Dana Patterson, MC, RCC

I'm a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) at Affinity Family Wellness in Kelowna, BC, registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I hold a Bachelor of Education (with distinction) and a Master of Counselling from the University of Victoria, with advanced training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and support for marginalized populations.

My clinical work centres on ART, an evidence-based approach that uses structured eye movements and somatic processing to resolve trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD, and addiction. ART works differently from traditional talk therapy: it's designed to produce meaningful relief in fewer sessions by working directly with how distressing experiences are stored in the body and nervous system. I've developed significant experience supporting ICBC clients through post-MVA trauma and driving anxiety, and that work has been some of the most rewarding of my career.

I came to counselling because of my own early experiences with anxiety and depression, and that personal history gives me both deep empathy and a firsthand understanding of what it actually takes to shift. I work with people across a wide range of presentations and life stages: acute trauma, ongoing stress, relationship challenges, perfectionism, burnout, and deeply rooted patterns of anxiety and depression. I also draw on CBT, mindfulness, narrative, solution-focused, and attachment-based approaches depending on what fits best for each person.

My approach is collaborative, warm, and direct when it needs to be. I believe therapy should leave you with tools you can actually carry into daily life, not just insight, but real capacity. If you're ready to do the work, I'm here for it.