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Cara Brand, M.A., Registered Clinical CounsellorCara holds an M.A. from the University of Victoria and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. She has post-graduate training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Emotion Focused Family Therapy and is currently training in EMDR.
Cara has been providing counselling to children, teens, young adults, and families for the past five years. She continues to work in Vancouver Coastal Health’s Child and Youth Mental Health program. Cara specializes in working with children, teens, and young adults struggling with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma Related Symptoms, OCD and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors. She is passionate about helping children and teens survive and thrive through the challenges of their early years while helping them build a solid foundation for life long mental health. Cara believes a safe and trusting relationship is so important in connecting with children, teens, and young adults. At the heart of her work is building relationship alongside providing evidence based therapy. Cara uses therapy to help children, teens, and young adults understand their thoughts and feelings, face fears, heal from painful experiences, reduce behaviors causing problems at school or home and learn how to express themselves. Part of her process is also working collaboratively with parents. Cara coaches parents on how to connect to their own wisdom and inner strengths while teaching them new tools for supporting their child’s wellness. |
Background
Education
- M.A. - University of Victoria
- Bachelor of Social Work
- Vancouver Coastal Health – Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) in Nanaimo and Vancouver
- Child and Family Counsellor - Victoria Youth Empowerment Society
Recent Continuing Education
- Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - Anxiety (CBT-A) with Children and Youth by Dr. Anne Marie Albano
- EMDR Training (EMDRIA Approved), Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute
- Emotion Focused Family Therapy Level One, Mental Health Foundations
- Mindshift CBT Group Facilitation Certification, Anxiety Canada
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Behavioural Tech
- Synergetic Play Therapy, Play Therapy Institute of Colorado
- Expressive Play Therapy Levels 1 and 2, Justice Institute of BC
- Facing Your Fears: CBT with ASD, Autism Community Training
- Essentials of CBT, Beck Institute
- Advanced DSM-5, Applications of the DSM-5 in the CYMH Context, MCFD
