David Ross, MA, RCC

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Get what you want out of life, improve old ways of doing things and have more connected relationships. As a counsellor, David’s practice includes adults, couples, teens, (including parent/teen mediation), and children who are struggling and who would like to make their lives better.  Other areas of expertise include dealing with issues around anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, and grief. Life can sometimes be frustrating and difficult, therefore, if you, or your family, are dealing with relationship, marital or work difficulties, depression, anxiety, career choices, grief, or other frustrations, David, in partnership with yourself, can help you find ways to make things better. He believes each person knows the answer, and by talking to someone it can help bring feelings to the front.

David is a client-centred therapist who wants to know what your dreams are, and then he enjoys working with you on how to achieve them. He is happy to listen, but also believes it is helpful to question ways in which a person may think and react. An objective set of eyes can give one a different way of looking at things and open more choices for them. David’s perspective, when it comes down to it, is that how, and what, you feel is central to growth, and by acknowledging and accepting feelings, that change can occur. He believes, most importantly, we all need to be heard and recognized; after that change can occur. 

David brings much life experience to his role of counsellor, having been through many of the ups and downs that we all struggle with in life (i.e., career, home, relationships, and more). Everyone faces challenges in life, but his philosophy is that we all have choice. While making decisions are not always easy, what is often helpful is clarifying specifically what we want. In the counselling process, verbalizing one’s problems and concerns can help clarify and solidify what one thinks, feels and needs. David’s philosophy is that communication is the key to relationships; this is a journey he continues to work on in his personal life.

After experiencing a variety of careers, David was lucky to realize, find, and follow his true passion; becoming a counsellor. Returning to university for his Masters degree at a later stage of life allowed him to bring a variety of perspectives and understandings to his counselling sessions. Being a part of people’s process of change is one of the most rewarding parts of David’s career. His belief is that we all have an innate understanding of what we really need and have the inner strength and resources to create positive change; and with this process, he is happy to help.

In his spare time, David enjoys playing hockey, music with friends, documenting and photographing musicians, travelling and martial arts.

David is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#16771). He first completed a Bachelor of Education and worked as a classroom and special education teacher for a number of years and then later returned to school graduating with a Masters in Counselling Psychology. Along with counselling teens, adults and couples, David worked as a parent/teen mediator, helping to bridge the gap of understanding between parents and teens. He is also highly experienced in group therapy and has worked with divergent populations from the Arctic Circle to Vancouver.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Emotion Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
• Gottman Marriage Couples Therapy – Level One