Vaughn was raised in Alberta, Canada where he finished his undergraduate studies in psychology. He finished his M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and went on to complete his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy, both at Brigham Young University. His strongest therapeutic interests were following the ideas of Carl Jung around shadow work, active imagination, and dream work. He also continues to utilize object relations theory concerning family dynamics. Vaughn taught statistics and published peer reviewed articles while completing his doctorate degree.

Vaughn began specializing in issues of trauma by working with women who were survivors of trauma. He then worked with the perpetrators of trauma. He moved on and began working with adolescent females in a residential treatment center in southern Utah. In 1998, with his associates, co-founded the Second Nature Wilderness Programs, which changed the industry of outdoor adolescent treatment. While owning and managing these programs, Vaughn continued to work with adolescent females around issues of trauma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, as well as self-image and eating issues.

When Vaughn left the Second Nature organization he was concerned about the phenomenon of adolescents and their families continuing to struggle with past issues, once the support of outdoor therapy programs and residential programs were removed. He continued to maintain a private practice, and while working with young adult females, he added young-adult males suffering from autism, to his specialty. From his concern of how students might move from treatment and adjust back into real-life settings, Vaughn founded The Arise Society as a vehicle through which the focus of treatment might shift from mental health issues to real-world issues, namely, college success.

Vaughn is the middle of six children. He suffered from severe ADHD issues as a child and as a teenager. He has three adult boys and one teen-age girl. He enjoys individual and team sports, as well as work and participation in many aspects of mindfulness.