Danielle Vriend Fluit, PhD, RMFT

Assistant Professor, Marriage & Family Therapy

Danielle joined the faculty team in Fall 2020. Before coming to TWU, she taught and supervised students in the Couple & Family Therapy program at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. She is a Registered Psychotherapist, an RMFT, and an Approved Supervisor with CACFT. Danielle is an almunus of the Marriage and Family Therapy program, has been in clinical practice for 17 years, maintains a small private practice, and works systemically from an EFT, IFS, somatic and trauma-informed approach.

  • PhD in Psychotherapy & Spirituality (University of Ottawa)
  • Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy (TWU / ACTS Seminaries)
  • Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (York University)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & English (Dordt University)
  • Clinical Supervision Course, CAMFT (University of Guelph)
  • EMDR Training, Level 1, EMDRIA (Vancouver)
  • EFT Training, Externship, Core Skills & Supervision (Vancouver)
  • EFFT Training, Level 1 & 2 (Ottawa)

Expertise

Therapeutic Hope, Attachment Theory, EFT / EFFT Approaches, Faith &Spirituality & Psychotherapy

PUBLICATIONS

  • Glanville, M. & Vriend Fluit, D. (2023). Pastors Who Risk Real Friendships. Faith Today, May 12.
  • Vriend Fluit, D. (2022). Being Where Our Bodies Are: Why Every Christian Liberal Arts University Needs an Embodiment Class. Christian Scholars Review, Nov 4.
  • Kam, C. & Vriend Fluit, D. (2021). Combining the enneagram and narrative therapy for adult ego development. Current Psychology, 40(2).
  • Vriend Fluit, D. & Gall, T. (2020). “The Flow of Hope: Couples’ Perspectives on Building Hope in Therapy.” Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
  • Vriend Fluit, D. (2015). “Satir transformational model of therapy and the integration of spirituality.” Journal of Counselling and Spirituality, 34 (1).
  • Vriend Fluit, D. (2013). “Soft eyes: The importance of minding our clients’ spirituality. Insights into Clinical Counselling, BCACC, 18(4)

BOOK REVIEWS

  • Vriend Fluit, D. (2025). Book Review: How to Stay Married. Reformed Journal, Jan 23.
  • Vriend Fluit, D. (2022). Book Review: The Sacred Pulse: How Overwhelmed Souls Can Tap into Holy Rhythms. Reformed Journal, Feb 24.

WORKSHOPS

  • "Best Practices for Teaching Family Therapy in Embodied and Experiential Ways" Workshop (2025). International Family Therapy Assocation Congress, Aberdeen, Scotland.
  • "Hope in Therapy as a Relational, Systemic Gift" Workshop (2024). Research Conference BCACC, CCPA & CACFT, Vancouver.
  • "Working with Shame and Trauma in Therapy" Workshop (2024). Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, Ottawa.
  • “Looking In to Look Out: The Necessity of Knowing our Inner Worlds” Plenary (2023), Regent College, Vancouver
  • “Bonds for Life: Attachment in Theory and Practice,” Workshop (2019), Canadian Hearing Society Counselling Services, Toronto 
  • “Family Therapy and Beyond: Building the Family’s Capacity to Change,” Workshop (2018), Saint Paul University, Ottawa 
  • “Therapist Capacity: Holding Hope and Despair, ” Workshop (2017), Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) Member Seminar, Ottawa 
  • “Hope & Despair: Two Sides of the Same Coin,” Workshop (2017), Society of Pastoral Counselling Research Conference, Waterloo 
  • “Holding Therapeutic Hope,” Workshop (2016), Satir Transformational Model International Conference, Vancouver
  • “Satir Model of Change and Spirituality,” Workshop (2014), Spirituality & Psychotherapy Conference, Ottawa

Affiliations & Memberships

  • Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario (RP)
  • Registered Marriage & Family Therapist (RMFT)
  • Approved Supervisor (CACFT)
  • International Centre for Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEFT)

  • MFT 532 Theories in Counselling
  • MFT 557 Research and Evidenced-Based Practices in MFT
  • MFT 660 Marriage & Family Therapy I
  • MFT 664 Ethics and Professional Issues
  • MFT 677 Trauma Informed Therapy