Patrick McGill
Senior Associate Counsellor
Patrick is accepting new clients.
Sessions Types: Individuals, Couples, Families, Teens 12yrs+
Office Hours:
| Online | North Vancouver | New Westminster | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon. | available | — | 12pm-8pm |
| Tues. | available | — | — |
| Wed. | available | 12pm-8pm | — |
| Thurs. | available | — | — |
| Fri. | — | — | — |
Flexibility is possible at times with Patrick’s schedule. Please inquire if you have a request for a different time.
Patrick McGill (he/him) is a Master Therapeutic Counsellor (MTC #2490) with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT) and a Counselling Therapist (CT #3047) with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA). He holds a diploma in Transpersonal Therapeutic Counselling from Clearmind International Institute.
Patrick works with individuals, couples, families, and youth navigating relationship difficulties, trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, anger, and the ways people cope when life becomes difficult. He has experience working with clients from diverse backgrounds, including the LGBTQ2S+ community. He brings an open heart, compassion, and curiosity to his work, helping clients understand the patterns that leave them feeling stuck or disconnected from themselves and others.
His experience also includes working as Director of Workshops at Clearmind International Institute, facilitating groups and supporting students in its three-year counsellor training program.
Making Room for Change
Patrick believes conflict is a part of life. It can show up within us, between partners or family members, and in the way we respond to the world around us. Rather than pushing it aside, he helps clients become curious about what is happening beneath it. That might mean exploring an old belief, noticing a familiar response, or finding words for something that has been difficult to share.
Patrick’s own experiences led him to learn more about grief, loss, and change. They helped shape his belief that each person’s struggle is unique and that healing cannot be rushed. He values the moments when clients begin to understand themselves more deeply and discover that they can respond to life in a different way.
Couples and Relationships
Couples come to Patrick when communication has become difficult, conflict keeps repeating, or they feel more like roommates than partners. They may be navigating changes in work and family life, health or financial strain, or the loss of someone they love. Sometimes distance has grown between them, or one partner’s way of coping has begun to affect the relationship.
Patrick helps partners slow down and shift from reacting to reflecting. He invites each person to notice what happens within them during conflict: when they become guarded, rush to fix things, or hold back because they fear how their partner might respond. As they begin to share what is beneath those protective responses, they can understand more of themselves and each other.
That understanding can strengthen their connection and make room for more honest conversations. Even when partners see things differently, Patrick helps them stay open to hearing one another, work through difficult decisions, and respond with greater clarity rather than from the heat of an argument.
Trauma and Its Effects
Patrick supports people affected by childhood abuse, sexual abuse, assault, bullying, and loss related to suicide. He also supports people navigating the effects of immigration and displacement, including separation from community, changes in identity and family roles, and the challenges of adapting to a new society.
Patrick helps clients understand the effects trauma has had on them, including what they notice in their bodies and in their responses to difficult situations. Together, they develop ways to manage those effects and support a growing sense of choice, self-trust, and connection.
Inside the Therapy Room
Patrick offers a compassionate, nonjudgmental space and an inquisitive mind. Sessions do not follow a set formula: he takes time to understand what matters to each client and works at a pace that respects their experience.
He helps people notice patterns in their thoughts, emotions, and relationships, and is willing to sit with them when that exploration feels uncomfortable. His hope is that clients can understand themselves more deeply, express what they need, and find their own way forward.
Outside the Therapy Room
Patrick loves getting outside in any weather. He enjoys walking, cycling, scuba diving, playing ball, and being playful with friends and family. Time in nature helps him slow down, reflect, and connect with the people around him—whether that means exploring with kids, meeting someone new, or simply watching the animals and the seasons change. He appreciates the little moments that make up a life, especially when an outing ends with a good bowl of pho.
Areas of Practice
- Relationship, marriage, and couples counselling
- Individual counselling
- Family counselling
- Men’s issues
- Trauma and PTSD
- Substance use concerns
- Anger management
- Self-esteem
- Grief and loss
- Worry and anxiety
- Sexual abuse and assault
- Depression
- Spiritual crisis and awakening
Approaches Used
- Bowen’s Family Systems Theory
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
- Transpersonal Therapeutic Counselling
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Mindfulness and Somatic Therapy
- Gestalt Therapy
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Acceptance Therapy
- Self-Compassion Therapy
- Breathwork Therapy
Education
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Training Level 1 (CCTP):Working with the Neurobiological Legacy of Trauma with Janina Fisher, Ph.D 2025/2026
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Training Level 2 (CCTP-II):Treatment of Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders with Janina Fisher, Ph.D 2025/2026
- Overcoming Trauma-Related Shame and Self-Loathing with Janina Fisher, Ph.D 2025/2026
- Trauma Defined: Bessel van der Kolk on The Body Keeps the Score 2025/2026
- Transformative Couples Therapy® (TCT) Experiential Skills Course w/ David Mars 2024
- Level 1 AEDP Therapist, AEDP Immersion, The AEDP Institute – 2022
- AEDP for couples: Transforming Relationships through Healing Relational Deprivation and Trauma” David Mars – 2019
- Polyamory – Couples and Family Dynamics with David Mars – 2019
- Toastmasters – 2018/2019
- Facilitators training w/ Clearmind International Institute – 2020
- Addictions and Attachments course – 2016 – w/ Clearmind International Institute
- Leadership course – 2016 – w/ Clearmind International Institute
- Transpersonal Therapeutic Counsellor Training Program, Clearmind International – 2015-2018
