Biography
Biography
Paul Peel is a Registered Psychologist practicing Clinical Psychology in BC since 1980 (CPBC Registration #644, & CAMFT#2017847). Paul successfully integrates mindfulness meditation practice into his psychotherapy with clients and consulting work with professionals.
From the beginning of his career, Paul studied and practiced with the leading pathfinders and founders of family therapy, group psychotherapy, couples’ & individual therapy, and organizational development. Some of his early teachers and inspirations include Virginia Satir, John Wallen, Nancy Rogers (Carl Rogers daughter), Esalen’s Michael Murphy (Fritz Perls sponsor), David Burns, Allan Marlatt, Stanley Krippner, Dennis Jaffe, Marvin Weisbord, and other NTL Trainers. In more recent years, Paul has continued to study and be influenced by Francine Shapiro, John Gottman, Les Greenberg, Sue Johnson, Stephen C. Hayes, Jeffery Young, and Christine Padesky.
After being profoundly impacted by both Satir and Wallen, in 1973, Paul travelled to India where he studied / experienced a variety of approaches to meditation. He returned four more times and, in 1976, he co-developed a month-long program that integrated meditation and counselling. This program morphed into Canada’s first university credit course, the Psychology of Meditation and Consciousness.
In the late 1980’s Paul co-developed Experiential Systemic Therapy with UBC Faculty. He proceeded to design the curriculum to train and enlist psychotherapists throughout BC to research the efficacy of marital therapy with couples where alcohol abuse was present. This project mushroomed into many theses and dissertations done by students at UBC.
Paul began his training in EMDR with Dr Francine Shapiro in 1993 and is now an EMDRIA Approved Therapist and Consultant. He has pioneered the Teleclass with the first approved EMDRIA program (i.e., Mindfulness and EMDR). This method has allowed him to offer his programs to people from around the world.
In 1996, Paul took the first course Dr John Gottman offered to professionals on his evolving Couples Therapy, i.e. Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Paul became a Certified Gottman Therapist in 2006, bridging his previous training and experience with the latest research on relationship dynamics. He now has an established relationship with the Gottman Institute as a Level I Trainer working toward becoming a Gottman Method Consultant.
Paul lives with his wife in Vancouver, BC and has two adult children who live in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.