Mariana Santarém Barbosa, RCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor | Child, Family & Perinatal Mental Health
Mariana is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Counselling from City University of Seattle and nine years of experience supporting children and families in Vancouver. Her focus is on supporting children and families, with special attention to perinatal mental health.
Her work is grounded in trauma-informed, attachment-based care, and her master's thesis explored the intergenerational transmission of attachment and how parental attachment patterns shape children's long-term mental health.
Her clinical interests also include neurodiversity (Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). She has provided individual and family psychotherapy for adults and adolescents through the Canadian Mental Health Association, and remote psychosocial support for families navigating the perinatal period through Pacific Post Partum Support Society. She has also co-facilitated CBT-based groups for trauma survivors with March of Dimes Canada, working alongside healthcare professionals in an integrated care model.
Before becoming a counsellor, Mariana spent several years in early childhood and family settings. She conducted developmental assessments, coached parents, supported neurodivergent families, and mediated family conflict as a pedagogical supervisor and family consultant in Montessori and educational settings.
This background gives her a practical understanding of child development and of how families function day to day.
Mariana draws on Attachment-Based Therapy, Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, CBT, ACT, and IFS. She also offers parent coaching and education. She has additional training in somatic approaches to trauma and in sensorimotor features and early brain development. Languages: English (fluent), Portuguese (native).
Therapeutic Approache
Trauma and Somatic
Attachment-based
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Person-Centred Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Areas of Practice and Specialization
Perinatal Mental Health
Relationship Challenges (Parenting, Couples and Family)
Neurodiversity, ADHD and Autism
Communication Problems
Grief, Loneliness and Social Isolation
Parenting and Co-parenting
Trust or Intimacy Issues
Self and identity
Low self-esteem and self-worth and Burnout
Life transitions (e.g., Divorce, Career Change, Immigration)
Who Mariana Works With
Mariana welcomes persons from various backgrounds and provides affirming, culturally sensitive counselling for:
Mothers
Neurodivergent individuals
Immigrants navigating cultural transitions
BIPOC communities
2SLGBTQIA+ persons
Couples and family counselling
Anyone dealing with grief, life transitions, trauma, or relationship challenges
As a trauma-informed therapist, Mariana understands that healing requires safety, trust, and an approach tailored to your unique experiences and identity.