About Me
Clinical Counsellor, Workshop Facilitator, Public Presenter, Author
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Hello! I’m Don Straub
Life has been my best teacher. Yes, I have the equivalent of two Masters Degrees in education and professional counselling. I have been a high school teacher, pastor, and currently a psychotherapist. As a counsellor, I have helped hundreds of clients with a variety of issues.
I have 70 years of life experiences. I have been married three times. I know the experience of grief as my first two wives passed away from disease. Through the help of other counsellors, I have battled my own addiction and traumas. I am a father of four, step father of 2, and a grandfather of 12. I have lived in Africa and traveled to over 40 countries. I have published a book: "Bridges to Freedom - Creating Change through Science and Christian Spirituality." I have been featured as the guest speaker on seven TV programs aired on main stream cable across Canada.
Life has been my best teacher.
Professional Summary
M.A. Professional Counselling
Graduate with Distinction
Liberty University
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Member of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors
Level 2 Certificate from the Gottman Institute for Couples Counselling
Basic training in EMDR for trauma counselling
10 years experience working with addictions mainly at Bridgeway Addictions Treatment
(BC Interior Health)
& private practice
Counselling Sessions
In person or online counsellling.
When coming in person, please wear a mask and be sure you have no symptoms of Covid 19 and no exposure with anyone with Covid 19 in the past 14 days.
Trauma Counselling & EMDR
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In general, the root of issues with anxiety, depression, anger, low self-esteem, and addiction is trauma. Usually, childhood trauma of abuse, neglect, abandonment, etc. is the root of current issues. EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is used to desensitize the trauma and thus reduce the triggers in the present. I teach how the brain works and how EMDR can heal it. EMDR is the best therapy for most people when it comes to PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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I use this iceberg model to help with explaining and changing self-defeating behaviors.
Couples Counselling
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I am trained in the Gottman method of couples counselling. This a well researched method of helping couples rebuild emotional connection and learn to manage conflict. Gottman has discovered 10 principles to create successful relationships. I teach these principles and help couples use communication skills to solve their own problems. FACT: According to Gottman, on average, 69% of marital conflicts are unsolvable. I help couple learn how to discover these and how to handle them, because if we keep on trying to solve an unsolvable problem, we make enemies out of each other.
ACT
Acceptance Commitment Therapy
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ACT is a mindfulness based approach to managing anxiety. I teach my clients to embrace anxiety as a friend because anxiety is an action signal to keep yourself safe. We cannot change our emotions directly. We can only change our behaviours and thoughts. This is the basis of CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). Mindfulness is a skill and requires practice but I also use EMDR to reduce the triggers of anxiety in various situations.
My Book:
Bridges to Freedom - Creating Change through Science and Christian Spirituality.
Contact me to order a book or buy it on Amazon or Indigo (Kelowna store).