Derek

Registered Professional Counsellor — Provisional Registered with the CPCA

Finding the right counsellor can feel overwhelming — but if you’re here, you’ve already taken the hardest step. Derek is a Registered Professional Counsellor (Provisional), registered with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA), and he’s here to help you move through whatever you’re carrying right now. Derek’s approach is straightforward and judgment-free. He believes that good counselling isn’t about being told what to do — it’s about having a space where you can finally say what’s actually going on, and having someone in your corner who knows how to help you work through it.

He has a deep understanding of the unique pressures people face in Grande Prairie — the long hours, the physically and emotionally demanding work, the culture of pushing through and never asking for help. If you’ve ever felt like you should just be able to handle it, Derek gets it. And he knows that needing support doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re human.

Derek didn’t come to counselling the easy way — he lived his way there.

Born and raised in central BC, his working life started about as far from a counselling office as you can get. Fresh out of high school, he spent his first seasons riding helicopters and cutting timber as a heli logger. From there he moved into construction, earning his Red Seal in carpentry and spending years building houses, condos, and apartments before stepping into industrial construction and eventually construction management. After completing a Master’s in Project Management at UNBC, Derek spent a decade at the sharp end of major industrial projects — energy plants, sawmills, and mines. He knows what it means to carry real responsibility, work in high-pressure environments, and operate in a world where showing vulnerability isn’t exactly part of the culture.

In an effort to be closer to his two sons, Derek stepped back from industrial work and returned to residential construction. It was during that time that a career-ending back injury changed the direction of his life completely. He completed a diploma in counselling at Rhodes College and found a new calling — one that draws on everything he’s experienced rather than leaving it behind.

He brings something most counsellors simply don’t have: decades of lived experience in the trades, in industrial work, in management, and in the kind of life that doesn’t leave much room for talking about how you’re actually doing. That’s exactly what makes him so effective with the people who walk through his door.

Derek is, by his own description, a bit of a blue-collar redneck — and he wears that proudly. He hunts, fishes, and will take any excuse to be out in the wilderness. He stays active training at a martial arts club and playing hockey, gets out on his pedal bike in the summers, and when he’s had enough pedalling, he jumps on his street bike and rides with his wife. When travel comes around, he makes a point of fishing the nearest ocean and diving the local coast whenever he gets the chance. He’s not the kind of counsellor who’s only ever read about the life his clients are living. He’s lived it — and that makes a difference.

Derek provides counselling for individuals, couples, and families. He has a particular passion for working with men — offering a space where men feel genuinely comfortable opening up, without pressure to perform or pretend.

Some of the most common reasons people reach out to Derek include:

• Anxiety — persistent worry, overthinking, panic attacks, and social anxiety • Depression — low mood, loss of motivation, emotional numbness, or feeling disconnected from your own life • Burnout — exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest, and losing the drive for things that used to matter • Workplace stress — high-pressure environments, conflict with colleagues or management, and career-related mental health struggles • Relationship and couples counselling — communication breakdowns, trust issues, conflict cycles, and reconnecting with your partner • Family counselling — navigating family conflict, parenting challenges, and building stronger connections at home • Men’s mental health — anger, emotional suppression, identity, and the pressures men carry but rarely talk about • Trauma and PTSD — processing past experiences that still affect how you feel and function today • Grief and loss — loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, or any major life change that has left you feeling lost • Life transitions — divorce, career change, relocation, or any major shift that’s shaken your sense of direction • Self-esteem and confidence — building a healthier relationship with yourself and finding your footing again • Addiction and substance use — exploring the emotional roots of dependency in a safe, non-judgmental space

Derek uses a collaborative, client-centred approach — meaning sessions are shaped around you, not a one-size-fits-all method. He draws on evidence-based techniques tailored to what you’re going through, and he keeps things practical. You’ll leave sessions with real tools, not just a sympathetic ear.

Sessions are available both in person and online, with flexible scheduling designed to work around your life.

You deserve support that actually helps. Derek is here when you’re ready.

Book With Derek