Meet the Counsellor

Hello! My name is Katie DeReus. Students call me Mrs. Katie. The friendly giant. I am a tall lady with hair that is changing all the time. But I promise my smile and my love and adoration of children will never change. I am proud to be the Counsellor at Gilmore and Rosser Elementary schools. I love working with our students and consider the school environment to be a unique counselling environment in that I often support students over many years as they grow and learn.

I have been a School Counsellor since 2016. I was an Teacher from 2008-2016, starting my classroom teaching career at Choice School for Gifted Education and wrapping it at West Bay Elementary school (IB PYP) in West Vancouver SD 45. I have, in one way or another, taught every Elementary grade except Kindergarten and Grade 1! After graduating from the Counselling Psychology Graduate Program at UBC I took on the role of Elementary School Counsellor within Burnaby SD 41, where I continue today.

I believe that relatedness and connectedness are critical components to healthy development. Dr. Deborah MacNamara says “Children are not meant to work for love. They are meant to rest in someone’s care so that they can play and grow; this is why relationships matter.” In my work I build relationship and safety with children and families through the use of an eclectic mix of approaches: spanning Interpersonal Neurobiology, Play Therapy, Adlerian Therapy, Child Centred Therapy, Relational Therapy, as well as Neuroscience and Satir in the Sandtray. And really, that all is just a fancy way of saying that through building trust and safety and rapport in our relationship, I support students to name and express their feelings and experiences, to problem solve with peers or family, to self-regulate in times of distress, and to build their positive sense of self. But big words can be fun. It makes my four degrees from UBC all worth it.

As I am both a teacher and a Registered Clinical Counsellor (R.C.C.), I am bound by both my BCTF code of ethics as well as BCACC code of ethics. When I work with students and their families, the need for consent and the limits of confidentiality are in place. Students can refer themselves to me by knocking on my door. Sometimes parents will email me with questions or concerns. Most often referrals will come through a process called School Based Team, which is something you can ask me, Admin, or your child’s teacher about. In any of these situations, a consent form will come home for a signature to continue our connecting. Sometimes, an Individual Education Plan has been put in place for a student, and I may be assigned as the case manager for the student and the plan, checking in on the student and helping them to meet the goals outlined in this personalizes plan. Every student in the school will know who I am because I go into every classroom in the beginning of the year to ensure all students know what I do and when I am available to them; I circulate around through recesses and lunches and offer warm greetings to all in the hallway. Whatever the scenario, when students find their way to my office I always tell them, “What you say to me, stays with me. Unless you say it is ok to share, or unless you tell me that someone is hurting you, you are going to hurt someone else, or you are going to hurt yourself.” If you have any questions about your child or the counselling process, please do not hesistate to reach out. My relationships with parents and the school community is a huge part of my job and I love it. I am here to support you too, as you are the best support for your child. My email is katie.dereus@burnabyschools.ca or you can press 4 off of the school phone menu and it will connect you to the phone in my office and my voicemail.

In my spare time I like to buy too many books about parenting and counselling and kids, I like to bike through easy terrain with my head in the clouds, take forest walks and play with my pre-schooler, hang out with my gems of friends and drink coffee, annoy my partner and bicker over chores, participate in book clubs, and spend time with my sister and her family. Before I got ‘old’ and had a kid, I loved playing any and every sport under the moon. I love comedy and improv and feel that laughter and humour are excellent medicines. I look forward to connecting with you. Reach out any time.