About ME
Personal Life
My name is Claire McMillan (she/her) and I live on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia with my partner. I grew up in Alberta on Treaty 7 Territory, but have lived in BC for the past few 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 sewing and gardening (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, so I incorporate modalities that focus on thought processes, as well as what's stored in your body. I draw from emotion-focused therapy (EFT) and attachment theories, internal family systems (IFS) and parts work, dialectical and cognitive behavioural therapies (DBT & CBT), and mindfulness and somatic approaches. My specialties are ADHD, anxiety, complex trauma, and attachment and relational patterns.
I always strive to be trauma-informed and work from an anti-oppressive lens. I acknowledge my own privileges and deeply value inclusivity and being a lifelong learner.
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 roughly ten years, and specifically as a therapist for the past three 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 with barriers to accessing clinic services, and a concurrent therapist for adults with mental health and substance use struggles.
I started in the private therapy world with Kindred Roots Therapy (a practice in Alberta that redefines the traditional therapy experience), and I am forever grateful to them for allowing me to see a new balance of being a therapist and a human.
My lived and familial experiences with mental health 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 part-time 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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-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 Trainings etc.)