About John Roche, MDiv, MSW, RSW

John Roche, Master of Divinity, Master of Social Work, Registered Social Worker (RSW) #825739

I’m a therapist, lifelong learner, former monk-in-training (kind of), and someone who genuinely believes in the human capacity to heal and grow — even when life feels confusing, painful, or completely upside down

I hold two Master’s degrees — one in Social Work and one in Divinity — and I have over 12 years of clinical experience helping people navigate everything from anxiety and depression to trauma, grief, and dating struggles. My approach is deeply integrative: I’ve trained in six of the most effective therapeutic modalities — CBT, ACT, EMDR, DBT, IFS, and DBR — and I’m the only therapist in Canada certified in CBT, EMDR, and DBT.

But my real education has come from less traditional places: 18 years of meditation practice, time spent living in monasteries, and studying with both psychotherapeutic and spiritual masters across the globe. These experiences shape how I show up in the therapy room — grounded, curious, compassionate, and always ready to meet you where you are.

I come to this work not just as a clinician, but as someone who’s been through it. From childhood into my mid-twenties, I struggled with what would now be called Complex PTSD. Therapy changed my life — not by “fixing” me, but by helping me understand myself, make peace with my pain, and reclaim a sense of creativity, connection, and joy. That transformation is what I hope to offer others: not perfection, but possibility.

When I’m not in session, you can usually find me reading something obscure, wandering in the woods, meditating, playing video games, or staring out at the ocean with my partner and our extremely nervous rescue dog here on Vancouver Island.