About me

Deborah Braun, M.A.

Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #3553)

I am delighted to be a counsellor in the 21st century. Now that neuroscience has demonstrated the “brain changing” potential of counselling, working together, we can literally “invigorate your mind.” I use a unique integration of pragmatic, traditional therapies with the latest in subtle neuropsychology exercises. My clients say they feel more confident, clear-minded, determined and optimistic.

Life is full of challenges. When diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at middle age, I was devastated. I mistakenly thought I was no longer a healthy person, that my life would be diminished. Ironically, learning to be curious, compassionate and courageous towards my illness has invigorated me: I am a healthier person and a passionate therapist because of it. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, the shame or frustration of an interfering behaviour or problematic situation, I welcome the opportunity to help you heal, learn and grow as we “invigorate your mind.”

About my work

  • For Counselling:

    • Adults (young to elderly)

    • Couples

    For Coaching:

    • Business Leaders

    • New graduates launching careers

    • Individuals navigating lifestyle changes

    • Anxiety and/or Panic

    • Stress Management

    • Chronic Illness

    • Depression

    • Self-Esteem Issues

    • Life Balance

    • Life Transitions

    • Marriage and/or Relationship Issues

    • Personal Growth

    • Retirement

    • School/Work Adjustment

    • Anger Management Issues

  • My style is responsive, creative and practical. I aim to understand and respect your unique complexity as we work to identify and reach your goals. We will take a meta view of your life: circumstances, resilience, mindset, and engagement. I will guide you to courageously connect with what troubles you, and help you recognize and harness your resourcefulness. You can count on me to challenge your unhelpful habits, and even propose counterintuitive strategies to activate your motivation for change. Along the way, we will identify and practice opportunities for clarity and calm in your daily life. Expect to be challenged, to exercise curiosity, to act courageously, as we collaboratively chart a path towards your fulfillment.

  • My experience includes working and volunteering in the mental health field for over 30 years in Vancouver and London, England.

    I have extensive experience counselling and coaching a diverse clientele.

    In addition to one-on-one counselling and coaching, I enjoy delivering workshops on a variety of topics, such as stress management, navigating complex circumstances (e.g., COVID), curiosity and self-esteem, adjustment to chronic illness.

  • My Value lies in helping you thrive amidst challenges in health, love, or career. Alfred Adler, a pioneer of psychology, once said, “It is not what happens in life that matters, but what we do with what has happened.” I wonder… what might you do, and how might I offer compassionate connection as we “invigorate your mind” with curiosity, creativity and courage?

    • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: Adler School of Professional Psychology (Vancouver)

    • Counselling Psychology Certificate: Regents College (London, UK)

    • Bachelor of Landscape Architecture: University of British Columbia

    • Neuroscience in practice: counselling and coaching with the body in mind

    • Weaving positive experiences into the brain for resilience

    • Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems (CIMBS)

    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    • Mindfulness

    • Assertiveness and non-violent communication

    • Working intentionally with hope

    • Motivational interviewing

  • My life outside work is busy, and fulfilling, but not without its bumps. I am a community-minded middle-aged woman and mother of two adult children. I love to swim (in open water), hike (in our beautiful north shore mountains), and travel (for work and pleasure).

  • "Deborah has the ability to create trust and offer full acceptance - I feel I could say anything to her and it would be received gently and carefully. Breadth - she has amazing bandwidth and the ability to reach into her intellectual storehouse and find the most apposite poem or questions. She pushes well and doesn't let  a client rest on their laurels when she thinks they can go further. A sense of humour - even the mosts serious messages are delivered with a gentle touch. Broad framework - Deborah expanded my depth of thinking about parents and family life. Patience - her clients must often go round in circles and yet she endlessly travels with them and nudges them on. One word - peace-giver. Greatest strength - deceptively strong biceps??"

    — Business founder transitioning to retirement

  • "As someone who is highly analytical, it isn’t always easy for me to talk and communicate about things that are founded on emotions and feelings. My sense (and experience) is that Deborah is one of those very rare people who are able to navigate around both analytical and emotional waters and do so in a way that can speak to people who are oriented to one or the other of those poles. That is a rare skill I am certain. On top of her very large brain, sits a very welcoming, bright and positive personality – that combination too is very rare."

    — Professional exploring personal growth and life balance

  • "Deborah provided kindness, guidance and professional friendship. She asked empowering questions which gave me confidence and courage but also the practical means to undertake the changes which required the transformation of my life. Her practical kindness, boundless empathy and infectious savouring of life. She always showed up and always ready to accommodate me is a treasured gift of immeasurable value. With Deborah, I not only found a counsellor who is genuinely interested in my well-being and mental healing, emotional growth and personal safety, but also someone I could admire for their own life choices and the sense of adventure, with touches of whimsy, and certainly brave diligence to try new things in your life."

    — Individual navigating complications of chronic illness and complex personal relationships

  • “Recently, I became aware that I was unhappy with the repetitive nature of certain undesirable behaviour. In a very short time, Deborah helped me see the core of what was causing the problems. This new awareness enabled me to adjust and move on with a sense of freedom. Deborah’s intuition, insight, and unwavering focus on the goal make her the perfect guide through this type of terrain, and you will enjoy her professional conduct and easy way of working with you. I recommend her services to anyone looking to improve his/her life, out of gratitude for the help and improvement in mine.”

    — Middle-aged client working through relationship difficulties

  • "I would describe my work with Deborah as a ‘relationship’ for a critical period in my own journey of leadership. Moving from a director to a CEO in any organization sounds easy but it isn’t. Whilst having existing leadership traits and a sense of purpose & self awareness might enable to apply and get the big role, it’s surprising how these skills/strengths need to be moulded and adapted to credibly and authentically pass the CEO test.  One particular piece of support was around dealing with the death of a colleague, Deborah guided me to deal with it in entirely the opposite way to the way I had intended – seminal. In summary, my relationship with Deborah at a critical point in my transition from a senior executive to group CEO was one of the most powerful insights into my own leadership traits I have ever had. The work we carried out enabled me, through coaching & support to be an authentic and credible CEO fit for the modern world."

    — Director navigating promotion to CEO

  • “I feel so much better, like we’ve sorted out a whole bunch of stuff, like I’m back on the right path. I’ve done a lot of reflecting, growing, living over the past 6 months of therapy with Deborah. I realize how much I’ve accomplished, experienced and it has had a profound impact on me as a person. It’s exciting, gratifying. This is the first time in my life I’ve really become whole, integrated. That’s the gift in all of this.”

    — Middle-aged client working through divorce

  • "I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Deborah over the course of a few years. She saw me in some of the most painful times of my life, and celebrated with me when I took small steps forward to a better future. To me, Deborah is many things at once. She is a force and her superpower is her gentle, deeply encouraging, warm-hearted approach to helping. Her combination of strength and warmth are rare, and create a sense of safety with ease. Her whimsical, poetic, zest for life is magnetic. She inspired me to see the magic in everyday experiences. She is as light-hearted as she is insightful. She is as adventurous as she is grounding. She helped me to be gentle with myself, to claim my successes, and to step into who I truly am. She helped me to feel at-home within myself. She's often told me that we seek to be heard, seen, and soothed in our relationships - she provided that to me in our therapeutic relationship. Working with Deborah was like a gentle invitation to get in touch with my values and my emotions, in order to springboard forward in making more aligned decisions in life."

    — Young adult client navigating aligning career transition with values

  • "Deborah has been very an inspiring example of what love and support can do for a person. I'm grateful."

    — An individual struggling to trust new relationships