Bree Stutt, MC, RCC

Registered Clinical Counsellor | Parksville & Virtual

Understanding how our thoughts, emotions, physical experiences, and behaviours work together can be empowering. With the right support and practical tools, meaningful change is possible.

About Bree

Hello, I’m Bree Stutt. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor who provides evidence-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. I have specialized training in treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), and tics and Tourette’s syndrome.

CBT is the foundation of my clinical practice. Together, we explore the connections among your thoughts, feelings, physical experiences, and actions, identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and develop practical strategies for creating change. Treatment is collaborative and may include structured skill-building, behavioural interventions, gradual exposure, and manageable practice between sessions.

Although CBT provides a clear treatment framework, therapy should not feel rigid or impersonal. I adapt the language, pace, activities, and between-session practice to each client’s age, strengths, needs, and preferred ways of learning. My goal is to make evidence-based treatment understandable, achievable, and relevant to your everyday life.

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent 18 years as an elementary school teacher and also coached youth soccer and basketball. This experience continues to shape my ability to connect with young people, explain complex ideas in accessible ways, and collaborate effectively with parents and caregivers. I work with clients of all ages and particularly enjoy helping children and youth develop skills they can carry with them as they grow.

OCD Treatment

I provide evidence-based treatment for OCD using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (I-CBT).

ERP helps clients gradually approach thoughts, situations, sensations, or uncertainties that trigger anxiety while learning to resist or reduce compulsive responses. Exposure work is planned collaboratively and progresses at a manageable pace. The goal is not to force you through overwhelming distress, but to help you become less controlled by OCD and more able to participate in the life you want.

I-CBT approaches OCD from a different perspective by helping clients recognize when obsessional doubt is being driven by imagined possibilities rather than information available in the present moment. We work on strengthening trust in your senses and reasoning so that you can respond to situations with greater confidence.

Treatment is individualized, and we will work together to determine which strategies are most appropriate for your symptoms, needs, and goals. My training also includes ACT for OCD and adapting I-CBT for autistic and ADHD clients.

BFRB Treatment

I support clients experiencing Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours, including compulsive skin picking and hair pulling. These behaviours are not simply “bad habits,” and overcoming them usually requires more than willpower.

My work draws from Habit Reversal Training (HRT) to help clients increase awareness of when and why a behaviour occurs, recognize patterns and triggers, and develop alternative responses. We may also consider sensory needs, emotions, thoughts, environments, routines, and other factors that influence the behaviour.

Treatment emphasizes curiosity and self-compassion. Shame and self-criticism can intensify BFRBs, so our goal is to understand the behaviour without judgment and develop practical strategies that fit your individual needs.

Tics and Tourette’s Syndrome

I provide Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing tics or Tourette’s syndrome.

CBIT helps clients increase awareness of their tics and the sensations or urges that may come before them. Clients then learn competing responses and explore environmental or situational factors that may make tics more difficult to manage.

Treatment does not suggest that tics are the client’s fault or that every tic must be suppressed. Instead, we focus on increasing understanding, choice, and confidence while reducing the impact that disruptive or distressing tics may have on daily life. When working with younger clients, parents and caregivers may be included so they can support practice without increasing pressure or shame.

CBT With Children, Youth, and Neurodivergent Clients

Children and teenagers often benefit from CBT that is active, concrete, and connected to situations they encounter in everyday life. Depending on the client’s age and interests, sessions may include visual tools, activities, examples, tracking sheets, games, movement, and collaborative practice.

I also have experience working with autistic and ADHD children and adults. I adapt treatment to recognize differences in communication, executive functioning, sensory processing, attention, emotional regulation, and learning. The purpose is not to make a neurodivergent person appear more neurotypical, but to help them better understand themselves and develop strategies that support their own goals and quality of life.

When appropriate, I collaborate with parents and caregivers to help them understand the treatment approach, respond supportively, and reinforce helpful skills outside of counselling.

Areas of CBT Focus

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Exposure and Response Prevention
Inference-Based CBT for OCD
Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours
Compulsive skin picking and hair pulling
Habit Reversal Training
Tics and Tourette’s syndrome
Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics
Anxiety, panic, and phobias
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Depression
Children and youth
Autism and ADHD
Neurodivergent-affirming CBT
Stress management
Life transitions
Athletes and performance-related concerns

CBT-Related Approaches and Training

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Exposure and Response Prevention
Inference-Based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Habit Reversal Training
Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for OCD
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT for anxiety and depression
Trauma-informed somatic approaches for autistic and ADHD clients
Ongoing OCD and ERP consultation
Consultation in counselling elite athletes and performers
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions

Education and Professional Credentials

Master of Counselling
Registered Clinical Counsellor, BCACC #19810
Former elementary school teacher with 18 years of experience
Youth soccer and basketball coaching experience
Approved Autism Funding Unit service provider

Age ranges: Children, adolescents, and adults
Session types: Individual counselling, with parent and caregiver involvement when appropriate
Locations: Parksville and virtual counselling throughout BC
Fees: $150–$165 per session