Welcome to The Wildwood
Online Therapist and Supervisor based in Canada
My name is Dr. Keith Thurlow-Bishop and I am a highly experienced Registered Expressive Arts Therapist and Clinical Supervisor (REAT), Registered Canadian Art Therapist and Clinical Supervisor (RCAT-S), Registered Clinical Counsellor and Approved Clinical Supervisor (RCC-ACS), and Certified Nature-Based Therapist living and working on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (Canada). I have been working in mental health since 1990.
My practice is currently offered exclusively online in real time via a secure video platform
Why 'The Wildwood'?
The Wildwood is an archetypal place of healing and transformation. In cultures around the globe and across time, the journey into the wiidlwood has been a symbol of self-discovery, change, and growth.
What is 'Expressive Arts Therapy'?
Expressive Arts Therapy integrates the use of the arts (visual arts, music, drama, dance/movement, writing, sand tray, etc) with contemporary psychological therapies to support self-expression, self-exploration, healing, connection and growth for individuals, groups, and communities. Through playful creative invitations, it is possible to bring into awareness thoughts, feelings, and experiences that may be difficult to articulate verbally at first. Research also shows that the very act of being creative in a therapeutic setting is healing, and can often be a more accessible and effective approach than simply talking.
It is a highly effective healing option for people recovering from trauma, grief and loss, eating disorders, addictions, and mood disorders as it is gentle, playful, insightful, and grounded in the body and in sensory experiences.
No previous experience of the arts is needed, just a curiosity and willingness to explore and experiment. Typically, part of a session will be devoted to a creative activity, and part of the session to processing the experience and the art-work that has been created, although there are no absolute rules. However, we may choose to just talk or just create, and that is beneficial, too.
You will need a small and inexpensive art supply kit that I can tell you more about when we meet. Many of these supplies you will likely already have in your home or office, and the rest can be found easily online, at local art stores, or at dollar stores.
I am also trained in Nature-Based Therapy and Somatic Psychotherapy (see FAQ for more information)
I have particular experience of working with people who have difficulties with:
- Food, weight, shape, compulsive exercising, and body image issues
- Self-harming behaviours
- Addiction issues
- People experiencing the ongoing and intergenerational effects of colonization
- Sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression issues (especially for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks)
- Experiences of abuse, neglect, or trauma
- Issues relating to being neurodivergent
- Mood issues such as Bipolar Disorder, anxiety, and depression
- Grief and loss
- Relationships
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does therapy take?
This depends on what issue or issues you are seeking to work on. Short-term work can be very helpful for dealing with a specific issue, or a current crisis. Longer-term work enables you to work with more deeply rooted issues or to explore issues more slowly and freely without the pressure of time.
Sessions typically last 50 minutes, and will start and end on time.
Where is your practice based?
I am based on the west coast of Canada. My practice is offered exclusively online via a secure and confidential video platform. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was sceptical about the efficacy of virtual therapy, but, since 2020, I have come to appreciate that it is just as effective as in-person options, and it can also offer more freedom (in terms of the logistics of scheduling sessions) and safety (in that you are likely going to be joining the session from your own home or a place where you feel comfortable). Virtual therapy also opens access to my practice for people living outside of Vancouver, especially for people in more rural areas.
What is 'trauma'?
"Trauma is not what happened to you. It is what happened inside you as a result of what happened to you"
(Dr Gabor Mate')
Trauma is a highly subjective and personal experience. It can be a single distressing event, or an ongoing experience of abuse or neglect. It may also be something that you witness rather than experience directly, which can be just as traumatizing. Whatever the causes, the results can include ongoing feelings of being unsafe in the world, emotional dysregulation, exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, hyperarousal, and depression, as well as numerous physical symptoms.
What is Somatic Psychotherapy?
This is a form of healing where we pay particular attention to what is happening in your body on sensory, physiological, postural and movement levels through mindfulness and gentle curiosity and enquiry. Stressful and traumatic experiences can often cause us to lose our sense of embodiment and working with the body mindfully can often be an essential aspect of healing.
If you are looking for someone who offers somatic psychotherapy in person and/or who offers a touch-based practice, please let me know and I can connect you with a highly experienced and trusted colleague in North Vancouver.
What is Nature-Based Therapy?
Nature-Based Therapy is a form of experiential, sensory-based psychotherapy that encourages participants to explore and experience their relationship with the natural world with the support of their therapist. Nature-based themes can be explored indoors through stories, creative arts, natural materials, and imagination, and outdoors through direct sensory experience.
What are your fees?
As of 2026, my fees are:
- Individual therapy (50 minutes) $180
- Individual clinical consultation (60 minutes) $200
- Group clinical consultation (2 hours) $400 (divided among 3-4 participants)
Is it confidential?
Yes. I will explain exactly what this means during the initial consultation.
Do you hold professional insurance?
Yes, I carry full professional liability insurance.
Get in touch
If you'd like to get in touch please feel free to use the contact form or call me on 647-629-4770 (please leave me a message and I will call you back as soon as I can)