Green Door Counselling - Ray Freed

About Green Door Counselling - Ray Freed

Ray Freed ~ Green Door Counselling Vancouver, BCPrior to going into private practice in 2012, I was employed (22 years) as a chemical addictions counselor with West Coast Alternatives in North Vancouver. In that capacity my colleagues and I also worked with other addictions (gambling, sex, food, technological) and the deep personal and relationship issues which lie beneath all addictive behaviours.Through work experience and formal education I developed an understanding of social and emotional dynamics, problem formation and strategies for change. My teachers were many and varied, but the most important of these arrived unsolicited, early on in my life. I grew up on a farm in the prairie heartland. A child of second generation Swedish immigrants I quickly learned, the importance of independence and hard work, but, more importantly, I learned the value of co-operative relations with other human beings.The family name ‘Freed’ means ‘ peace’ in Swedish. None violent words and actions woven into the fabric of community life produced a pattern of mutual care and social responsibility. These values continued to inform the choices of myself and my siblings long after we had left the farm. Beneath social and moral codes was the land itself and the opportunity to learn, through our relationship with primal nature, the art of ‘ stillness ‘ and simply being ‘ present ‘ in life.The ‘ art ‘ of stillness, of ‘ listening ‘ respectfully and being present with others is the foundation upon which I have built my counselling practice. These are the values which are woven into the strategies I employ to help people face their fears and find the courage and skill to start creating the lives they want.The counsellor-client relationship is the primary tool in counselling work. Within that framework I promotes the healing process through the use of techniques and approaches such as the following: Cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, focusing, somatic experience, gestalt, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), buteyko breath work, stress management, journal and creative writing, mindfulness and meditation.I have a Master of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia and is registered with the British Columbia College of Social Workers. I have over thirty years experience in counselling in the areas of social work, mental health and addictions. Counselling is often covered by your health care plan – Ray Reed: MSW, RSW #10381There is no going back when we are stuck with ‘concerns and worries’.The solution is going through it; opening the door and crossing the threshold into adeeper, richer relationship with ourselves and the world around us.And Green Door Counselling is here to help you. (Sliding scale available for those in need)