Cameron Watson

About Cameron

Dr. Cameron Watson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who sees clients at offices in Maple Ridge. He operates Kanaka Creek Community Counselling and is committed to offering the best of counselling therapy services to clients in the Maple Ridge and Tri-Cities areas.

Depression. Anxiety. Grief and loss. Relationship conflict. Indecision. Loss of direction or motivation. Low self-esteem or confidence. Struggling in these areas can interfere with living the life you want. They drain your energy, leave you feeling stuck, and slowly narrow and darken your life. Counselling can help you find your way through these challenges.

My Approach:

I use an approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT. ACT is a powerful mindfulness-based model for handling difficult thoughts and feelings more effectively so that you struggle less with them, which, in turn, reduces their influence over your life. At the same time, this model focuses on clarifying what is important to you, exploring your goals and values, and establishing these as the foundation of a rich and meaningful life. Based in Western cognitive-behavioural traditions, and in the wisdom traditions of the world’s great philosophical systems, ACT is an evolving, expansive, and evidence-based therapy model that emphasizes a deeply respectful, collaborative, and non-pathologising approach to working with people and communities. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that acceptance and mindfulness approaches, and especially ACT, are highly effective for the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance use, chronic pain, stress, and PTSD.

Working from the assumption that people are not defined by what they are struggling with, I reject labels, categorizations, and attempts to pathologize differences in human experience, and see my role as gently assisting people to discover ways of letting go of the struggle with pain, be more mindful, identify what really matters to them, and to commit to a life worth living. Despite the current cultural imperative that emphasizes feeling good at all costs, the goal of therapy should not be to eliminate certain aspects of one’s experience of life, difficult as they may be at times, but rather to learn how to experience a rich, full, and meaningful life, without as much struggle, infused with vitality and commitment, and guided by our deepest values. My approach is fundamentally client-centered, respectful, and compassionate, with a focus on discovering together the strengths and resources already possessed by everyone.

Qualifications:

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University. I obtained a Master of Counselling degree from City University of Seattle.
I have a PhD in Philosophy of Education from Simon Fraser University. My research focused on social justice within counselling psychology, class analysis, consciousness, and self. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC Registration # 11573). I am a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ACBS).

Experience:

I worked as a clinical counsellor for Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services for many years. I have experience working with children, youth, and adults, and I have counselled individuals, couples, families, and groups.

Contact me by phone at (604) 209-2324 or email me at [email protected] to book your appointment. I would be pleased to speak to you by phone for a free 15 minute consultation.