Brett Maletic

Many past events continue to impact us even when we have a tendency to try to forge ahead and push them to the background of our experience.  Despite our efforts to forget the past, often it still produces various forms of dysfunction in our lives, which can lead to pain, frustration, self-doubt, anxiety or depression.  This is where counselling can be a vital tool to allow us to process past trauma, abuse and mistakes; or to handle dysfunctional situations at present.  It is by insightfully processing these negative life elements that you can truly overcome the detrimental effects and finally live the life you desire.

The good news is that past trauma and pain do not need to prevent you from living a satisfying and meaningful life.  Pain can be transformed into wisdom and give you the opportunity to live your life to the fullest.  As such, I seek to provide a holistic counselling approach that takes into account the whole person while clearing new pathways of insight and focus.  While primarily aiming to address major setbacks and problems in your personal / professional / spiritual life, my goal is also to promote mindfulness-based healing and restoration.  So long as you and I establish a healthy rapport together, I trust that new solutions can be realized which will help chart a better course for your life and future.  Furthermore, a significant element of my practice is informed and inspired by the work of Dr. Viktor Frankl - the renowned Holocaust survivor whose unique approaches to meaning-making and resilience have impacted innumerable lives for decades.

My particular therapeutic approach, first and foremost, is rooted in the simple act of listening.  While this may seem like an obvious point, it’s important for me to establish the absolute integrity that I place on active listening within a therapeutic context.  The reason I value this so much is because of the invaluable way in which a reflective space allows for you as a client to be able to properly listen to yourself – which is a major component of personal transformation.  Therefore, my counselling style is to listen for the beliefs, assumptions and subtle nuances that emerge from your personal narrative, and to help you to draw attention to the same things yourself.  Through this process of introspection and self-awareness, you are empowered to address new questions about yourself, even outside your usual comfort-zones.

These are the spaces where real change takes root.

I do this work in a number of ways.  Some of these are drawn from current perspectives in grounded research in the behavioural sciences, while also borrowing from timeless principles that are rooted in ancient healing perspectives.  I value psycho-therapeutic and narrative models, in addition to the use of motivational interviewing, somatic perception, and various relaxation tools.  Above all, it is important that you feel safe and liberated during these sessions, and this is what I aim to provide as you invest in your own growth.

I should also mention that my role, as a practitioner, is to facilitate a quality space for you to experience meaningful realignment and clarity in your particular circumstance or situation.  My job is not to “change you” or even to assume some kind of expert status in your personal affairs.  It is simply to help you facilitate your own restorative path that is best for you personally.  My foremost goal in these sessions is to serve you by assisting you in finding the right tools and inner resources to take the lead in your own life and to experience the changes that are right for you.  At the same time, I willingly provide guidance by making relevant suggestions and specific recommendations as part of the therapeutic journey.  

My Specialties:

• Men's Issues
• Depression & Anxiety
• Overcoming Past Trauma
• Connecting with Inspiration
• Family Dynamics
• Relationship Issues
• Assertiveness & Setting Boundaries
• Anger & Irritability
• Chronic Stress
• Self-Destructive Patterns
• Career Exploration & Transition
• Burnout
• Low Self-Esteem and Worthiness
• Grief & Loss
• Spiritual Counselling

Through my years of counselling work I have become increasingly convinced of humanity’s capacity for self-healing and self-realignment.  As a guiding element of the human spirit, we are remarkably equipped with inner tools to find healing and true restoration.  From personal struggles of low self-esteem to relationship problems to the crippling experiences of grief and loss, human beings have shown themselves to be inherently capable of transcending turmoil and confusion while also graduating to higher levels of personal development and insight along the way.

At the same time, however, our natural ability to address our greatest fears, challenges and self-persecuting beliefs is easily forgotten or dismissed altogether in the face of life’s many distractions and obligations.  This happens to every one of us.  All too often we know we need a change in our lives, yet for one reason or another we stick to the same habitual actions and behaviours that only serve to prevent our greater development and growth.  This is because of one simple truth: we repeat the same things in life because they are familiar to us.  As such, my counselling practice is founded upon a singular key principle: that new insight leads to the formation of new skills, and new skills lead to an upgraded life experience.   

As a client, you can expect a professional commitment on my part when it comes to exploring the particulars of your situation, while likewise maintaining complete confidentiality regarding the content and personal information that is shared.  My professional background is anchored in over 10 years of private counselling and decades of working in acute health care settings including emergency units, ICU, maternity and NICU.  Furthermore, my practice is grounded in the ethical code held by the BC College of Social Workers. 

Contact me today to make an appointment, or make an appointment via my website.  I always reply to emails (check your spam folder if you do not see my reply) and / or contact me by phone or text.