Practice information:

Daphne Gelbart, MA, RCC, is a Vancouver clinical counsellor registered with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (Registration # 3290). Daphne is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology and Special Education and has a scientific background at the masters level.

Daphne provides evidence-based counselling to individuals, couples and families who experience stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, or relationship difficulties. Daphne has undergone extensive training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and applies methods derived from dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and mindfulness. In Couple Therapy she was trained in emotionally-focused therapy (EFT), the Gottman method, Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) and legal advocacy. Daphne volunteers with the Oak Counselling Service Society. In 2010 she received a Counselling Services Award from the Jewish Family Service Agency of Vancouver.

Daphne listens intently to clients' words and body language. Therapy starts with the "here and now" but may go into past experiences. Therapist and client jointly discover patterns of fearful, sad, lonely, angry or stuck feelings and then learn to combat those feelings. Clients are encouraged to examine unhelpful assumptions, think of other ways to view a situation, and rediscover strengths, motivation and valid causes for optimism. Coping and communication skills are reviewed and practiced, helping clients overcome barriers, and take action towards achieving life goals, building and maintaining relationships, and feeling good.

Couples (straight and same-sex) who are prone to conflict, feel distanced from each other, stuck, or in crisis, are helped to accept or even embrace their differences, tolerate distress and see the “whole person”. In sessions, as clients shed rigid patterns and open up, they often rediscover their softer sides. As communication opens, the parties tend to feel less conflict or distance and come to terms with external or past sources of distress. This helps to rebuild trust, nourish intimacy and sexual feelings, communicate with greater warmth and caring, building a deeper connection and a sense of well-being.

Families are helped to communicate effectively and engage in behaviours that reduce conflict and focus on commonality rather than differences, and increase harmony.

Daphne believes that therapy, and life, benefit from successful balancing of acceptance and change. In her view, acceptance of ourselves, others, and reality open the way to change and goal achievement, one step at a time. Knowing that therapists learn a great deal from their clients, she values working with women and men from a variety of cultural and ethnic groups, sexual orientations and age groups.