Marcus Allan

Practicum Counsellor

Marcus Allan is accepting new clients.

Your Path, Together

Hello! My name is Marcus Allan (they/them) and I am a counsellor-in-training who wants to walk alongside you on your path to self-actualization. I bring an authentic, open-hearted approach to my practice that emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, identity and the manifestation of your highest self. I care about understanding your story from your perspective, and together I hope to draw from those stories the themes, values, and strengths that make you who you are. My greatest desire is to help you not only heal, but also thrive in whatever endeavors you set your mind to.

Acceptance, Meaning and Context

The main types of therapy I provide are existential, feminist, narrative, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). This means I work a lot with conversations around creating meaning in life and taking responsibility for the choices we make, while discovering the values that serve as our North Star when things get challenging. I highlight the impacts of socioeconomic, cultural, and systemic factors that influence mental unwellness, and explore how these factors appear in your own life and experiences. I also help people learn to accept and tolerate unavoidable negative experiences in life while committing to actions that embody their highest self. Overall my style is eclectic and adaptable to your needs and preferences.

Depression and Anxiety

I work with depression and anxiety from the perspective that both are perfectly reasonable responses to the world we live in. With that in mind, I work with people to help them feel empowered to handle the persistent stressors in their lives while protecting their mental health against the big events life throws our way. I also work with people struggling with social anxiety, performance anxiety, and both life- and job-related burnout.

Quality of Life

Life is about more than just survival. We also need to thrive. My goal in therapy is to not only help you manage negative experiences but also to enhance the good and improve your overall quality of life. That’s why we say counselling is for everyone and not just those currently experiencing significant distress or trauma.

Substance Management

Having had my own experience with addiction I understand the pervasive impacts it can have on individuals, families, and communities. I also understand the value of working with someone who knows what you are going through, and in this I combine education and experience into a holistic approach that treats the person as opposed to their addiction in isolation. My approach to addiction is focused on harm reduction, meaning that together we can explore your relationship with substances in a way that places you in charge of what your goals are and whether abstinence or moderation is the right choice for you.

LGBTQIA2s+ Issues & Non-Traditional Families/Relationships

I am pansexual and nonbinary, and I love talking about the complexity and nuances of both gender and sexual identity. I also understand the benefits of discussing these issues with other queer people, and I want to provide that space for you to explore who you are and what that means in your life. I am also a queer parent, and I am happy to discuss the unique issues that come with the intersections of parenthood and queerness.

Youth & Young Adult Care

I have four years of experience working with youth aged 14-24, and I find work with this demographic endlessly rewarding. If you are a youth seeking counselling, I want to meet you at your level and discuss things the way you want to discuss them. This means no talking down to you, no paternalism, and no telling you what your choices ought to be. Together, from a basis of nonjudgment and genuine curiosity, I hope to help you explore your emotional world, identity, and future ambitions.

Complex Trauma

Finally I work with those who have experienced significant trauma in their lives, particularly intergenerational trauma. Through our work together, I hope to help you understand how generational processes and experiences have shaped the troubles you are experiencing today, and how we can then help break this cycle for good.

Decolonizing Counselling

I strive to provide an anti-oppressive, decolonized standard of care for youth and adults alike. The unique intersections of our identities informs the way we experience the world around us, and only through exploring these intersections can we really understand the way they impact us and how we relate to our emotions. Because of this, I aim to create a counselling environment that is unique to each client and respects their experiences of discrimination, oppression, or the intergenerational effects of colonization.

I also acknowledge that some BIPOC clients may prefer to see a BIPOC counsellor but may not have the opportunity to do so due to a lack of availability, and I am more than willing to do the work to establish cultural safety between us if this is the case. I have experience working with Indigenous youth, refugees, newcomers to Canada, autistic individuals, and trans/nonbinary people, and I will continue to strive to better myself and my practice through the feedback of my clients.

My Path

Prior to my counselling work I was a professional Chef for nearly 13-years, and my experiences in this industry helped guide me towards counselling as a job. Addiction and mental illness are rampant in kitchens, and there are no benefits or resources provided for the people working within them. I eventually had to address my own problematic drinking habits, and I am now currently 11-years sober from drugs and alcohol, but this was only the beginning of my journey. It was only after getting sober that I discovered the power of counselling, and I spent the next decade on my own path that eventually led me here, with you!

This is why I say I am walking this path alongside you. While I don’t have all the answers, I do have the patience, authenticity, and empathy to help you discover how to walk your own path and make the most of the opportunities that arise alongside it. Ultimately I want to empower you to be the best version of yourself based on who and what really matters to you.

A Little About Me

Outside of the counselling room, I am a parent, a partner, and a cat-owner. I have an incredible little 2-year old and a wonderful partner who I have spent the past 15 years with. In the little free time I do have I like to make my own clothing, watch trivia shows, and invent new things in the kitchen. I also love finding the worst films ever committed to celluloid.

You can reach me directly at marcusallancounselling@gmail.com

You can view my Informed Consent form here.

Affordable Counselling with a Practicum Student – Quality Mental Health Care at Reduced Cost

A note from Peak Resilience: Practicum Counsellors are counsellors. They are fully trained, and receive regular supervision to ensure they deliver the same quality mental health care clients expect from Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and Registered Social Workers (RSW). Practicum is the final stage before registration. Counselling Rates for Practicum Students are $36/50 minutes, with no eligibility questions asked, no limits to services and no waitlist. Practicum sessions are not eligible for Direct Billing.

Approaches Used

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Oppressive, Attachment Informed / Attachment Based Therapy, Brainspotting, Climate Aware Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Creative and Strength Based, Critical Race Theory / Culturally Informed / Culturally Competent, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Emotion Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential Positive Psychology (EPP), Existential Therapy, Family Systems Therapy (FST), Feminist Intersectional Therapy (FIT), Group Therapy, Harm Reduction Based, Humanistic / Person-Centred Therapy / Rogerian, Interpersonal Therapy, LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming, Meditation, Mindful Self Compassion (MSC), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Nature Based Therapy, Neurodiversity Affirming, Neuroscience Informed, Non-Pathologising Approach, Queer Theory, Relational / Relationship Therapy, Relational Therapy, Sex and Kink Positive, Sex Worker Positive, Somatic and Body-Centred Approaches, Strengths Based Therapy, Trauma Informed Therapy, Weight-Inclusive Therapy

Specialties and Areas of Practice

Accessible Counselling, Accountability, Addiction, ADHD, Alternate Relationship Structures, Anxiety, BIPOC and Cultural Issues, Body Image, Boundary Setting, Break-Ups, Burnout, Career Counselling / Work Issues, Childhood Trauma, Children, Chronic and Life-Limiting Illness, Communication Skills, Couples Therapy, Creative Blocks, Dating, Depersonalization, Depression, Derealization, Disability, Dissociation, Domestic Violence, Eating Disorders, Emotional Abuse, Emotional Regulation and Anger, Family Conflict, Family Counselling, Fears and Phobias, First Nations Issues, Goal Setting, Grief and Loss, Harm Reduction, Health Care Workers/First Responders, Identity, Immigrant Experience, Incest Histories, Interpersonal Challenges, Kink and Sex Positive, Leadership Development, LGBTQIA2S+, Life Meaning and Purpose, Life Transitions, Marriage Therapy, Men’s Health, Minority Issues, Motivation, Neglect, Nervous System Regulation, Neurodivergence, New Parents, OCD, Pain Management, Panic Attacks, Parenting, Perfectionism, Play and Creative Therapy for Children, Polyamorous Relationships, Postpartum, Practicum, Pregnancy, PTSD / Complex PTSD, Queer Relationships, Relational Trauma, Relationship Issues, Religious Trauma, Reproductive Struggles, Self Worth and Personal Growth, Self-Development and Coaching, Self-Esteem, Sex Therapy, Sex Worker Allied, Sexual Trauma, Sexual Violence, Sexuality and Gender, Shame, Spirituality / Faith Based, Stress Management and Stress Reduction, Substance Use Issues, Transgender / Nonbinary / Gender-Nonconforming, Trauma, Youth / Young Adults 14+

Marcus Allan is accepting new clients.

How Much Counselling Will I Need?

It depends on what you want. Most clients fall into one of three categories:

One (or two) and done – I just want some advice to move forward on a problem. Cool, just let me know that so I can make sure the session will be focused.
Acute issue – I need some support to resolve an issue, but I don’t want to be in counselling forever. This usually takes 8-12 sessions but could be shorter or longer based on your needs (time, financial, issue complexity). We create the ideal structure together.
Long-term therapeutic relationship – I need a safe space to process life events. Sessions are often booked up to a year in advance so you can count on the structure and support. The topic often changes session to session, but relates back to an overarching theme of self-development, relationship management, or something of that nature.

I can’t tell you which issues fall into which bucket, or guarantee results, because each client is unique. It’s best to let me know which category you think you might fall into, we can check and adjust as needed.

What is a personal challenge that you have overcome in your own life?

I am 11-years sober from drugs and alcohol, and my road to recovery was a long and challenging experience that ultimately helped me grow more than I ever believed possible. I know first hand how hard it can be to ask for help, but I have also seen how much our experiences can strengthen us when we are able to talk about them. Counselling helped me realize my potential and heal from past trauma, and ultimately led me down this path to help you do the same!

What have you learned from your work?

Working in youth care and addiction for the past four years has taught me a lot of important lessons that I bring into my practice. I have learned to never make assumptions about anyone, and that everyone is capable of change if they have the dedication and follow through to make it happen. I have also learned a lot about the needs and struggles of clients living in rural communities and small town B.C. But most importantly, my work has taught me that counselling is the work I am meant to be doing, and I am excited to share that purpose with you.

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Last Updated: June 3, 2026 Created: March 11, 2026

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