, and uniquely gifted children.  Grace looks forward to helping you embrace your life and looks forward to hearing from you.