Clinical Staff Credentials, Training and Education


Rev. Dr. Brick & Mona Saunderson
Care-taking People Since 1986

Brick and Mona Saunderson are the facilitators and therapists at the CrossRoads Group (CRCG est. 1989). Both work within the discipline of Integrative Healing Body/Mind/Spirit Therapy (which includes Traditional Counselling, Transpersonal (spiritual experiences) Cognitive/Behavioural Therapy, Psychotherapy, Clinical Medical/Behavioural Hypnotherapy, Pain Management, Body Psychotherapy, Reiki and Acupressure. They bring over 40 years of experience into the clinic and the classroom.

Rev. Dr. Brick Saunderson, RCCH, RCH, CC-Ht, CHt, CHtA, CPT, CI, SMC-CMC.

Dr. Brick has extensive experience providing counselling psychotherapy for individuals of all ages, couples, families and groups. He has worked in hospital settings, churches and in private practice at the CrossRoads Counselling Group. He works with an integrated structure of several modalities including: Family of Origin, Cognitive/Behavioural, Clinical Medical/Behavioural Hypnosis and Transpersonal (spiritual experiences) Therapies. He works in areas of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, phobias, interpersonal relationships, family and marriage, trauma, unresolved grief issues, blended family issues, acting-out teens, alcohol and drug follow-up. Dr. Brick specialises in pain management, deep relaxation training, stress management. He also focuses his attention working with people who are dealing with Spiritual issues, including out of body and near death experiences. He uses a variety of techniques including hypnosis and bio-energy therapies (Reiki and Acupressure) to help clients achieve their goals. Dr. Brick was also the primary instructor at the CrossRoads Training Institute (between 1999 & 2011) teaching certified programs in Clinical/Counselling Hypnotherapy, the Skilled Helper, Reiki and Jé Joh Shén Acupressure.

He provides Continued Education Workshops for Counsellors and Hypnotherapists: see Specialized Learning We Offer.

Dr. Brick is also on the Board of Directors of several non-profit Associations, is a member of the Hospice Society and wrote a Biweekly Newspaper Column: "The CrossRoads Of Life" for many years in Vancouver and Port Alberni. For 5 years he was a guest speaker on CJAY Radio: "The positive Side", a monthly broadcast exploring the issues of life.

Credentials:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Urban Psychology) from York University, Toronto, Ontario
  • Master of Divinity from Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Doctor of Ministry with High Distinction Honours (Pastoral Psychology) from Trinity Theological Seminary, Newburg, Indiana
  • Two-Year Post-Graduate Certificate in Family and Marriage Counselling from The Counselling Group, Burnaby, British Columbia
  • Qualifying Examination Award for Professional Counselling Practice from the Counsellors Training Institute of Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • One-Year Post-Graduate Certificate in Cross-Cultural Counselling/Ministry from McMaster Divinity School, Hamilton, Ontario
  • Master/Teacher Level Certification in Usui Reiki - Healing Touch from Queenswood Institute, Victoria, British Columbia
  • Post-Doctorate Masters in Clinical Hypnotherapy, British Columbia.
  • Master/Instructor Certification in the Chinese Healing Art of G-Jo®Acupressure from the G-Jo® Institute in Columbia, NC
  • Mastery Coach Certification, School of Coaching Mastery, St.Louis, Missouri
  • Certificate in Kruger Omni Healing Technique, from Dr. Joshua J. Kruger, Victoria, British Columbia
  • Practitioners Certificate in Neuro Lingistic Programming, from American University of NLP
  • He is also an Ordained Minister By the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, and the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. (Retired)
Dr. Brick is a:
  • Registered Counsellor (ACA, IAMFC)
  • Registered Clinical Counselling-Hypnotherapist (ARCH)
  • Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist (ARCH)
  • Certified Counselling-Hypnotherapist (IMDHA Speciality)
  • Certified Hypnotherapist (IMDHA, IACT)
  • Certified Hypnoanaesthesia & Pain Management Therapist (ARCH, IMDHA)
  • Certified Parts Mediation Therapist (ARCH, IMDHA)
  • Certified Time-Line Protocol Therapist (ARCH)
  • Certified Neuro Lingistic Programming Practitioner (AUNLP)
  • Certified Instructor in Clinical Hypnosis (ARCH)
  • Certified Instructor (IMDHA, IACT)
  • Certified Mastery Coach (SCM)
  • Member of the International Alliance of Professional Hypnotists (IAPH)
  • Member of the International Association of Coaches (IAC)
  • Certified G-Jo® Acupressurist
Dr. Brick was also a training facilitator with the CrossRoads Training Institute between 1999 and 2011:
  • Certified as an Instructor in Clinical Counselling-Hypnotherapy, Hypnoanaesthesia, Pain Management and Parts Mediation. Registered and endorsed by the Association of Registered Clinical Hypnotherapists also International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association & International Association of Counselors & Therapists
  • Certified G-Jo® Acupressure Instructor by the G-Jo® Institute of Acupressure
  • Certified Independent Reiki Master/Teacher by Queenswood
Dr. Brick was also a training facilitator with Discovery College:
  • Teaching in their Community Support Worker Programme

Mona E. Saunderson, RPC, RCCH, RCH, CC-Ht, CHt, CHtA, CPT, CI.

Mona has extensive experience providing counselling psychotherapy for individuals of all ages. Her training and work in the church and private practice with the CrossRoads Counselling Group provide her with skills in counselling clients dealing with grief and loss, depression, relationships, communication, stress and "burnout". She works with an integrated structure of several modalities including: Cognitive/Behavioural Therapy and Clinical Medical/Behavioural Hypnosis to facilitate clients in unresolved issues, pain management, relaxation training and stress management. Her area of specialty is "Smoking Cessation". She uses a variety of techniques including hypnosis and bio-energy therapies (Reiki) to help clients achieve their goals.

Mona is also on the Board of Directors of several non-profit Associations and is an active member of the Hospice Society.

Credentials:

  • Two-Year Certificate in Family and Marriage Counselling from The Counselling Group, Burnaby, British Columbia
  • Qualifying Examination Award for Professional Counselling Practice from the Counsellors Training Institute of Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Certificate in Cross-Cultural Counselling/Ministry from McMaster Divinity School, Hamilton, Ontario
  • Certificate in Cross-Cultural Counselling from VSB, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Master/Teacher Level Certification in Usui Reiki - Healing Touch from Queenswood Institute, Victoria, British Columbia
  • Certificate Kruger Omni Healing Technique, from Dr. Joshua J. Kruger, Victoria, British Columbia
  • Advanced Two Year Diploma in Clinical Counselling-Hypnotherapy, CRTI Vancouver, British Columbia
Mona is a:
  • Registered Professional Counsellor in British Columbia
  • Registered Clinical Counselling-Hypnotherapist (ARCH)
  • Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist (ARCH)
  • Certified Counselling-Hypnotherapist (IMDHA Speciality)
  • Certified Hypnotherapist (IMDHA)
  • Certified Hypnoanaesthesia & Pain Management Therapist (ARCH, IMDHA)
  • Certified Parts Mediation Therapist (ARCH, IMDHA)
  • Certified Time-Line Protocol Therapist (ARCH)
  • Certified Instructor in Clinical Hypnosis (ARCH)
  • Certified Instructor (IMDHA)

Mona was also a training facilitator with the CrossRoads Training Institute between 1999 and 2011:

  • Certified as an Instructor in Clinical Counselling-Hypnotherapy, Hypnoanaesthesia, Pain Management and Parts Mediation. Registered and endorsed by the Association of Registered Clinical Hypnotherapists & International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association
  • Certified Independent Reiki Master/Teacher by Queenswood

Why don't you work for insurance/EFAP/EAP programmes so I can get free therapy?

Our answer to this question is somewhat complicated. First, let me say, we are not opposed to insurance/EFAP/EAP programmes (per se) - in fact we are approved by several and they do have there place (sort of). What we wish is everyone had "adequate" medical coverage with appropriate mental health benefits which would cover the cost of mental health care. Not taking insurance/EFAP/EAP clients means that we limit our practice to those who can afford to pay on their own, and we are very ambivalent about this. Never-the less, there are three issues that have led us to make this decision.

  1. Most insurance/EFAP/EAP plans are "managed care" programmes. There is a reason a lot of people call it "mangled care." We object strongly to a "case supervisor" in Toronto or Montreal or Philippines or India telling us how to support a client he or she has never and will never meet. Which includes the number of times we can see a client and the specific protocols we can use. Simply put, the client is not our client but the Programmes (Agency's) Client. It is our experience, many decisions made by these programmes are not based on client needs, but rather keeping costs down (after all the less the Agency spends the more they make).

  2. Insurance records and EFAP/EAP records are NOT confidential. Even when only basic information (like your diagnosis and the number of sessions you attended) is reported, it can be damaging. Most of these programmes require extensive reporting be sent to the Agency. When you apply for life insurance, a government position, or health insurance, or executive positions, or are consider for any advancement - a "DSM" diagnosis (mental health) can be enough for you not to be considered. In addition, these confidential case records (mandatory in managed care programmes) do occasionally find their way into the wrong hands, and there is little or nothing you can do about it if that happens to you.

  3. Certain mental health diagnoses are especially potentially harmful to clients. The more "serious" or "unusual" diagnoses, like eating disorders, sexuality concerns or disorders, drug or alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders (like "borderline" or "narcissistic"), depressive disorders and anxiety disorders can cause great personal damage if they are known, even if they were years in your past.

The people who come to see us are usually very concerned about their privacy and confidentiality. They are typically working on highly personal, often painful and difficult issues. They need to trust that what they say in session will remain in session. They want a know that nobody outside our therapy space will know their personal information. By not being involved with insurance/EFAP/EAP, we can provide that guarantee. In most cases, we never write down a formal diagnosis.

© CrossRoads Counselling Group™ 1989-2010