Find the team member that best suits your needs.

Kiya Giesbrecht MC, RCC, RCC-ACS

Clinical Lead - Currents Clinical Counselling Merritt

High Risk Youth / Youth Adults / Families / Clinical Supervision

Kiya has a master's degree in counselling psychology and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Kiya joins Currents Counselling with a passion for working with children, youth and young adults in conjunction with their families. Kiya is welcoming to all and supports LGBTQIA2S+ with a person-centred approach & curiosity. She specializes in trauma and crisis intervention for high-risk youth & families, including suicide intervention and rebuilding hope. Working with parents and their children/adolescents, Kiya facilitates a safe environment for scary conversations, often utilizing an emotion-focused model. Kiya practices from a trauma-informed lens to create a safe space that holds room for insecurities, empathy & compassion. She often utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support those struggling with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and trauma. She is also skilled in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy. Kiya values a transparent dynamic in the therapeutic relationship to foster positivity, trust, and hope.

Kiya offers virtual appointments with some in-person availability in Merritt.

Laura Rhodes, MACP, RCC, CCC, CCAC

Children / Teens / Adults / Families / Couples / Addictions / Clinical Supervision

Laura is an Indigenous Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), and Certified Canadian Addiction Counsellor (CCAC) holding a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. She brings a compassionate, grounded, and non-judgmental approach to her practice, dedicated to creating a safe and collaborative environment where clients feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported throughout their healing journey.

Laura’s approach to addictions and mental health work is deeply rooted in dignity, trauma-informed care, and holistic wellness. She recognizes that substance use and addictive behaviors are frequently intertwined with underlying trauma, grief, systemic adversity, and complex mental health challenges. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, Laura works collaboratively with clients to explore the root causes of their pain, empowering them to rebuild self-trust, reconnect with their core strengths, and foster sustainable recovery and emotional resilience.

In addition to her direct clinical work with children, youth, adults, families, and couples, Laura provides clinical supervision and consultation to other practitioners. She is passionate about mentor leadership and guiding fellow clinicians in navigation of complex mental health cases, addictions treatment, and culturally responsive, trauma-informed practices.

Laura offers in-person sessions at our Kamloops and Merritt locations, as well as virtual appointments.

Alyssa Turik BSW, MSW

EMDR / Youth / Individuals / Young Adults

Alyssa joins Currents Counselling with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work specializing in clinical practice, which have allowed her to integrate her social justice and anti-oppressive roots into a compassionate counselling approach. With over five years of experience supporting vulnerable populations, she brings a systemic perspective to her work, recognizing and naming the external injustices and systemic factors that can deeply impact an individual’s internal world. She is privileged to support Indigenous, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and identity-affirming lens.

Her approach to counselling is person-centred and strengths based. She believes clients hold deep insight into themselves and their experiences, as well as the capacity to guide their own therapeutic journeys. Drawing on evidence-based approaches, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based practices, she works collaboratively with each client to develop an approach that is responsive to their unique needs and goals.

Alyssa is grounded in the belief that we are all inherently driven toward, and capable of finding, an integrated sense of self. Her work supports clients to explore limiting self-beliefs, patterns of self-protection, and relational dynamics that may be shaping how they experience themselves and their relationships with others. She is particularly drawn to supporting youth, young adults, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, and both acute and complex trauma.

Recognizing that taking the first step toward healing can feel burdensome, she strives to create a warm and non-judgmental environment where clients can feel supported as they work toward a more meaningful and self-aligned life. She believes that while counselling can ask us to sit with difficult and painful experiences, there is also always space for humour, lightness, and a profound respect for the resilience and wisdom clients have developed before entering the counselling space.

Alyssa offers appointments virtually or in-person at our Merritt and Kamloops offices

Christine Arndt MACP, CCC

Children (over 8 years) / Youth / Young Adults / Adults

Christine is passionate about supporting youth and young adults, offering a safe, welcoming, and nonjudgmental atmosphere where clients feel heard, understood, and validated. She takes a person-centered approach, working collaboratively with clients to explore their challenges and strengths.  Christine is dedicated to creating a warm and collaborative environment that honours each individual’s unique lived experience.

She is especially committed to helping clients uncover their confidence and resilience. Her belief in each person's capacity for growth and healing fosters a renewed sense of hope and possibility.

In addition to using a person-centered approach, Christine draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support clients in acknowledging and sitting with difficult emotions, thoughts, and sensations, while also encouraging value-based action to a meaningful life. She also integrates elements of expressive arts interventions, somatic awareness, Narrative Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to meet each clients' unique needs. 

Christine has a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology.  

Christine offers appointments virtually and in-person at our Kamloops and Merritt locations. 

Elk & Dotty

Youth / Individuals / Families / Couples

Elk – Chief Snuggle Officer

Elk is our resident fun-loving snuggle officer. He is a big fan of routine, running, swimming, and—most importantly—snuggles. Goofy and sweet, Elk brings a lot of personality to the team. If he greets you, you’ll quickly learn that he has zero concept of personal space because, in his opinion, snuggles always win!


Dotty – Intuitive Support Specialist

Dotty brings a gentle, calming presence to our office. As an "old soul," she is thoughtful and intuitive, always sensing exactly what is needed in each situation. While she can be timid and cautious when first meeting new friends, her quiet charm is quick to win you over. When she’s not working, she loves playing fetch in the water and keeping her snacks hidden safely away from her brother, Elk.

For an appointment with our fury friends contact Kiya too book!

Book a session with our Merritt Team!

1951 Garcia Street (#204), Merritt, BC, V1K 1R6