A Message From Dr. Brooke Seal
Registered Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology
Access to timely and trusted psychological support can be challenging; I have seen this firsthand – not only through my work as a psychologist, but also through conversations and experiences with students, colleagues, and people close to me. Many individuals need help, but may not know where to turn, or they find themselves waiting to connect with someone well-qualified. Recognizing these gaps in access and the differences that even brief, informed support can make, I was motivated to create an on-call psychological consultation service.
As a university professor teaching clinical psychology courses since 2009, I’ve had countless students tell me how useful and empowering it is to learn about mental health, symptoms, and treatment approaches in a structured, evidence-based way. Clinically, I’ve seen how even a single session can provide clarity, direction, and significant relief. This is supported by research showing that short-term psychological support, when provided promptly, can lead to better outcomes and reduce the risk of worsening symptoms.
But for me, this work is also deeply personal.
While I was completing my graduate training in clinical psychology, my younger brother. Brent Seal, experienced his first episode of psychosis. What followed were years of challenges – and ultimately recovery – through the combined efforts of a dedicated mental health team, medication, and strong family and community support. The quick help that Brent received when he was first going through symptoms made a significant difference. Even after multiple episodes and a suicide attempt, Brent was able to move forward with his life. He returned to school and graduated as valedictorian from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University. He went on to start a mental health club at SFU, a hiking club, and his own business, and he became a sought-after public speaker on mental health – presenting across Canada and the U.S. including at Rogers Arena with the Vancouver Canucks as part of their annual mental health awareness initiative.
Brent also found healing in the mountains. Walking outdoors, climbing, and eventually summiting some of the world’s highest peaks became a source of strength and purpose. Tragically, Brent passed away from a sudden cardiac event at the age of 37 while attempting to summit Manaslu, one of the world’s highest peaks. He was in excellent health and doing well at the time of his climb, and the loss was a profound shock to those who knew him.
Brent’s resilience, compassion, deep desire to inspire others, and his love for life helped shape the values behind Seal Psych Consult. He often shared that one of the most powerful messages during his own struggle was simply knowing that he was supported, that hope exists, and that recovery is possible.
Seal Psych Consult was created in that same spirit – to offer people timely, high-quality psychological care – not as a replacement for long-term therapy, but as a first step – providing a way to get started, to feel heard and supported, to make a plan, to receive trusted guidance, to clarify options and next steps, and to encourage hope.
My approach is informed by over 25 years of experience in the mental health field, including academic and clinical work at UBC (undergraduate training 1998-2002), the University of Texas at Austin (MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology 2003-2009), Vancouver Coastal Health (Clinical Psychology Residency 2009), the DBT Centre of Vancouver (Post-Doctoral Program 2009-2010), SFU (research and teaching 2002-2003 and 2009-2014), UFV (research and teaching 2010-present), and the Wise Mind Centre of Vancouver (present).
If you or someone you care about is seeking support, I hope that Seal Psych Consult can provide clarity, direction and hope – right when it’s needed.
Warm Regards, Dr. Brooke Seal, R.Psych (#2564)
Dr. Seal’s Educational and Work Background:
Dr. Seal received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia (2002), and her MA (2005) and PhD (2009) in clinical psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. The UT Austin Clinical Psychology Graduate Program ranked #10 in the 2020 US News and World Report, placing it in the top 4% of clinical programs in the United States. Dr. Seal completed her clinical residency through Vancouver Coastal Health in 2009 and a post-doctoral program with the DBT Centre of Vancouver in 2010. Her education focused on psychological assessment, individual and group therapy for a range of difficulties, research, and teaching and mentoring.
Dr. Seal has provided assessment and treatment in a range of clinical settings throughout Vancouver (the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at UBC Hospital, Emergency Psychiatric Services at Vancouver General Hospital, the Concurrent Disorders Unit at UBC Hospital, the BC Centre for Sexual Medicine at VGH, the Eating Disorders Program at Saint Paul’s Hospital, and the DBT Centre of Vancouver) and Texas (Psychology Department Training Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, the Counselling Center at Texas State University, the Seton Medical Center in Austin, the Austin Behavioral Clinic, the Austin Center for Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and juvenile detention centers).
She has experience with a wide range of difficulties including panic attacks, social anxiety, phobias, generalized anxiety, OCD, depression/low mood, psychosis including schizophrenia, trauma, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, problematic alcohol use, ADHD, ASD, school stress and burnout, workplace difficulties, interpersonal difficulties, emotional dysregulation, life transitions, history of self harm and suicidal ideation, and grief and loss.
In addition to clinical work, Dr. Seal has taught assessment skills to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin, sexual health training skills to medical students at UBC, and several undergraduate courses at SFU (2009-2013) and UFV (2010-present).
She is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley where she very much enjoys teaching a range of undergraduate courses (Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychological Interventions, History of Psychology). She has also been involved in research at UBC, SFU, UT Austin, and UFV. She has received several scholarships and awards, presented her research at conferences worldwide, and published several research articles.