Ronald Ma

There are many different reasons people might seek counselling. You may be looking for support for something specific or you might feel something’s just been off and want help figuring it out. In either case, it can often be difficult to articulate. Wherever you’re at in your process of personal growth or recovery, I’m here to join with you and help you on your journey. I see adults across a wide range of developmental life stages and have specialized training in working with young adults.

Background and Training
I am a Registered Psychologist (BC #2607) and am also credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. I am also a member of the British Columbia Psychological Association. I graduated with my B.Sc. from UBC before moving to New York for my M.S. in Mental Health Counseling at The University at Albany, SUNY, followed by my doctorate from Springfield College’s APA-accredited Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology program in Massachusetts. I completed my APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at San José State University and my postdoctoral residency at The University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining Richmond Counselling & Wellness, I worked at The University of Washington in Seattle as a licensed psychologist and supervisor of pre-doctoral psychology interns.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with a very diverse range of individuals across various life stages in university, community mental health, and residential settings. I have over 13 years of combined graduate and post-graduate clinical experience with many different presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, social and intimate relationship challenges, interpersonal trauma, family-related concerns, and identity exploration.

How I Work
I have an integrative practice that’s based on a strong client-centered foundation of compassionate care and non-judgment. Depending on the client’s needs and preferences, we may engage in a combination of solution-focused, behavioral work, as well as more open-ended, exploratory depth work. I work collaboratively with clients to help them move towards values-congruent behavioral changes in their lives. More broadly, I work from an anti-oppression framework that examines the external and systemic barriers clients may face, including those belonging to underrepresented and marginalized groups, in order to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed care. I am able to see clients residing anywhere in BC via telehealth.