Debbie Kuan

About Me

So, the whole wild ride started ages ago—back when I was working with this amazing kid, my third student on the spectrum. His family? Absolute legends, especially his mom. She was all-in on ABA and wouldn’t take no for an answer; next thing I knew, she basically adopted me into the school team as his personal aide. What a life-changing experience it was for both of us.

We don’t see each other, obviously, but the bond sticks. His mom reached out the other day—totally out of the blue—and honestly, it hit me right in the feels. It turns out that what I did actually mattered. That whole experience? Still kind of my North Star when I’m working with kids now. Funny how stuff sticks with you, huh?

As a Behavioural Consultant & Counsellor, I don’t just see people as walking diagnoses or checklists of problems—nah, there’s way more going on under the hood. We all have our own life stories, wounds, and familial/cultural baggage that is so much more expansive and complicated than a textbook definition can decipher. To be honest, it seems like everybody’s busy carrying around a suitcase of their lived experiences. When I work with you, I will work to think about you and your life-story as this complex mess of human strengths, experiences, and historyRespectfulness is always central.

I have education in trauma-informed, attachment-based, strength-based, anti-oppressive, and non-pathologizing models, which allows me to attune to each session based on the client’s developmental stage, while still encouraging genuine growth for individuals and families.

My career started out as I was working with my 3rd Autistic child whose family, especially the mother, introduced me to her home team. I was trained in Applied Behavioural Analysis. She fought hard to get the elementary school principal to hire me as an aid so I could work/support this child daily. Over the years, the child became an adult (28) and now lives in a different country. There is still some connection between us. The adult child kept mentioning my name, which prompted the mother to reconnect with me. I am touched.

As a person-centered therapist, I see an individual’s life as a collection of life experiences and traumas that extend through generations, culturally, physically/biologically, and psychologically/emotionally.

I was awarded a Masters in Special Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Psychology. I have been working as a Behavioral Consultant with children and families on the Autism spectrum (Registry of Autism Service Providers). I expanded my areas of knowledge into relationship-based therapies like Play and Sand Play Therapy. I received my second Masters in Counseling Psychology while maintaining my values concerning individuals, families, and cultures.

I have been using person-centered, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, attachment-based, strength-based, anti-oppressive, and non-pathological approaches that allow me to individualize the therapy sessions and maximize the client’s personal and family development.

Professional Background

Titles & Affiliations to Roles

Behavioural Consultant – Registry of Autism Service Providers
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) – Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association

Master of Arts (M.A.) - Counselling Psychology

Master of Education (M.Ed.) – Special Education
Postgraduate Certificate – Educational Psychology

Certifications & Training

Emotional Freedom Technique – Level 1 & 2 completion
Play Therapy Intern – Canadian Association for Play Therapy (completion of all required courses)
Sandplay Therapy Intern – Canadian Association for Sandplay Therapy (completion of all required courses)
Certified PEERS® Service Provider – UCLA PEERS® Clinic
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) – Beginner & Intermediate Levels

Through these training experiences, I have developed beyond behaviour-based approaches into creative and relationship-based approaches that allow for self-expression and connection. It’s all about helping people heal and actually *connect*, not just ticking boxes.

My Work

I’ve been fortunate to work with kids, families, and people on the autism spectrum. The real magic is when everybody is there—even parents, siblings, and friends.. You can’t just swoop in and “fix” stuff; real change? That’s a team sport.

Culture clashes, family drama, random adventures, heartbreaks from hell—whatever. It all counts. My job? I help my clients feel both seen and safe enough to present themselves honestly. I give the story room to breathe, and when it breathes, sometimes, the barriers to describing a struggle are removed in part or in whole. In the best cases, struggles just become fuel for growth.

Closing Reflection

It is wild to think this whole journey started because one family took a chance on me. Now? That one chance is basically woven into who I am. As a Behavioural Consultant and Certified Counsellor, I remain all about helping people and families put their feet down, face the hard things, and (hopefully) walk away a little stronger and a little more connected. That drives me forward. I try to always lead with some empathy, honor, and often a whole lot of stubborn honesty.

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What They Say About Us

We are really grateful for having Debbie and her associate as our behaviour consultant team. They provided not only help to our son, but also to the whole family. With parent training, we learned to see autism as a new opportunity. They helped us to accept autism so that we as parents transitioned to view and focus on the positive characteristics of our son.

We are so grateful to have you as our consultant in the past many years. Your knowledge and experience helped our family and our son to be on the right path when growing up.