Clinical Consulting
with Ross Laird
On the water in the Broughton Archipelago, developing mental health activities with the team at Farewell Harbour Lodge. Photo credit Tim McGrady.
I provide clinical consulting and clinical supervision for a wide range of organizations working in mental health, addictions, and trauma. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the Clinical Supervisor for BC’s largest licensed program focused on psychological trauma, addictions, homelessness, and related challenges. I was the keynote speaker at the 2019 AGM of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I have worked with hundreds of organizations and thousands of clients over more than 30 years of professional practice.
I focus particularly on the interconnectedness of childhood trauma, youth vulnerability, and adult mental illness and addictions. The common thread in much of my work is trauma, an area of practice in which I have done extensive research and practice. I was the only speaker from western Canada invited to present at Health Canada’s Inaugural Federal Conference on PTSD, in 2019.
Additionally I provide consulting in educational innovation and development at many of BC’s educational institutions — public and private, secondary and post-secondary — and I am a well-known speaker at events focused on student development and well-being. I am the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Georgian Award, from St. George’s School, for my long-term contribution to, and advocacy for, mental health and wellness for youth in British Columbia. I am a recipient of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors Communications Award, for my work in mental health education for the general public. And I am a recipient of the Union Institute’s Sussman Award, for the impact of my scholarship on the wider community.
As a clinician, I have worked extensively with vulnerable populations: Indigenous groups (many in BC, including Canada’s largest First Nations community), homeless communities, refugees, vulnerable youth, gang-entrenched youth, international students and families, survivors of terrorism and war, and many others. I am a core member of BC’s new First Responder mental health training program and co-developer of a new psychotherapeutic model for working with trauma and loss.
I am the author or co-author of five books focused on mental health and a finalist for the Governor General’s Award (Canada's highest literary award) for my book on cultivating wellness through creativity. My most recent writing on mental health promotion and facilitation in the post-secondary environment will be published in 2020.