Nathan MacRae
MSW, RSW
Nathan MacRae,
MSW, RSW
My name is Nathan. I am a queer-identified trans man who is passionate about giving back to my community and making the world a safer space for non-normative identities.
My Story
I am a Registered Social Worker who practices between my two home provinces of Ontario and British Columbia providing counselling to adults and young adults with trans and gender-diverse identities and sexual orientations. I also counsel partner(s) and families looking to better support loved ones with these identities or folks interested in working with someone who understands their identity.
I live, work and play on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ (Victoria, BC) peoples with my beautiful wife. I enjoy hot yoga, cycling out to Sooke or along the coast, hiking local trails, reading counselling books, queer poetry and scary stories, and listening to supernatural podcasts in my downtime. Ask me anything about Sasquatches...
Getting outdoors, exercising, practicing everyday mindfulness, spending time with my family and maintaining my sobriety are my favourite ways I care for my mental health.
"I am out with lanterns, looking for myself."
-Emily Dickenson
My Approach
I take an integrated approach to my practice, pulling from a variety of modalities including trauma-informed somatic practices, elements of DBT and CBT, motivational interviewing, and short-term, solution-focused, strength-based client-centred counselling.
My role as a counsellor is to work with you collaboratively to draw on your strengths, provide psychoeducation, and find adaptable solutions to help you lead a more fulfilling life. As a queer-identified trans man I am intimately aware of the unique needs of our community and want to help you find a way forward to a healthy and fulfilling future.
My services are covered by most extended health plans. Please note I do not regularly work with youth or persons under 19.
"I think I knew right then, but sometimes knowing comes in layers."
-Leslie Feinberg
My Training & Experience
I hold a Bachelor's Degree from Simon Fraser University in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Victoria. I am a Registered Social Worker in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. I have also completed the Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1, the Sexually Competent Therapist Training with Allura Sex Therapy Centre and Essentials of CBT and CBT for Anxiety with the Beck Institute.
I am currently completing the Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy Two Year Training with Bringing the Body into Practice.
I come to this practice with over 13 years of experience in mental and health and addiction services, including:
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Various organizations in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
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The Kelty Mental Health Center at the BC Women and Children's Hospital
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Psychiatric Emergency Services at the Royal Jubilee Hospital
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The Catherine Assertive Community Treatment Team at the Royal Mental Health Centre
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Flexible Assertive Community Treatment Team - Dual Diagnosis at the Royal Mental Health Centre
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Family Information and Support Services at the Royal Mental Health Centre at the Royal Mental Health Centre
I have also co-authored research with the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Center at the University of British Columbia.
In 2021, I delivered the keynote address at the Client and Family Centred Care Virtual Conference at the Royal Mental Health Centre on the topic of Gender Diversity and Healthcare. I also regularly provide Gender Inclusivity Educational Workshops to healthcare workers, support workers and educators.
In addition to this work, I also have a background as a community activist. At Simon Fraser University I was the lead organizer of the Trans Inclusive Committee whose efforts cumulated in policy changes allowing students to utilize their names and gender on student identifications, as well as the creation of gender-inclusive washrooms on campus.
I also delivered a TEDx talk on the topic of gender-inclusive washrooms which highlighted the limited narratives we allow trans people to tell and how we can move past that ideology.
"I don’t know what it is like to not have deep emotions. Even when I feel nothing, I feel it completely."
-Sylvia Plath