About ME
Personal LifeMy name is Claire McMillan (she/her) and I live on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia with my partner and our dog Marmalade. I grew up in Alberta on Treaty 7 Territory, but have lived in BC for the past five years. I love travelling and getting to know new places and lifestyles. When I’m not at work, I like to be with friends and family, outside by the water, eating good food, watching reality tv shows, or browsing thrift stores. My creative outlets are clothes and interior design, and my current hobbies are dancing and sewing (my ADHD people know). People have described me as kind, non-judgemental, and perceptive.
About ME
Approach & Specialties
My therapy approach is relational, casual and collaborative. I believe feeling comfortable and connected is when therapy is most effective, and that every person requires something different.
I believe in a holistic approach to healing that addresses both cognitive processes and how trauma is stored in our nervous systems. I am an EMDR-trained and IFS-informed clinician, drawing from parts work, attachment theory, and somatic approaches. To support day-to-day regulation, I integrate practical skills from CBT & DBT. My specialties are ADHD, anxiety, complex trauma, and attachment and relational patterns.
About ME
Professional Background
I have both my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work, and I am a registered social worker in Alberta and British Columbia. I have been working in the field for over a decade, and specifically as a therapist for the past four years.
I have worked as a support worker for adults with disabilities, a hospital social worker on various inpatient/outpatient units, a housing and transition support worker for youth aging out of care, an outreach counsellor for youth on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and a concurrent therapist for adults with mental health and substance use struggles.
I started in the private therapy world in 2023, working for someone else’s practice (shoutout to Kindred Roots Therapy). Eventually, I started my own practice and that’s how Back Home Therapy was born.
My lived and familial experiences with mental health, substance use and accessing services have shaped me into who I am and why I do what I do. I feel deeply grateful to get to do what I love.
I currently work part-time in public healthcare and in private practice. Accessibility of mental health services, as well as my own autonomy and work-life balance are very important to me. My diverse professional experiences have given me many lenses to work from, and I hope that this flexibility in my practice can help to support you and your mental health goals.
My Credentials
BSW
I received my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) with a Minor in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies from the University of Calgary. I was the recipient of an Excellence in Field Education Award.
MSW
I completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver).
RSW
I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the British Columbia College of Social Workers and the Alberta College of Social Workers.
Trainings
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-EMDR Training: 5 Day Intensive (Parts 1 & 2), 2026
-IFS Therapy Immersion (in progress), 2025
-CBT for Anxiety and Depression, 2023
-DBT Foundation, 2023
-Neurodiversity and Anxiety, 2023
-Motivational Interviewing Foundations, 2023
-DBT Skills, 2023
-Spirit of Motivational Interviewing, 2022
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-Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk (RRSR), 2023
-Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), 2019
-Mental Health First Aid, 2019
-Behaviour Support and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, 2019
-Sexual Assault and Responding to Disclosures, 2019
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Various diversity and substance use trainings (LGBTQ2S+, Supporting Trans Folks Accessing Healthcare, Soul of Mental Health and Substance Use, Anti-Racism, Decolonization, Religious Trauma Trainings etc.)