darren@bestmarriages.com   

Darren Wilk, registered clinical counsellor (RCC) and Co-founder of Bestmarriages.com, has been working with marriages and families since 1988. This includes being a foster parent providing care as a professional parent loving and inspiring children with various challenges.  He also is a consultant for the Gottman Organization in Canada and regularly presents Gottman Couples Workshops and trains other counsellors in Canada on how to use the Gottman Method of couples therapy. 

Having been certified in the "Gottman Method of couples therapy" (see www.gottman.com ), Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and the Prepare/Enrich program. Darren especially enjoys working with couples. A dynamic therapist and motivational speaker, Darren brings creativity, inspiration and compassion into his counseling which enables him to connect well with clients of any age. While he draws from a variety of therapeutic models, Darren mainly uses scientifically proven methods of relationship counselling developed by John Gottman  and choice theory. These theories combined help couples concentrate on solutions not problems, acceptance and change not blame, and what is within their control in order to make changes in their lives. This type of therapy usually includes 6-10 sessions and is collaborative in nature.  Darren's therapeutic preference also includes prevention; he desires to help people view counseling as a "tune-up" process, rather than an option only for those in crisis. He works with clients to help uncover their strengths and utilize them to make better choices. 

Darren holds Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Religion and a Master of Arts in  Counseling/Psychology. His experience includes marriage coaching, Couples workshops, Level one trainer for the Gottman method, work with the Ministry for Children and Families in Chilliwack, couples communication workshops,  addictions counselling, Sexual abuse counselling,   development and leading of anger management groups, and parenting classes. Other areas of interest include occupational stress and personal meaning-the focus of Darren's thesis and ongoing work.

Recently, he has been having great success working with anxiety and trauma, especially PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).  One of the effective techniques he uses is Called "One Eye Integration" which works directly on the brain and quickly helps clear negative thoughts, traumatic memories and overwhelming feelings. 

Currently, Darren is part owner of and works full time as a counselor at Lighthouse Therapeutic Services. When Darren is not working, he enjoys Snowboarding, dancing ,camping and playing with his own family, which includes a wife of 20 years, four children, and two cats. 

P.S. his Wife is also a fantastic counsellor who specializes in work with women and families. 

"Small things often make huge differences"