Mike Mathers - Wellness Evolved Counselling
Addiction Therapist, counsellor, and mental health in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Mike Mathers, MSc, MA - Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #9467)
View educational video "Understanding Addiction"
If you or a loved one are suffering from addictions or are concerned about emotional well being please get in touch for a FREE 20 minute phone consult.
Email me through link above to book.
BIO
I am a Counsellor with 15 years of experience working in residential and outpatient treatment programs with both individuals and groups. I have a passion for helping individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders as well as for supporting first responders and other public safety personnel dealing with operational stress injuries.
I use a blend of approaches including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), existential therapy and mindfulness.
I went through a big transition in my personal life a number of years ago and I remember thinking I was “fine” but I can see now that I really wasn’t. I needed to be sad and grieve a loss in order to move through it, as a therapist I knew this to be true, but there was a part of me that wanted to sidestep the grief so I could spare myself the pain.
I value this experience because it taught me how human it is to want to avoid emotional pain and how crucial it is for our healing and growth that we find a safe way to experience those feelings. Most importantly, after allowing myself to grieve and feel what I needed to and then coming out the other side, I trust that emotional pain can be transformed into a sense of purpose or personal meaning. Depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction often involve loss and I believe that people can most effectively recover from these challenges when they have the proper support to help make sense of loss.
I am passionate about living a life of meaning and purpose. Outside of counselling, I enjoy meditation, anything that helps me stay physically active and, most of all, spending time with my three kids.
I received an M.Sc. in the Philosophy of Mental Disorder from Kings College London (UK), and an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the Adler University (Vancouver).
Qualifications and Certifications:
M.Sc. in the Philosophy of Mental Disorder from Kings College London (UK)
M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the Adler University in Vancouver
Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2012
UBC Award of Achievement in Motivational Interviewing (2017)