Biography
NIK VOGLER | BA, BSW, MSW
I’m a psychotherapist in Vancouver, BC Canada, specializing in support for women who have experienced childhood sexual trauma, as well as those who are navigating complex maternal relationships.
My desire for this page is to support you in deciding if we’ll work together by providing you with an understanding of who I am as a psychotherapist and human.
What you’ll meet in me is an avid list maker, an slightly obsessive dried flower lover who also loves to nerd out with a good historical sci-fi novel.
About Me
NIK VOGLER | BA, BSW, MSW
I’m a psychotherapist in Vancouver, BC Canada, specializing in support for women who have experienced childhood sexual trauma, as well as those who are navigating complex maternal relationships.
My desire for this page is to support you in deciding if we’ll work together by providing you with an understanding of who I am as a psychotherapist and human.
What you’ll meet in me is an avid list maker, an slightly obsessive dried flower lover who also loves to nerd out with a good historical sci-fi novel.
I’ll begin by saying that I absolutely love my work as a therapist and feel tremendous appreciation to have discovered my passion not once, but twice in this lifetime.
The earlier part of my life focused on professional athletics - notably the sports of Duathlon (cycling and running) and Women's road cycling, which was where I first experienced the delight of waking up and loving my job. These times were characterized by chasing success through academic and athletic achievements as a way to cope with my own personal trauma.
Raised by immigrants, hard work was instilled from a young age and so it was easy to focus on the goal of winning, yet losing myself and repressing my emotions in the process.
Competing in the sport of duathlon I achieved a #6 world ranking, a gold medal at world championship, and numerous other nationals and provincial titles.
Following this, I moved on to women’s road cycling. Again, racing both nationally and internationally, collecting numerous wins and also some crazy road rash until one day my body just said no more.
I arrive to the profession of psychotherapy— with my own experiences of both of these painful and challenging aspects, (which may be different from your experiences) and I understand firsthand how deeply impactful and scarring these relationships and life experiences can be.
I arrive to the profession of psychotherapy
— with my own experiences of both of these painful and challenging aspects, (which may be different from your experiences) and I understand firsthand how deeply impactful and scarring these relationships and life experiences can be.
The aim of my work is to support women who have experienced sexual trauma, as well as those who have experienced maternal neglect/abuse.
I have found that these women have worked tirelessly to be the good daughter - yet despite copious time, energy and emotional labor they’ve somehow still fallen short, or felt as though they were not enough for their mothers or primary caregivers.
After working through my own trauma in these areas and discovering peace of mind, the benefit of boundaries, and improved quality of life, I’ve learned that one of the most critical aspects of healing was having someone to talk to that advocated for me.
After years of being silenced, keeping painful secrets, and struggling deeply with the relationship to my own mother, I know how transformative it is to have one person you can lean on who genuinely cares about you, who wants to hear your story, and tells you that it’s okay to say “no” even if you never thought you could.
In my experience, healing has not been a linear journey with a bulleted list of how to arrive at some nebulous end goal.
On the contrary, it requires time and learning about healthy relationship dynamics which provide us with the portal for positive transformation.
I also believe that the relationship between a client and therapist is oftentimes one of the first healthy relationship models we experience and it can be an arena that supercharges our lives with hope.
I’m not a short term therapist, and what I’ve learned from my own healing is that building trust and creating a safe space for vulnerability takes time, as does unfolding ourselves and allowing ourselves to be seen.
In my view, the value of receiving empathic, compassionate and educated support is priceless.
In this regard, my academic choices have been guided by my lived experiences and have served to compliment my personal understanding with knowledge and insight that can only be gained by a commitment to ongoing learning and education.
My approach is collaborative and holistic, grounded in anti-oppressive feminism, a strength based focus and a strong belief that my clients are the experts of their own lives.
Additionally, I hold a somatically oriented, trauma informed lens through which the body is seen as distinct from the mind and spirit but that all three elements are part of who you are.
Qualifications
DESIGNATIONS
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*In British Columbia, Canada the professional titles of "Social Worker" and "Registered Social Worker" are reserved for practitioners who meet the qualifications and standards set forth by provincial regulatory bodies. In British Columbia, these include obtaining a university degree from an accredited post secondary institution, supervised practical experience, succeeding in the required provincial exams and successfully completing a criminal record check. Only once these guidelines have been obtained are practitioners able to display the designation “R.S.W” after their name. Additionally, practitioners working within this capacity are required to attend accredited education, on-going professional development, as well as adhere to a code of ethics and standards of practice.
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*A Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia, Canada is a certified mental health professional trained to provide counselling and psychotherapeutic services that address mental health, psychological well-being and assist in the development of coping mechanisms. Practitioners are licensed by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). This designation requires adherence to rigorous ethical standards and ongoing professional development.
DEGREES
Masters of Social Work | Specialization: Clinical Social Work Practice (MSW)
University of Calgary
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
University of Calgary
Bachelor of Arts Honours (BA)
McGill University
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Basic Principles of Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing: Beginner One
Somatic Experiencing: Beginner Two
Somatic Experiencing: Beginner Three
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy: Level 1
Narrative Therapy: Level 2
Mental Health First Aid
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
Trauma Informed Care: Optimizing the role of TIC in Mainstream Clinical Practice
Harvard Medical School
Trauma Informed Practice Institute: Level One
British Columbia, Canada
Trauma Informed Practice Institute: Level Two
British Columbia, Canada
Trauma Informed Practice Institute: Level Three
British Columbia, Canada
The Way of the Dream Course
Farânak Mirjalili jungian psychology: Netherlands
The Power of Connection with Dr. Gabor Mate
British Columbia, Canada
GROUP THERAPY TRAINING
The Art of Holding Space
Centre for Peace, Canada