About
Christie Dakin, BA, RTC,MTC
Strength, Opportunity, Peace
I am passionate about helping people see their lives differently. Each new client who walks into my office reminds me of the potential we have to transform what appears to be a challenging and unhappy situation into an opportunity to grow and thrive.
Whether the difficulty is with a relationship at home, at work or elsewhere, I will help guide you to the awareness that you have vast inner strength and the ability to change. You are the author of your experience and are therefore capable of viewing this situation and the people within it from a different vantage point. I do this through various processes that, at their core, will help remove your barriers to love and lead you to a state of forgiveness, connection, and peace.
I was drawn to counselling as a career after seeking help for my marriage many years ago. The counsellor I met helped me see myself and my husband from a very different and more benevolent perspective. I was specifically attracted to this style of counselling because it offers empowerment and ownership of any upsets to the individual who is experiencing them. This does not mean that someone can abuse me and I will simply stay there Zen-like. It means that when I experience an emotional upset, I first look to myself and to what is happening with me and then I will reach out to communicate with the other person from a calm and curious perspective. This permits us both to resolve the conflict more easily.
I have a degree in Communications from the University of Calgary (BSC) as well as extensive mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution training based on the Justice Institute´s program. I completed a 3-year Transpersonal Counsellor Training Program with the Clearmind International, I am a Master Therapeutic Counsellor and a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada and I was involved as a facilitator and counsellor for the Choose Again Society for 5 years. I have completed a number of Byron Katie workshops and regularly use "The Work" in my sessions. I am a lifelong learner and I am always looking for new and different ways to help people in their quest for peace and harmony.
A long time resident of Vancouver, I have raised three children. My interests include hiking, biking, and international travel as well as spending time with friends and family. I am fascinated by the power and strength of the mind and am committed to furthering my own personal growth and awareness through meditation and a daily spiritual practice.
I prefer an integrative approach with my clients and utilise several psycho-therapeutic frameworks depending on what the situation requires.
Education
- Master Therapeutic Counsellor and a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (# 2052) with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada
- 3-year Counsellor Training Program in Applied Transpersonal Psychology from Clearmind International - 2004 - 2007
- Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary, major in Communications, minor in Psychology - 1988
- Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy - July 2009
Additional Training
- Eriksonian Hypnotherapy class - May 2017
- One Year Intensive Byron Katie course - 2016/17
- 9 day School for The Work with Byron Katie - 2015
- 5 Day No-Body Intensive workshop with Byron Katie - 2015
- Basic and Advanced Practitioner Training - Health Beyond Belief with John Newton - 2014
- Mediation and Negotiation classes from Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, AB
Counselling Approach: Christie Dakin & Clear Vision Counselling Services
Transpersonal Perspective
At the core of my work, this approach seeks a balanced development of the emotional, spiritual, creative, mental, and physical aspects of a person´s life. This is a deep form of therapy, recognising that some people are seeking peace and joy in their lives and are working at becoming more aware of their integral wholeness which will lead to peace and joining through following their own spiritual path.
Gestalt
Gestalt is a psychotherapy method that primarily deals with what is happening in the moment and integrates the mind and body.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
I have attended a number of Byron Katie workshops and have been using "The Work" with many of my clients. This style of self inquiry allows each person to question their thoughts that are causing anger, frustration or stress of any kind. It is a powerful technique to help people experience their thoughts from a totally different perspective and to create more compassion and understanding for self and other. "Stress is an alarm clock that lets you know you’ve attached to something not true for you." Byron Katie
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture where certain meridian pressure points are stimulated by tapping on them with our fingertips to help reduce the stress of many physical and emotional conditions.
The Work
It is a way of treating people who feel ill at ease. It is based on the idea that it is best to experience what we feel "here and now" and not keep thinking about the past or worry about the future. The goal is for clients to become aware of what they are doing in the present, how they are doing it, and how they can change themselves, and at the same time, to learn to accept and value themselves.
Holotrophic Breathing
Created by Stanislav Grof, this technique is a remarkable way to access feelings from past traumas or experiences. Ideal for people who feel stuck emotionally or for those feeling depressed, anxious, or angry or for those going through a grieving process.
