Biography
Sam Duran is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia and the founder of Purpose Clinical Counselling. His clinical work focuses on helping adults and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship difficulties, and significant life changes through compassionate, evidence-based counselling.
With more than a decade of experience supporting individuals and families, Sam brings a diverse professional background spanning behavioural therapy, clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, and community mental health support. His clinical training and experience have included working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and older adults across private practice settings, hospital, outpatient counselling, and community mental health.
His experience includes working with individuals experiencing complex psychological and emotional challenges, providing individual and couples counselling, facilitating therapeutic grief support groups, and conducting psychological and cognitive assessments under clinical supervision. These experiences have strengthened his understanding of how childhood experiences, trauma, family relationships, and significant life events can influence psychological well-being and interpersonal functioning.
Sam has a particular interest in trauma recovery and relationship counselling. His work with couples includes addressing communication difficulties, emotional disconnection, recurring conflict, infidelity, and the effects of past experiences on intimate relationships. He also supports individuals seeking to understand and address the emotional and behavioural patterns that may be contributing to their current difficulties.
His approach combines clinical knowledge with compassion, thoughtful exploration, and collaborative treatment planning. Rather than relying on a single therapeutic model, Sam draws on his specialized training and clinical experience to integrate evidence-based interventions according to each client’s presenting concerns, personal values, preferences, and therapeutic goals.
Through Purpose Clinical Counselling, Sam currently provides secure online counselling to adults and couples throughout British Columbia.
Education & Credentials
Sam holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fresno Pacific University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Simon Fraser University.
He also completed graduate coursework in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology where his academic and clinical training included psychological assessment, psychopathology, clinical interventions, and research.
Sam is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #29530) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.
Professional Training and Therapeutic Approaches
Sam has completed specialized professional training in several therapeutic approaches, including:
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), EMDRIA-approved basic training
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
• Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Levels 1 and 2
• Trauma-informed clinical practice
• Faith and spirituality integration in counselling
His therapeutic approach is integrative, trauma-informed, and client-centred, combining evidence-based treatment with careful consideration of each client’s experiences, relationships, and goals.
Areas of Clinical Focus
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Childhood trauma and attachment-related difficulties
• Anxiety and depression
• Grief and loss
• Marriage and relationship difficulties
• Infidelity, betrayal, and rebuilding trust
• Emotional regulation and recurring behavioural patterns
• Significant life changes and adjustment difficulties
• Christian faith-integrated counselling, when requested
Begin Your Counselling Journey
Finding the right counsellor is an important part of beginning therapy. Sam offers a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your concerns, answer any questions you may have, and better understand what you are hoping to achieve through counselling.
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An opportunity for new clients to explore what brings them to counselling, ask questions.
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Therapeutic Approaches
Compassionate, client-centred, and evidence-based counselling that integrates trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, thoughtfully tailored to each client’s unique experiences, needs, values, and goals.
EMDR
Having completed EMDRIA-approved Basic Training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Sam draws on his clinical experience working with trauma to help clients process traumatic experiences and distressing memories and reduce the emotional impact associated with them.
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CT)
Certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TFCBT-Web), Sam draws on his clinical experience working with trauma to help clients understand and manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviours associated with traumatic and difficult experiences.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Sam's certification and clinical experience in trauma-informed therapy inform an approach grounded in safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment, with caretul attention to the ways trauma can affect emotional well-being, relationships, and daily life.
Systemic Therapy
With extensive clinical experience in systemic therapy and a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Sam uses this approach to explore how relationships, family dynamics, life experiences, and broader circumstances can influence emotional well-being and patterns of behavior.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
With training and clinical experience in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), Sam uses this evidence-based, attachment-focused modality to help couples recognize patterns of distress, strengthen emotional responsiveness, and develop greater security and connection in their relationship.
Gottman Method
With Gottman Method Levels 1 & 2 certifications as well as Treating Affairs and Trauma certification and clinical experience working with couples, Sam offers this evidence-based modalities to help couples strengthen communication, navigate conflict, deepen emotional connection, and develop healthier, more resilient relationship
Christian Faith Based Therapy
Certified in Faith and Spirituality Integrated SBIRT and experienced in providing a Christian faith-based clinical approach, Sam integrates evidence-based counselling with Christian faith, biblical principles, and relevant Scripture for clients who seek this approach, while addressing emotional, relational, and psychological concerns.