ABOUT DEREK

Nice to meet you

What it's like to work with me...

Working with me as your therapist, you can expect a supportive and non-judgmental environment where your needs and goals are prioritized. I strive to create a trusting and safe relationship, allowing you to feel comfortable and open in exploring your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Together, we will embark on a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and transformation.

My commitment to you:

I am dedicated to providing you with personalized and effective therapy that meets your specific needs. I will listen attentively and empathetically, ensuring that I understand your concerns and goals. I will work collaboratively with you, tailoring my approach to suit your unique circumstances and preferences. My commitment is to support and guide you throughout the therapeutic process, empowering you to make positive changes and achieve a greater sense of well-being.

What I offer:

I draw from a variety of therapeutic modalities to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to counselling. My expertise includes Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). These approaches allow me to address a wide range of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem, identity, trauma, and mental performance psychology. Additionally, I specialize in working with athletes and high-performers, helping them optimize their mental performance while prioritizing their overall well-being.

We may be a good fit for therapy if:

If you are seeking a therapist who values and prioritizes your individual needs, encourages personal growth, and creates a safe space for exploration, we may be a good fit for therapy. Whether you are dealing with specific mental health challenges, seeking personal development, or striving to enhance your performance as an athlete or high-performer, my therapeutic approach can provide the support and guidance you need. I welcome clients of all ages and backgrounds, and I am committed to fostering self-discovery, reconnection, and a sense of fullness in life for my clients.

My Principles to Well-Being

Reconnection

We are designed for connection, yet life experiences often send us in the other direction. In order to "retrieve our soul", it is essential we find ways to reconnect with our human needs in ways that benefit us both in the short and long-run.

Balance

Being balanced involves acknowledging our extreme tendencies and finding a way to return to a state of equilibrium. Whether we tend to be overly emotional or intellectual, too busy or too idle, the ability to recognize and regulate these tendencies is essential for well-being.

Flexibility

Life is complex. We live with paleolithic emotions, medieval rules, and super-human technology. Our minds and bodies are not fully equipped to handle it. Therefore, we need to find flexible ways to be our best even when the conditions are not ideal.

Personal Patterns

Our lives are often lived on the surface with little reflection of what is happening beneath. When we create space to go deeper into what is playing itself out in the background we might be able to resolve the unintended and persistent problems in our lives.

Ideal Self

We all hold within ourselves an ideal of who we would like to be. Yet, often there are invisible scripts for our lives that tell us who we are supposed to be rather than who we truly are. The key to reaching our peak performance is working through the barriers that keep us from accessing this ideal self.

Undoing Aloneness

Life circumstances can place us in states of emotional isolation wherein we feel unsafe expressing ourselves - often in fear of how others might react. Our emotions are guides to our well-being, therefore it becomes essential to create the conditions in which we can learn to feel them again, especially in the presence of another.

Compassion

Compassion is vital for well-being because it creates a safe and nurturing environment where we can feel heard, understood, and supported, allowing for deep healing and growth to take place. By embracing compassion, we can foster a genuine connection that facilitates healing, self-acceptance, and the cultivation of resilience.

EDUCATION

Trying my best to learn

Education

Trinity Western University

Bachelor's degree in Business
2009-2014

Rhodes Wellness College

Life Coaching Certificate
2017

Trinity Western University

M.A. Counselling Psychology
2020-2022

License

Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), CCPA

Member #11245096

Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), BCACC

Member #21354

Experience

Peace Portal Counselling Centre

Counselling Practic
2020-present

Trinity Western University Student Wellness Centre

Mental Health Counsellor
2020-present

Surrey Mental Health

Group Therapy Facilitator
2020-21

Speciality Training

Below is a list of the areas of specialized training I have received

Trinity Western University Courses

• CPSY 616 A - Couples & Older Adults Counselling

• CPSY 615 A - Child and Youth Counselling

• CPSY 508 A - Family and Community Systems

• CPSY 633 A - Addictions Counselling

• CPSY 634 A - Trauma & Sexual Abuse Counselling

• CPSY 655 A - Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

• CPSY 655 C - Grief Counselling

• CPSY 515 A - Career Counselling

Continuing Education Training and Courses

• Therapsil Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training (2022)

• Trauma and Addiction: Taking Motivational Interviewing to the Next Level (2022)

• Widen the Window of Tolerance: Three Proven Ways to Support Clients' Resilience (2022)

• Introduction to the Intra-Relational Triangle: AEDP™, Complex Trauma and parts work (2023)

• AEDP Immersion: The Dyadic Repair of Attachment Trauma: Healing at the Edge of Transformational Experience course with Diana Fosha (2023)

Have any questions?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation