Flavia Braunstein Markman

For close to three decades as a psychoanalytic psychologist Flavia has contributed to the field of mental health in many ways, both in Canada and her native country of Brazil. Throughout her career, she has provided a wide range of direct and coordinating services to mental health centres, hospitals, universities, and within her private practice. She has worked with individuals, couples, families, and groups from endless ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Along with counselling, Flavia has participated in various projects as a presenter, trainer, and educator in both countries. Flavia is proud of where she comes from and what she has achieved over the years, both professionally and personally. She is dedicated to learning and applying her knowledge so that she may help others achieve their goals. 

Flavia is inspired by simple, authentic people who are humble despite their knowledge and experience. She believes that Sigmund Freud was a person ahead of his time who exposed himself to prove what he believed in. He worked through his own issues to better understand the individuals that he helped; like Freud, Flavia believes that mental health professionals must understand themselves before they can understand their clients. She feels that creating a strong therapeutic relationship sets the foundation to learn about oneself and empowers the client to learn how to oversee their lives and to better cope with whatever challenges they may be facing. Flavia is motivated through the teaching that she provides and feels that it is important to learn how to listen, but also how to be heard. She feels that both student and teacher learn from each other due to the blending of culture, personal experience, and the connection that is created through the sharing of knowledge. 

In her free time Flavia loves being with her family and friends. She also loves to dance and to be in nature.