Kayla James
BSc., MACP., CCC., CC-BRT
Hi, I’m Kayla – a Canadian Certified Counsellor, Mama of two, and birth trauma survivor based in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
In 2021, I experienced a traumatic miscarriage, and in 2022, I narrowly escaped a stillbirth due to a fetal-maternal hemorrhage. These experiences, both deeply personal and transformative, have shaped my passion for supporting others through their own reproductive journeys.
Background
I have a passion for supporting individuals and families through life’s most vulnerable moments. My journey began early, working with children with developmental needs using play-based and learning theory approaches. After earning my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University in 2023—and navigating my own experiences of motherhood with pregnancy loss and a traumatic birth—I shifted my focus to perinatal mental health.
I am EMDR-trained, with additional training in birth and reproductive trauma, and maternal mental health. I’ve also provided peer support through Postpartum Support International and am currently working toward PMH-C certification.
My approach is trauma-informed, compassionate, and rooted in evidence-based care. I work with individuals and families navigating the perinatal period, trauma recovery, and complex emotional experiences, offering a safe and supportive space for healing, growth, and meaningful connection. Therapeutic modalities I commonly use in session include CBT, person-centred therapy, mindfulness, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), and IFS (Internal Family Systems) techniques.
Why Lotus & Lily?
My journey to motherhood felt a lot like the life cycle of the lotus flower—rooted in resilience, transformation, and beauty emerging from darkness and uncertainty.
Just as the lotus begins in muddy waters, my path through pregnancy was marked by challenges and unknowns—grief from an early loss, the emotional weight of waiting, and the trauma of a difficult birth. These experiences pulled me into unfamiliar and overwhelming territory, both physically and emotionally. But through time, support, and healing, I began to rise. Like the lotus pushing through murky depths to bloom in the light, I found strength in vulnerability and clarity through the chaos.
This journey taught me that from the most difficult places, strength and grace can emerge. Motherhood, for me, has been a process of unfolding—an ongoing reminder that healing and growth often take root in the most uncertain, yet deeply human, parts of our lives.
“If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant or weak, return to yourself, to who you are here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong”
Masaru Emoto