About Me

My name is Crystal Maloney

Hello there. Let me introduce myself. With over two decades of experience in counselling, social work, and community-based roles, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside people during some of the most complex and vulnerable times in their lives — including grief, illness, trauma, relational challenges, and major life transitions.

As we move through life, we can encounter painful and challenging life experiences. Even when we have the desire to seek balance, change, and grow, we may face difficulties or barriers in life that can impede this process. Problems can manifest in our lives that affect different areas of functioning. We might have trouble with thoughts, feelings, behaviours, relationships, or the functioning of our body; however, these areas of functioning interconnect. A change in one area can impact others.

I have a natural way of supporting individuals through life’s challenges, offering empathy, respect, genuine positive regard, and authenticity. I bring a warm, grounded, and collaborative approach to therapy. My work is rooted in the belief that your experiences, emotions, and patterns make sense in the context of your life, and in the context of how your nervous system has adapted to survive day to day. Together, we create a space where you can feel heard, respected, and supported at your own pace.

I am currently completing my graduate degree, a Master of Counselling in Counselling Psychology, and I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Social Work in 2002. I bring extensive education, professional training, and lived experience into my work. Having personally navigated significant loss and chronic illness, I understand how life can shape not only emotions, but identity, relationships, and the way we move through the world. This perspective continues to inform the depth of care and presence I bring to each session.

Willow Tree Therapy

My Theoretical Orientation

Willow Tree Therapy is a counselling and psychotherapy practice dedicated to fostering emotional well-being and personal growth. I utilize evidence-informed practices, and I am primarily influenced by humanistic and client-centred therapies, as well as trauma-focused acceptance and commitment therapy, and Brainspotting. This approach allow us to work not only with insight and reflection, but also with deeper, nonverbal and nervous system-based processes. This means that therapy doesn’t always rely on “talking through everything.” Some experiences are held beyond words, and there are ways to work with those safely and at your own pace. My warm and inviting atmosphere inspires hope, possibility, and resilience, reflecting the symbolic nature of willow trees as they represent growth and adaptability.

At Willow Tree Therapy, I specialize in addressing anxiety, depression, loss and grief, chronic illness, women's health related challenges, and medical trauma. I also work with clients who are experiencing a lack of vitality or facing major life transitions. Grounded in trauma-informed care, I support clients in understanding and gently working through both past experiences and present stressors, including how they show up in the nervous system. I am committed to creating personalized therapeutic experiences that empower individuals to navigate their challenges within a safe, connected space.

As an integrative counsellor, I draw on a variety of additional therapeutic modalities. My theoretical orientation integrates principles from neuroscience, polyvagal theory, psychodynamic theory, attachment theory, and acceptance and commitment therapy. It is a trauma-sensitive, compassion-based approach that incorporates both bottom-up and top-down methods in a non-manualized, flexible, client-centred way I also incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques when appropriate. Whether you're facing anxiety, depression, chronic illness, life transitions, or grief, I will meet you where you are—with compassion, respect, and a genuine desire to support your well-being.

Most of all, I am interested in you. Your truth, your emotions, your thoughts and your story.

Experience

Over the past two decades, I have built a diverse career in counselling, private practice, social work, and organizational leadership. My professional roles have included family and community social worker, clinical writer, support group facilitator, counsellor, and assistant executive director of a nonprofit organization. From the outset of my career, I have held a deep interest in grief and loss counselling. In 2002, I completed my fourth-year social work practicum with Interior Health in Patient and Family Counselling, where I worked closely with individuals and families navigating terminal illness. That experience confirmed my passion for supporting those facing grief and bereavement. Most recently, I served as a grief and bereavement counsellor at the North Okanagan Hospice Society. While my career has offered a broad range of professional experiences, I have consistently returned to this meaningful area of work. This commitment ultimately inspired me to pursue a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology. Although I work with various concerns, I have a special interest in grief, bereavement, chronic illness, and adverse health experiences. I am also a Lyme literate counsellor for clients who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

In addition to my professional experience, I bring a personal connection to grief and loss. I have experienced the deaths of two siblings and a parent due to serious illness. In 2018, I lost my brother to brain cancer, which deeply influenced my desire to advocate for improved patient care. This led me to engage with political leaders and collaborate with directors at Royal Inland Hospital to initiate change. I also served for several years as a volunteer member of the Royal Inland Hospital ICU Patient and Family Advisory Council, as well as the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council Network.

I am deeply passionate about mental health and committed to working with clients through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, strengths-based, and humanistic lens. I am known for bringing warmth, empathy, and authenticity into my work and I take pride in cultivating meaningful therapeutic relationships with each client I support.

Education & Training

University Degree's

Master of Counselling Psychology (in progress), Athabasca University (2020-2026)

Bachelor of Social Work, University of British Columbia (1998-2002)

Certificates and Training

Brainspotting Canada Phase I
Grief Counselling and Treatment
Ego State Intervention Training
Serious Illness Conversations (BC Centre for Palliative Care)
Certified Reiki Master and Instructor – Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki level I, II, III.
Child, Youth & Family Support Certificate

Professional Memberships

BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (current student member).
Alberta College of Social Workers (previous member)
British Columbia Association of Social Workers (previous student member).