Brian Dean Williams - Registered Clinical Counsellor

Big summer photo dump incoming!

There's something about a loved one passing (Mom, June 2024) that can get you appreciating the flipside of death. Life, I mean.

I'm reminded of how fleeting it all is, and how I don't want to waste this precious opportunity, but to more fully embrace moments with family and friends. Of course like all of us, I get distracted. But I'm trying to show up. I've come to believe that we can honor our ancestors in the way that we live our lives.

That said, it's been an epic summer, including a beautiful wedding, tech-free vacation on Savary Island, work trip in Klemtu and co-facilitating a new workshop called Golden Roots with Marie Oldfield (reconciling relationships with ancestors), a rite of passage ceremony for my son with some healthy/positive men, and mountain biking yesterday on Mount Washington with my kids.

Jessy and I have been married for 16 years today. Love sharing this life with you Jess, and the laughter and love and light you bring to the world. Nobody I'd rather spend these moments with. And mom, love you forever too 💓

I’m happy to share that in June 2023, I was affirmed as an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) from BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

Recently, I was also identified as a "Supervisor of Supervisors," meaning registered clinical counsellors looking to attain the ACS standard can consult and work with me towards that. If I can assist, let me know! I love collaborating with other counsellors and supervisors on their work, and do so in an affirming and strengths-based way.

Thanks all:
Brian

Light of connection, community, ceremony.

Life and death are of supreme importance
Time passes, and opportunity is lost
Let us strive to Awaken
Awaken
Awaken!
(do not squander your life)
- Dogen

L.E. Bowman | Author of What I Learned From the Trees and The Evolution of a Girl.

Hey there!

I'm feeling pretty fired up after attending a speaking at a recent men's gathering in Haida Gwaii. The courage and vulnerability I witnessed from men in their healing was truly next-level. So I'm excited to be offering this again:

ASK HER

an interactive group for men about how to ask powerful questions in our partnerships

I'm feeling inspired lately by all the men I work with who want to do the whole masculinity thing in a different and healthier way.

I ran this course in November and the response and quality of guys who showed up was amazing.

One of the participants joked that the friends he'd invited all said "HELL NO!" 😂

Which made me laugh in relatability, as it speaks to how many of us get stuck in the "man box" of how we're allowed to show up and what we're allowed to talk about.

I love standing with guys against some of those normative standards that can be so constricting.

The #1 complaint I hear in therapy from the partners of men is that we don't seem curious / interested in their lives and could ask better questions.

Asking questions is something I've been training to do for 15 years, it's at the heart of my practice.

ASK HER is a course I'm offering to teach / share with guys about how to ask good questions in their relationships.

- 4 week program of 2 hours once/week on the topic of forming powerful questions for our partners / partnerships

- Sun April 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th from 4 to 6pm PST each time

- mutual peer support via a Signal group (encrypted / secure texting app)

- one 90 minute individual session with me within that window of the course in April / May, to finesse your skills and discuss application for your specific situation (normal value of $250)

- max 15 participants

- fee of $350, including GST. I can issue an invoice for group therapy that may be claimable on extended medical plans, check with your provider if you have coverage for a registered clinical counsellor

Thanks so much for supporting this idea!

Please pass this along to anyone who could benefit.

In solidarity:
Brian



Brian

What a weekend.
Men's knowledge sharing on Haida Gwaii.
Connection, sharing, and healing together.

Communing with creek, trees, snow, air, and the good people of Klemtu

Got to witness the magic of Bear tooth aka Lions mane this afternoon.
Great for cognitive health.
You don't always have to harvest, sometimes appreciating and witnessing is enough.

Reading the climate book Not Too Late for my book club meeting later today. Highly recommend. In it, Rebecca Solnit quotes Indigenous plant medicine knowledge keeper Robin Wall Kimmerer:

"Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I chose joy and not despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the Earth gives me daily, and I must return the gift."

Once the imagination is unshackled
Liberation is limitless
- Walidah Imarisha

Awe

Two powerful colleagues doing great work with clients around trauma, depression, anxiety, substance misuse.

Nicole has a yoga background and is training in EMDR.

Renu has a strong spiritual background and has been doing incredible work lately with couples.

What brings us together is a shared commitment to client-centred therapy that pays attention to the social and political context of people's lives. We're taking referrals for them currently so DM me for more details!

Just a wee bit stoked to find some matsutake/pine mushrooms while foraging with my family the other day.

Thanks Klemtu ✌️🙏👋

I love how she tries to pet me back 😂
Kills me every time 🙃
Such a great emotional support dog for my work trip

Journey to Klemtu
Ongoing healing and growth with myself and others
Grateful to be invited back
🙏✌️🙌

Incredible retreat weekend with our growing team of counsellors and educators. Each brings unique gifts for healing. Important for us to heal and restore as well in order to be of good service. So grateful for our connection.

Our team is accepting new clients.
What we have in common are shared values around social justice, embodiment, spirituality, and healing.
Each of us brings unique gifts to this work.
Our diverse team can assist with anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and relationship struggles.

We are taking referrals for our diverse team of counsellors, please get in touch, we have a variety of offerings and rates that we can match with your needs.

Stoked for the first Ask Her session with a courageous group of men, working on how to be curious with our partners and ask powerful questions.

Nicole is accepting new clients!
Been incredible supporting my colleague in her learning over the past year or so.

I'm excited to announce that I am now accepting new clients for counselling sessions at reduced rates until January 2024. 🌟 Whether you're seeking personal growth, a path to trauma resolution and integration or managing depression & anxiety, sessions will be tailored to your unique needs.

📜 These sessions are covered by most insurance providers, making it even more accessible for you to invest in your well-being.

Feel free to email me for more information or to book your sessions. Let's take the first step together. 🌈🌿 [email protected]

Nicole is accepting new clients!

I'm excited to announce that I am now accepting new clients for counselling sessions at reduced rates until January 2024. 🌟 Whether you're seeking personal growth, a path to trauma resolution and integration or managing depression & anxiety, sessions will be tailored to your unique needs.

📜 These sessions are covered by most insurance providers, making it even more accessible for you to invest in your well-being.

Feel free to email me for more information or to book your sessions. Let's take the first step together. 🌈🌿 [email protected]

I don't have a lot of photos of me doing one of my favorite things, which is teaching, sharing, and learning with people.

This is from a retreat that I co-led with Melissa Berry Appleton back in early 2020.

I love storytelling, leading mindfulness activities, facilitating dialogue, and teaching collaborative counselling skills to frontline workers. I've spoken at quite a few conferences and workshops pre-Covid and feeling ready to get back into this work.

If there's anything I can do for your organization, let me know!
In the meantime I'll be dreaming up my eventual return to beautiful Costa Rica...

Having a moment.

Just got word that I've been approved with the new designation of Approved Clinical Supervisor via the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.

I love collaborating, training, teaching, and co-visioning with individuals and teams. I have taught many masters-level clinicians in their practicums.

Some of my specialities include narrative therapy, mindfulness, Buddhist psychology, motivational interviewing, and collective care practices. All of this from a social justice and strengths-based base.

If I can assist, let me know!

Powerlifting has been a game changer for me for mental and physical health.