About Me

You might spend your days trying to hold it all together; being strong, caring for everyone else, keeping the peace.

 

But underneath, there’s a quiet exhaustion. The weight of anxiety. The pressure to get it right. The whisper that no matter what you do, it’s never quite enough.

 

Maybe you’ve learned to hide your needs, to push through, to look “fine” on the outside even when you’re overwhelmed inside. You might long to rest, to stop striving, but the thought of letting go feels unsafe, as if everything would fall apart.

 

I understand that tender space between holding on and wanting to heal.

 

My name is Ana Atem, an integrative therapist with a heart-centered and relational approach, located in Vancouver, BC. I help people who carry the deep belief that they’re not enough; who have spent years overextending, pleasing, or performing to feel safe and loved. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling anxious, perfectionistic, and disconnected after always being “the strong one.”

 

My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and grounded in compassion. Together, we create space for your nervous system to soften, for your emotions to be met with care instead of criticism, and for you to begin trusting your own inner voice.

 

Therapy with me isn’t about fixing or striving. It’s about slowing down enough to listen to the parts of you that learned to stay small or silent; the parts that still carry the fear of not being enough.

 

Over time, something shifts: anxiety softens, self-judgment quiets, and a steadier, kinder sense of self begins to emerge. You start to feel grounded, not because life is perfect, but because you no longer have to be.

 

If you’re longing for relief from the pressure to prove yourself or the weight of self-doubt, I’d be honoured to walk beside you. Therapy is an invitation to come home to yourself; gently, at your own pace, with care and depth.