Ruth Bergen Braun knows what it’s like to be scared of the future, afraid to be single, and confused and uncertain about finances. But that was then, this is now.
Since those unsettling times, she has gone back to university as a mature student, completed two degrees, and established a career as a counsellor, with one of her specialities being grief and loss. She has a particular heart for those who have recently experienced the loss of a spouse and are facing an uncertain future.
Her professional credentials are M. Ed., C.C.C. meaning she has a Masters of Education (Counselling Psychology) and is a Certified Canadian Counsellor. Her professional association, the umbrella under which she practices is the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She works as a private practitioner out of the Core Elements Counselling office in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and is always open to new clients. (See www.ruthbergenbraun.com).
Ruth claims the titles Mom, Mother-in-law, and Grandma Ruth — and delights in all three. Her three adult children, their spouses, and her four grand kids add LIFE to life. Time with family is always time well spent! Little love notes from her granddaughters, originally hidden around her house, are now framed and treasured.
Her other passions, aside from her family, are photography and quilt making, having spent many years as a quilter and quilting instructor. Often during her educational journey she was asked how teaching quilting and working in a fabric shop segued into a counselling career and her answer was that years of conversations with women were invaluable for a counsellor-to-be. For the past number of years, however, quilt making has taken a back seat to photography — which she often describes as her first love. Ruth has co-written an online photography course, Take a Break: Photography for Self-care and she contributes to a photography blog, writing on the intersection of photography and psychology.
Ruth’s education is not limited to the university classroom. She is also a graduate of the school of life — the training ground for keeping it real!