Deborah Deeter, Ph.D.

Sunoka Counselling & Consulting Services
2505 32nd Avenue,
Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Phone: 250-549-1633
Email: deb@sunoka.ca

Deborah is a registered psychologist in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. She has an active private practice based in Vernon.  She is an experienced relational therapist and workshop facilitator, nationally and internationally. Deborah taught as an adjunct professor with Loma Linda University, and as professional faculty with MacEwan University, Alberta. She has held senior level positions in provincial government programs and NGO’s. Over her career she has been an Executive Director of a counselling centre, Clinical Supervisor with a provincial government substance use program, and Grief Care Manager for a Provincial Regional Palliative Consult Care Team.  

She is a past board member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), past president of the Canadian Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT), and past president Alberta Division of AAMFT. 

As a clinician, Deborah became acutely aware of missing information from the relational perspective in grief and bereavement. She built on this area by completing a Ph.D. with the Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences at VRIJE Universiteit -Taos Institute Program, Brussels,Belgium. Her doctoral research explored grief experiences from the relational orientation of siblings over the age of 60 years. The outcome of the research confirmed that mature sibling relationships are primary connections that tend to be under acknowledged. The involvement of bereaved siblings opened the dominantly accepted concept of grief as an individualized experience to recognition of the inherent relational orientation of grief. Grief is a title for a lifetime of experience.  Deborah has a BA in Sociology from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta and a MSc in Marital and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University. She is a strong believer in creating opportunities for curious conversations and exploring infinite possibilities. 

Deborah Deeter, Ph.D. Files & Links