About Alec
I’m Alec Purnell, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the founder of Flowstead Counselling. I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, life transitions, and the pressures that can come with sport and high-performance environments.
Alongside my work as a counsellor, I’m an elite runner who has represented Team Canada on the international stage and won national championships. That experience has given me a firsthand understanding of performance pressure, identity, setbacks, motivation, and the challenge of balancing ambitious goals with life outside of sport. It also informs my particular interest in supporting athletes and high performers, while recognizing that every person’s experience is different.
I believe therapy works best when it feels collaborative, practical, and genuinely connected to your life. My role is to help you better understand the patterns keeping you stuck, experiment with new ways of responding, and move toward changes that matter to you. My approach is grounded primarily in cognitive behavioural therapy, while drawing from acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy when they fit your needs and goals.
Training and Experience
Education and Registration
Registered Clinical Counsellor
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
Master of Science in Psychotherapy
McMaster University
Bachelor of Applied Science, Honours
Adult Development with a minor in Psychology
University of Guelph
Clinical Training
My graduate training and clinical placement with Ontario Structured Psychotherapy West focused on evidence-based treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD.
My work draws primarily from cognitive behavioural therapy, including behavioural activation, exposure and response prevention, and cognitive processing therapy. I also incorporate principles from acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy when helpful.
Why I Do This
Personal experiences showed me early in life how deeply mental health challenges can affect individuals and families. They also showed me how important it is to have support that feels human, respectful, and grounded in genuine connection. That understanding ultimately shaped my decision to become a therapist.
I created Flowstead to offer a space where people can speak openly, better understand what they’re going through, and work toward meaningful change at a manageable pace. Whether someone is struggling privately, navigating a major transition, or carrying the expectations of high performance, I want therapy to feel useful, collaborative, and free of judgment.