Matthew Gardner

Matthew is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, and a member of the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. Most recently, he worked for the Salvation Army, creating and facilitating an Addictions Program for offenders on parole, entitled Skills for Recovery. He has worked with numerous other key organizations in Victoria, including VIHA, Cool Aid, Woodwynn Farms, NEED Crisis Line, Citizens’ Counselling Centre, and the Single Parent Resource Centre. Among many other things, Matthew has also worked as the author of 10 published travel guides, a High School Teacher, a Home Care Worker, a novelist, a painter and a tree-planter.

Matthew is a Client-Directed Outcome-Informed practitioner, who draws on numerous therapeutic strategies to cater most effectively to the unique needs of each client, depending on their situation, issues, desires, goals, personality and beliefs. The approaches he most commonly uses are: Person-Centered; Solution-focused and Strength-based; Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy; Attachment Theory; Narrative Therapy; Somatic Experiencing; a Systems and Family Perspective; Motivational Interviewing and the Stages of Change Model; Non-Violent Communication. With couples, he tends to use a combination of John Gottman’s pragmatic approach and Sue Johnson’s deeper Emotionally-Focused approach. Regardless of strategy, he is always thoroughly ethical, professional, respectful, holistic, humanistic, existential, constructivist, and spiritual.

Although he is confident working with all manner of presenting issues, Matthew is particularly experienced helping clients with addictions, trauma, relationship problems, communication issues, developmental crises, male issues, and existential/spiritual concerns.

Matthew is particularly valued by clients for his approachable, down-to-earth manner, flexibility, insightful intelligence, authenticity, integrity, and genuine caring.

Happily married with two beautiful children, his passions include music, nature, travel, books, movies, soccer, spirituality, yoga, and food.