Marcus Chan

Bio

Hi there! I’m Marcus, nice to meet you! As a gay second-generation Chinese settler, my commitment to this work emerged from seeing how spiritual and cultural expectations can collide with queerness, and systems of power shape our sense of self.

I am passionate about walking alongside individuals, including those from BIPOC and queer communities as they navigate identity, belonging, spiritual and religious complexity, stress, anxiety, grief, reconnecting with joy and life transitions. I am passionate about walking alongside individuals as they make sense of the self-knowledge they already have and I believe that your voice and lived experience lead the way to healing. My goal is to co-create a space for you to connect with your inner wisdom and move towards what feels authentic to you.

In my counselling and background of youth work, I’ve provided support to BIPOC peoples and youth seeking a place to feel understood and unburden, individuals seeking support with systemic and childhood trauma, and offered care to queer and neurodiverse folks seeking a place to be authentically themselves. Moreover, through my background of advocacy work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside community educating and dispelling stigma around poverty, addiction, and housing insecurity, I’ve come to see how belonging and connection are central to healing, and how a person's path is influenced by the broader systems and environments one lives in.

My therapeutic approach is not only trauma-informed and anti-oppressive, but also warm, and playful - welcoming humour into the space while working alongside you to build a space that can also hold the depth of healing that arises. I work from a firmly grounded Person-Centered approach while drawing from IFS parts work, Somatic Awareness, and Narrative Therapy. As a Brainspotting practitioner, we can also utilize Brainspotting to gently and rapidly process difficult emotions that you may feel you have been carrying for a long time as we anchor toward your therapeutic goals.

You can expect each session to be collaborative: we begin by checking in, decide together what feels most important to explore, and close with grounding or somatic practices so you leave feeling supported and resourced.

Outside of counselling, I love playing video games with friends, learning my favourite songs on electric bass, going to the gym, and spamming people with funny memes.

Image Description: Marcus is centered in the photo smiling with his teeth. He is outdoors, standing in front of an ocean sunset. He has short, dark hair and is wearing a black shirt and beaded necklace.

Marcus Chan

(he/him/his)
Student Counsellor

Virtual Sessions

Marcus is not currently accepting new clients, waitlist available!

Please email us at connect@collective-healing.ca to connect with Marcus for counselling services. For existing clients, self-book here.