Ximena Castellanos-Boateng
XC

Ximena
Castellanos-Boateng

Counselor · Student wellbeing · Life transitions

Counselor portfolio

Making room for clarity, one conversation at a time.

I help students and young professionals navigate pressure, uncertainty, relationships, and life transitions through practical, compassionate counseling.

01 · Approach

A calm signal in a noisy season.

Counseling works best when people feel heard before they are asked to change.

Listen. Reflect. Reframe.

My practice blends active listening, strengths-based reflection, solution-focused techniques, and structured goal setting. Sessions are collaborative: we name what is happening, understand the patterns beneath it, and identify a next step that feels realistic.

I create a warm, non-judgmental space where progress can be measured in insight, confidence, boundaries, and small decisions that become sustainable change.

01 · Listen deeplyBuild trust and understand the whole context.
02 · Find the signalSeparate immediate noise from meaningful patterns.
03 · Choose a next stepTurn insight into an achievable action.
02 · Expertise

Areas of support

Flexible, person-centered support for common academic, personal, and early-career transitions.

Academic pressure Career uncertainty Confidence & self-worth Study-life balance Relationship boundaries Decision-making Transition & adjustment Goal clarity
03 · Experience

Practice with purpose.

A career story showing how counseling experience grows through practice, supervision and community work.

2022 - Present

Independent Counselor · Northstar Guidance Studio

One-to-one counseling for students and early-career adults, with a focus on transitions, confidence, boundaries, and practical decision-making.

2020 - 2022

Student Support Counselor · Horizon Learning Centre

Supported learners through academic stress, motivation challenges, adjustment periods, and education-to-career planning.

2018 - 2020

Wellbeing Program Facilitator · Campus Connect

Designed small-group workshops around resilience, communication, healthy routines, and navigating major academic milestones.

04 · Focus areas

Where the work becomes visible.

Portfolio-style case themes keep the focus on outcomes, process, and professional judgment.

Student wellbeing

From overwhelm to a workable week.

Built a simple reflection-and-planning rhythm that helped a student identify pressure triggers, prioritize commitments, and regain a sense of control.

Career clarity

Turning "I don't know" into options.

Used values mapping and exploratory questions to turn vague career anxiety into three testable pathways and a short decision timeline.

Boundaries

Making "no" feel possible.

Practiced boundary scripts, expectation-setting, and reflective check-ins for healthier communication in academic and personal relationships.

0years across counseling & wellbeing work
0+guided conversations in this sample profile
0workshops & group sessions facilitated
05 · Connect

A first message can be simple.

Tell me what you are navigating, what you hope will change, or simply where you feel stuck.