Counselling Office (Map)


Suite 20 - 285 17th Street
West Vancouver, BC
V7V 3S6

Transit stop at 17th and Marine Drive

Counsellor's Contact Info:

Phone 1: 604 785-5482

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Counsellor or Psychologist's website:

www.whiffen.ca

Additional Information about this counsellor or psychologist:

My name is Valerie Whiffen. I'm a Registered Psychologist with an office in West Vancouver where I see clients who live on the North Shore, the Sunshine Coast and in Squamish.

I work primarily with individuals who feel sad or depressed, who feel stuck in unsatisfying relationships or work situations, or who have experienced a recent loss or life transition, such as the end of a romantic relationship or the birth of a child. In addition, I work with individuals who are trying to get over traumatic interpersonal events, such as childhood abuse.

I also work with couples, whether they are fighting a lot or they feel disconnected from each other. I'm particularly interested in working with couples where one of the partners has emotional problems, such as depression or trauma. I also work with couples where one partner has had an affair.

I'm trained in and practice a variety of short-term treatments that research has shown to be effective, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET). The specific combination of treatments that I will use with you will be tailored to your needs. A recent analysis of my effectiveness showed that almost 80% of the individuals and 75% of the couples I work with report significant improvement or the complete resolution of their problems by the end of treatment. On average, I see successful clients for 8 sessions and successful couples for 11 sessions. You can find more information about this research on my website.

My background is that of a researcher and university professor. As a Full Professor at the University of Ottawa, I taught graduate courses in clinical psychology, and I supervised the clinical training of doctoral level clinical psychology students. My research focused on depression, childhood sexual abuse, and marital distress. I have published more than 50 research articles, chapters in edited books, and books on these topics.

In 2007, I changed my life. I published A Secret Sadness, which uses research and case studies from my practice to help women understand why they become depressed and what they can do about it. I also moved to Vancouver and opened a private practice with my colleague, Dr. Janny Thompson, where we help individuals and couples who are struggling with depression, trauma, relationship difficulties and life transitions.

I continue to be interested in research and ideas, which I write about for non-scientific audiences on my blog. Please visit my website for more information about me and my work, and to access my blog. I welcome your questions and comments.

For further information, visit Valerie Whiffen`s web site.

Weekly schedule:

Valerie Whiffen meets with private practice clients during the highlighted time periods.

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