About Deborah
Counselling Approach
During therapy, I seek to see the world through your eyes. I seek to understand your unique strengths and challenges, your emotional attachments and raw responses, and how you feel in your body in order to help you find the solutions you hope for in Your Story. Theoretically, this translates into a collaborative process most prominently informed by elements of Person-Centered Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Mindfulness Based Approaches. Depending on your counselling goals, I also borrow from Emotion Focused Therapy and Solution Focused (Brief) Therapy. Feel free to ask me more about these in the context of the concerns you bring to our work together.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
— Anais Nin
Professional Training & Clinical Experience
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Arts (M.A) in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Psychology from Simon Fraser University. I have completed additional training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy as well as Level 1 and Level 2 Clinical Training of the Gottman Method for Couples Therapy.
I have a combined 12+ years of experience providing counselling, advising, and case management in post secondary settings, including Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of British Columbia. I am uniquely skilled and passionate about improving the mental health and well-being of young adults, including recent graduates and international students.
I have also provided group counselling, workshops, and psychological assessment interviews to support the Tri Cities Ministry of Child and Family Development. In these settings, I most enjoy promoting strong relationships among family members and effective interpersonal skills in young individuals.
I continue to attend professional development workshops, presentations, and annual conferences hosted by both the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
