Psychologist, Author, Mental Health Educator
Randy J Paterson, PhD
Welcome.
I am a Vancouver-based psychologist registered in British Columbia. I am a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist, author (The Assertiveness Workbook, How to be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use, How to be Miserable in Your 20s, Private Practice Made Simple, Your Depression Map), and mental health educator for clinicians and for the general public. The common aim of my work has been to increase the accessibility and availability of evidence-based psychological information and services.
New Developments
The Assertiveness Workbook Book Club
A FREE on-demand video accompaniment to The Assertiveness Workbook illustrating many of the core ideas. See the principles in action, with one short video for each chapter of the book.
Assertiveness Training in Clinical Practice
My latest on-demand CE course: an 8-hour program for clinicians on integrating communication skills training in psychotherapy. Includes handouts you can use in your practice.
The Parent Trap: Help Launch Your Stuck Young Adult
A course for parents of young adults struggling to achieve adult independence. Learn strategies to support your son or daughter while enhancing their autonomy.
Services
I provide psychotherapy through Changeways Clinic, the group practice I founded in 2001. I work predominantly with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, difficulties at the outset of adulthood, and/or challenges associated with sexual orientation. For further information, please visit the Changeways Clinic website, here.
I provide fee-for-service consultation to mental health professionals, agencies, and health regions on issues including private practice management, cognitive behaviour therapy, the treatment of young adults (and their parents) struggling with independence, and diversity awareness. For information on consulting availability and services, please click here, or contact me.
I create and provide online on-demand video programs for mental health professionals (with CE credit) on topics including Group Treatment of Depression, Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders, Treatment of “Failure to Launch”, and much more through the online school at psychologysalon.teachable.com.
I teach in-person and live-online workshops for mental health professionals on a variety of topics involving evidence-based psychotherapy. These programs are typically provided under contract to specific health organizations, or via online CE providers such as PraxisCET. For information on programs available, and on hosting such programs through your organization, click here.
I provide talks on a variety of psychology-related issues for the general public, as keynote addresses, for secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, and for charitable organizations. For a partial listing of topics and information on booking, click here.
I have published five books on psychology-related topics (The Assertiveness Workbook, How to be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use, How to be Miserable in Your 20s, Private Practice Made Simple, and Your Depression Map). Information on these books (and downloadable content in some cases) is available here.
In addition to my online training for professionals, I have courses for the general public, including The Parent Trap (helping parents support their offspring’s independence), UnDoing Depression (self-care for mood difficulties), Breathing Made Easy (diaphragmatic breathing for stress reduction), and How to Buy Happiness (increasing life satisfaction via financial self-management). For information on these programs, click here.
I serve as a resource for reporters, feature writers, and podcasters for information on a variety of psychology-related topics, including effective communication, the “failure to launch” phenomenon, the nature of happiness, emotional acceptance, and mental health policy. For a partial listing of topics and for links to podcast episodes, click here.
Much of my career has been concerned with increasing the access to evidence-based ideas in psychology. to this end I have developed a YouTube channel, PsychologySalon, with many videos on topics including the nature of anxiety and depression, mental health policy, effective communication, emerging adulthood, and more. The channel can be accessed here.