Healing isn’t just a hopeful idea — neuroscience shows that our brains and nervous systems can change, repair, and grow throughout life (neuroplasticity). I’ve seen this in my own recovery and in the people I work with.
I’m Natalie Jovanic (they/them), a counsellor and coach with over 14 years of experience supporting people through childhood trauma, relational challenges, and complex life transitions. I’m passionate about helping people heal, grow, and reclaim their lives. The most important part of my learning comes from listening to my clients — their insights, experiences, and wisdom continually shape my approach.
On a warm Tuesday morning in September, my mother died after a period of great suffering. I could not imagine my life without her, and I did not know how my life would continue. Her doctor encouraged me to see my mother’s death as though it had brought her freedom. Freedom… I sensed by the energy of her words that being free must be wonderful. Freedom was a concept I had never known before; sadness and pain were what I knew. I felt that maybe it was a wonderful choice for my mom. Would I have to die first to be free from suffering? It was that day when I was 19 years old that I left home forever. I left behind darkness and violence and began my search for freedom.
Years later, while washing my hair, I caught myself watching the water disappear down the drain. A feeling emerged from within me that I could finally put words to: I felt as if my life was running away. I had a good job and a relationship, but I was trapped in my fears and with a deep sense of worthlessness. At that moment, I knew I deserved something better. I needed to change something and knew that only I could make a difference. I started the process of change — cutting my hair, taking drawing classes, and starting yoga. Then, I moved into an internationally based career, eager to see if these changes would improve other areas of my life. At last, I was ready to take ownership of my happiness.
Months later, I sat in a little bar by the Bi Tan Lake in Taiwan, sharing stories of our relationships with my colleagues. I could hear the love and respect in their voices when they spoke of their partners. Suddenly, I noticed I could not talk about my partner this way; I did not feel those things. I realized that my relationship was not how I wanted it to be. Soon after, my attempt to make changes failed, and I decided it was better to leave my partner. Once again, I took the right action at the right time through self-awareness and responsibility.
In the following years, I worked towards integrating my childhood trauma — whether it was re-connecting with my fragmented parts, finding ways to navigate my trauma responses, or releasing the trauma that was stored in my body.
These experiences taught me the power of self-awareness, responsibility, and action. They also showed me how important it is to tune in, grow as a human being, and learn to respect and trust myself. I understood that healing cannot be separated from systemic dynamics — recognizing and validating these forces matters, and true recovery requires power with, not power over.
These lessons shape my approach to counselling. I support people in taking ownership of their healing, navigating trauma safely, and finding empowerment in their lives. My own journey allows me to hold space with authenticity, empathy, and a deep understanding of what it means to reclaim one’s life after adversity.
With over 14 years of experience in counselling and coaching, I’ve supported people through childhood trauma, relational challenges, and complex life transitions. Yet the most vital part of my learning comes from listening to my clients — their insights, experiences, and wisdom continually shape and refine my approach. I recognize that every counsellor and coach has their unique approach, so here are the values and principles that guide my work:
Our relationship is the foundation of your growth and healing, whether in counselling or coaching. Research shows that strong alliances—built on trust, collaboration, and respect—are central to positive outcomes. I model healthy relational behaviour and take responsibility for nurturing and restoring our connection, ensuring our work feels safe, supportive, and effective.
While our connection may naturally fluctuate, I take responsibility for noticing and restoring it, ensuring our work remains safe, supportive, and effective — especially for those recovering from relational trauma or childhood wounds.
Safety, empowerment, and resilience guide our work together. I take care of my own nervous system so I can be fully present and co-regulate with you, creating a space where you feel safe, supported, and understood. In this environment, you can explore your nervous system, strengthen awareness of your needs and boundaries, and engage your own resources to foster resilience—both in and outside sessions.
Formal education is an essential step — but only the beginning. Providing high-quality coaching or counselling for growth and healing requires more than formal education. My training gave me the knowledge and ethical framework needed for safe practice.
But I believe that’s just the beginning — here’s why:
Importantly, counsellors and coaches are not ethically required to be trauma-informed or trained to work with trauma. Without specialized expertise, some professionals may inadvertently retraumatize clients or miss critical aspects of the healing process.
That’s why I have continuously evolved my work to ensure clients receive the high quality of trauma-informed care possible.
I’ve pursued extensive training in trauma-focused approaches, including nervous system regulation, complex trauma, attachment, healthy relationship skills, and assertiveness. This expertise allows me to support childhood abuse, relational trauma, and complex trauma while helping clients strengthen boundaries, regulate emotions, and build safe, empowering connections.
Using evidence-based, adaptable methods, we work together to support activated parts, expand your window of tolerance, and increase your sense of safety — helping you move from surviving to truly living.
I take responsibility for my behaviour and welcome feedback to ensure respect and trust. This allows me to maintain an ethical, healthy alliance, acknowledging power imbalances and using power with rather than power over my clients. My commitment to social justice in trauma therapy has been recognized with the GHP Award for Leading Social Justice in Trauma Therapy Advocate (Canada).
I reflect on how my biases, assumptions, and emotional responses influence our work and strive to align my actions with ethical and anti-oppressive principles. I actively work towards decolonizing my practice, which includes acknowledging where traditional counselling may use power over instead of power with.
My personal healing journey informs my approach, allowing me to engage with empathy while maintaining boundaries.
This lived experience enables me to work with authenticity and gentleness, honouring that each client’s healing journey is unique. I am aware of the influence of social stigma and use a non-pathologizing approach. I do not diagnose clients but work collaboratively with them to overcome challenges and heal the effects of trauma. A core principle of my work is “practice what I preach” — I apply the tools and practices I suggest to clients in my own life.
Learning is dynamic and reciprocal. I grow through research, training, client experiences, and regular supervision, staying humble, adaptable, and committed to high-quality care.
I honour diverse paths to healing. While Western psychology often positions itself as superior, I reject this notion. Many valid healing modalities exist alongside or outside conventional Western counselling approaches—whether integrated directly or not, including Indigenous healing traditions. Honouring these approaches allows me to create a more inclusive, flexible, and client-centred path to trauma recovery and personal growth, respecting your individual journey.
If you’d like to dive deeper into these topics, you can check out my podcast guest appearances or listen to my podcast, “Trauma Demystified,” where I explore trauma recovery, nervous system regulation, and healing approaches in depth.
While I can’t say exactly how your experience will be, here are some ways I show up in our sessions:
While I don’t believe you need to know every term to benefit from our alliance, I understand that some people like to grasp the “how” behind the work. True transformation goes beyond talking about “it”; it’s about integrating body, mind, and emotions. That’s why I use trauma-focused approaches — because they support holistic integration that can benefit any client. I draw from a range of evidence-based, trauma-informed methods, including:
While I may offer experiments and practices based on these approaches (and occasionally others), the process is always collaborative and guided by your needs and your consent.
Apart from my professional training, I maintain affiliations with the Association of Collaborative Counselling Therapists of Canada, the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta, and the International Coaching Federation, adhering to their Codes of Ethics in my work.
If this approach resonates with you and you’re seeking a space to heal and grow without judgment—where you feel respected, heard, and supported—I would be honoured to walk alongside you on your healing journey.
I offer a free consultation for counselling or a gifted session for coaching. You can book online or message me at nat@brighthorizontherapies.com to get started.
