Clare MacMillan

I am currently pursuing my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University and have several years of experience working within community mental health settings. Throughout my career, I have supported individuals facing challenges related to substance use, homelessness, depression, anxiety, burnout, stress, trauma, and systemic barriers. These experiences have strengthened my appreciation for the resilience and strength individuals demonstrate while navigating difficult life circumstances. My work has shaped a compassionate and client-centred approach that is rooted in empathy, respect, authenticity, and cultural sensitivity. I understand how trauma, chronic stress, and experiences of marginalization can significantly affect emotional and psychological well-being. Because of this, I am committed to creating a supportive, welcoming, and non-judgmental environment where clients feel safe to explore their experiences and work toward meaningful growth and healing. I take a holistic and strengths-based approach to counselling, recognizing that every person brings unique experiences, abilities, and inner resources to the therapeutic process. I believe in working collaboratively with clients, allowing them to guide their journey while supporting them in developing practical coping tools, building resilience, and fostering greater self-awareness. My goal is to help individuals enhance their emotional well-being, improve their quality of life, and create sustainable, positive change.

Some wounds don’t show on the surface but shape everything underneath. I support individuals exploring identity, relationships, and the lasting effects of painful or complex family dynamics. For many, this can include the impact of cultural or generational histories, immigration, or early experiences that continue to influence how we relate, cope, and make decisions today. As an international, transracial adoptee, I bring both lived experience and clinical grounding, offering space to slow down, reflect, and begin with compassion and collaboration. As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), I adopt a trauma-informed, client-centred approach. Together, we’ll identify patterns, challenge limiting beliefs with compassion, build emotional awareness, and develop a treatment plan that reflects your needs and lived experience.

As a counseling psychology graduate student and mental health professional, I provide human-centered approach to supporting individuals navigating trauma, addiction, career transitions, and life's challenging moments. With a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Yorkville University, a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Treatment from Georgian College, and dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and biology from Macalester College, my practice is grounded in both scientific understanding and compassionate care. I have worked across community mental health, career counseling, and peer support settings.

as a queer, feminist therapist, i support other careworkers and community organizers who want to feel resourced and held in their work. i specialize in the areas of grief work, including disenfranchised, complex grief and sudden and traumatic loss, chronic illness and disability, existential concerns and feelings of overwhelm. i'm trained in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), somatic attachment therapy, and clinical hypnosis. i also support clients with things like OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours, and fears and phobias. my work is experiential, embodied, and intuitive. what this means for therapy is that we’ll spend a lot of time together learning and practising new tools and skills that you can immediately apply in your daily life. my hope is for you to feelbetter resourced to handle the inevitable stress that comes with life under late-stage capitalism. and, as we work to clarify your values and unhook from systems of oppression, i hope you'll also discover a renewed sense of focus so you can get clear about how to best allocate your energy and time. i bring two decades of experience to my clinical work, primarily in the non-profit sector doing work in harm reduction, outreach, supportive housing and with people living with HIV. i currently work part time as a counsellor in hospice providing care to people in bereavement, as well as those at end of life and their caregivers.