Daria Stooke Counselling

Who I Work With

I work primarily with adults who are navigating:

• Trauma and recovery — processing difficult or high-exposure experiences at a pace that feels safe
• ADHD in adulthood — executive functioning, late diagnosis, identity, and self-understanding
• Life transitions — career shifts, relationship changes, and questions of direction and purpose
• Burnout and exhaustion — emotional depletion, boundary challenges, and rebuilding capacity
• High-exposure professions — first responders, investigators, and others carrying the weight of demanding work

Many of the people I work with are capable and self-aware — and are ready to better understand the patterns shaping their lives.

My Approach to Counselling

I do not believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. People are too layered for that — and I say that from experience, not theory.

My work is trauma-informed and grounded in genuine curiosity about what makes you specifically tick. I draw from several therapeutic frameworks including:

• Person-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Emotion-Focused approaches
• Mindfulness-based practices
• Narrative reflection and meaning-making

Not as a checklist — but as a living toolkit that shifts depending on what you actually need in the room.

What stays constant is this: we slow down together. We look at patterns, not just symptoms. We take seriously the stories you carry — about yourself, about others, about what is and isn’t possible for you.

The work can be hard. The space does not have to be.

I have lived enough of life’s hardest chapters to know that the most transformative work happens not despite who you are, but because of it.

What Therapy with Me Feels Like

Thoughtful
We do not rush toward answers. We sit with questions long enough to understand what they are actually asking — exploring patterns, experiences, and the stories you have been carrying, often without realising it.

Supportive
This is your process, not mine. Sessions move at a pace that respects where you are emotionally — not where a treatment plan thinks you should be. You will not be pushed faster than you are ready to go.

Insight-Oriented
The goal is not to manage your life more efficiently. It is to understand it more deeply — to see yourself and your patterns with greater clarity, and to discover what becomes possible when you do.

Together, we work toward a life that feels less like something happening to you, and more like something you are actively shaping.

About Daria

Daria [Taikova] Stooke, MA
Canadian Certified Counsellor (# 11260122)
Master of Counselling Psychology

Daria’s path into counselling is not a typical one — and honestly, neither is her life.

She grew up Russian-speaking in post-Soviet Kazakhstan, navigating questions of identity and belonging long before she crossed an ocean. She came to Canada at 15 — old enough to know what she was leaving behind, young enough that it shaped everything that came after. She found her footing in a new country, in a second language, learning to read people and situations the way you do when words alone can’t yet be trusted. That kind of attunement never leaves you.

She went on to spend over 15 years in public safety, including investigative work within the Southern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Unit. She understands that world from the inside — the culture of it, the silence that gets normalized, the weight that accumulates quietly over years, and the particular difficulty of asking for help when your identity is built around holding things together.

She kept showing up, through partnership, motherhood, and other life events. And she learned — slowly, deliberately — that understanding yourself is not a passive process.

Daria completed her graduate practicum at the Calgary Counselling Centre, accumulating over 725 supervised hours including direct individual, family, couples, teen counselling, structured risk assessment, and trauma-informed care across a broad clinical caseload. She also volunteered supporting therapeutic group work with children aged 6 to 8.

Her approach is warm, a little colourful, and genuinely curious. The work may touch on heavy things — but the space does not have to feel that way. Sessions are unhurried. Grounded. A place to think carefully, speak honestly, and move toward a life that feels more like your own.

Professional Standards

Counselling services are provided in accordance with ethical standards and professional guidelines established by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Ongoing supervision and professional learning support safe, ethical, and effective counselling practice.

Professional Commitment

My counselling practice is grounded in thoughtful, evidence-informed care and a commitment to lifelong learning in the field of psychology and mental health.

Services

Individual virtual counselling sessions, through Muse Therapy, provide a confidential space to explore personal challenges, emotional patterns, and life transitions. Sessions focus on increasing insight, strengthening coping strategies, and supporting meaningful change.

How Therapy Works

Beginning therapy can feel intimidating. My goal is to make the process as clear and comfortable as possible.

Step 1 – Consultation
A brief consultation allows us to discuss what you are looking for and determine whether counselling together feels like a good fit.

Step 2 – First Session
The first session focuses on understanding your concerns, history, and goals for therapy.

Step 3 – Ongoing Sessions
Together we explore patterns, develop coping strategies, and work toward meaningful change at a pace that feels supportive and sustainable.

Sessions are typically 50 minutes in length.

Fees & Insurance

Individual counselling session
20 minute meet and greet call — free, with the first session extended to 75 minutes at the same price
50 minutes – $165 (single virtual session)

Receipts are provided which may be eligible for reimbursement depending on individual insurance coverage.
Payment options include credit card or e-transfer.
Cancellation policy: 24 hours notice required.

Resources & Insights

I regularly share reflections and educational resources related to topics such as:

• Understanding ADHD in adulthood
• Trauma and nervous system recovery
• Therapy myths and misconceptions
• Personal growth and identity development

These resources are intended to support reflection and learning outside of sessions.

Location

Online counselling sessions are available for clients located in:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba