About

About Darcie Brown Pronouns she/her

During my previous careers as a musician and photographer, I enjoyed helping people connect to meaningful ways of expressing themselves. I pursued this on a deeper level with my studies to become a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and now find great pleasure in helping people explore new and effective ways of living the life they truly desire.

I have sought out training in the areas of trauma (Francine Shapiro - EMDR, Peggy Pace - Lifespan Integration, Anandi Janner Steffan - Tift), self-compassion (Kristen Neff, Christopher Germer), abuse (Karen McAndless-Davis - When Love Hurts, Ending Violence Association of BC, SARA for Women), and neurodiverse families (Ross Greene - Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, Sarah Ward - Executive Function Skills, Michelle Garcia Winner - Social Thinking, Autism Community Training).

I completed research funded by the Canada Institute of Health Research (CIHR) on self-compassion for parents of twice-exceptional (gifted and ADHD/autistic/learning disabled/etc.) children. I also completed my Certification in Lifespan Integration demonstrating to a review panel significant personal stability and clinical skill. Currently, I am participating in extensive training in Trauma Integrating Flow Therapy (Tift), both online several times per month and travelling to Europe annually to learn and stay current. 

I primarily use Tift as it is a wholistic approach to treating complex trauma. As we develop in life, we adapt in the most effective way possible to our environment. These survival structures that helped us in early life, often hinder us later on from having the quality of relationships and doing the things in life that we desire. Tift incorporates attachment theory, neuroscience, the laws of complex systems, and somatic aspects. Through repetitions of recent memories, traumatic patterns are reprocessed, leading to healthy experiences of connecting with others and to effective movement instead of blocked or chaotic movement. My clients have many stories of feeling more emotionally regulated, less reactive to stressors, able to move towards what they want, and find their close relationships more fulfilling.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy exploring forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains on foot, pedalling around on my pink and purple cruiser bike, gardening and watching birds in my backyard, and learning new fibre art skills (I have a few pieces up in my office). I have three children who are in very different life stages - 20 (young adult independence), 17 (completing high school), and 11 (starting middle school). We often have multiple creative projects strewn about our house from crochet to electrical programming with musical instruments playing in the background. We are passionate about making s'mores and spend many evenings honing our roasting skills. 

If you want to explore doing therapy with me, please email me at darcie@vertexcounselling.ca or fill in the contact form so we can set up a free 10 - 15 minute phone consultation to determine if we're a good fit. I look forward to connecting with you!