Seamus Sullivan (He/Him) MA, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
BA, MA, Registered Clinical Counsellor
Therapy Formats: Virtual & In-Person
I speak English
Accepting New Clients
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I want counselling to be a safe space where you can freely work through your thoughts and feelings with me – someone who will slow the process down and orient us toward empathy and curiosity rather than the impulse to judge, assume or even rush toward certainty. Life is messy. As social beings, I believe in the value of being witnessed by and collaborating with another human – a trained guide – who can model a way to hold ourselves with softness, openness and humour.
I genuinely enjoy working with a wide variety of clients. As a Gen Xer occupying something of a generational middle ground, I find I connect easily with both younger and older clients, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. As a gay man, I’ve often found myself at the intersection of gender dynamics, so to speak, relating with ease to men, women and gender-diverse people across sexual orientations. Within that broad range, I have a particular interest in supporting all men who want to know and befriend themselves more deeply, particularly where rigid expectations of masculinity may have made that difficult.
I’m also drawn to people whose lives may fall somewhat outside conventional scripts – including folks who work in creative fields, those who feel like outsiders or ‘between worlds’, and those beginning to question prescribed paths and worldviews. Reflecting my own story, I have a particular affinity for clients raised in Atlantic Canada or Ireland (I’m originally from the Maritimes, with Irish and Acadian roots).
Clinically, I’m especially interested in work involving trauma (I’m trained in EMDR and have extensive experience supporting children and adults impacted by family violence and abuse), attachment and relational issues (including communication and boundaries), anxiety, ADHD, self-doubt and shame, career and life transitions, and explorations of identity.
I have a longstanding interest in loneliness, social connection and belonging, and wrote my graduate research project on men’s struggle with friendship in an increasingly isolating world. I’m particularly passionate about supporting people navigating experiences of social rupture, rejection or exclusion from circles and communities, as well as those feeling weary of polarization and the state of the world, or exhausted by social media and online culture.
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I have a naturally relational approach, with a warm, personable and engaging presence. In our therapeutic relationship, I offer empathy, analytical insight, honesty, humour and practical skill-building.
In helping people navigate the complex and, at times, painful experience of being human, I strive to foster a calm space where you can safely explore thoughts, impulses and emotions you may find difficult to discuss elsewhere – no matter how dark, confusing, shameful, unconventional or silly they may seem. I embrace critical thinking and the nuance of a “both/and” lens that makes room for seemingly conflicting perspectives and parts of ourselves.
My sense of humour and playfulness will likely show up in our work together, reflecting my belief in the connective and healing power of laughter, as well as its ability to soften the seriousness with which we can hold our thoughts.
I am formally trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a trauma-focused psychotherapy that uses bilateral stimulation through guided side-to-side eye movements or alternating taps. This process can help you work through difficult or distressing experiences, reducing their impact on your present-day thoughts, emotions and reactions.
In talk therapy, I primarily draw from:
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) – a mindfulness-based approach that helps you make space for and respond more flexibly to difficult thoughts and feelings, while identifying what really matters to you and making choices that align with your values.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) – identifying unhelpful patterns of thinking, exploring how they affect your emotions and behaviours, and developing more balanced and helpful ways of responding.
SFBT (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy) – focusing on your strengths, what you want to change, and practical steps toward getting there.
My style sometimes incorporates a coaching element, helping you clarify what you want, think through decisions and turn insight into practical next steps. I also have extensive experience in play therapy, using play as a natural way for children to express themselves, work through feelings and make sense of their experiences.
My practice is trauma-informed, culturally responsive and anti-oppressive. I am sensitive to the broader systems and contexts that affect our lives, as well as the unique ways each of us experiences and responds to them.
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Drawn to the interplay of empathic intuition and analytical insight inherent in the relational work of therapy, I’ve long felt called to counselling. It took me a long time to get here, but the path itself has become part of what I bring into sessions. As a naturally curious, adventurous, middle-aged Gen X man, I’ve accumulated rich and eclectic life experiences that have broadened my understanding of people, relationships and the many ways we move through the world, ultimately strengthening my therapeutic practice.
My emergence as a Registered Clinical Counsellor is built on decades of community and mental health-related work, including employment and career counselling, supporting children and families impacted by domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ peer support and education. Beyond that, I’ve worked across a range of industries and environments – from English language schools to universities, from radio stations to political campaigns, from farmers markets to national parks. I’ve also had periods of unemployment and know what it is like to experience financial strain and uncertainty.
While most of my life has been in Canada, from the East Coast to the West Coast, I’ve also spent time living abroad in Ireland, Spain, the USA, Mexico and New Zealand, and have travelled widely, particularly throughout Europe and Latin America. Creative expression has long been important to my well-being, and I’ve channelled that impulse through photography and comedy performance. I also feed my body and soul through hiking, dancing, time with friends and attending live music.
Taken together, these experiences – particularly moving within diverse social worlds and connecting with people from backgrounds, circumstances and perspectives often different from my own – have helped shape me into a relatable, open-minded therapist who readily builds rapport with clients from many walks of life.
While I believe there are universal themes and truths in the human experience, I’m continually energized by the fact that no two days – or clients – are exactly the same.
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Abuse, Bullying and Violence (i.e. family and intimate partner violence)
ADHD
Anger
Anxiety and Stress
Assertiveness, Boundaries and Communication
Belonging, Community and Friendship (e.g., making friends and finding community + friendship ruptures, social exclusion and experiences of ‘cancel culture’)
Career Exploration, Life Direction and Transitions
Conflict with Parents and Siblings
Depression
Existential Issues and State-of-the-World Weariness
Identity Exploration (e.g., sexual orientation/LGBTQ+, navigating between cultures, shifting worldviews, etc.)
Loneliness and Isolation
Men’s Issues
Relationship/Interpersonal Challenges
Sexuality
Shame
Social Media/Online Life (e.g., problematic use and its effects)
Trauma
Workplace Issues
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Psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching for individuals and couples.
Individual session - 50 min: $180
80 min: $250
Couples session - 50 min: $200
80 min: $270
Accepts Extended Health Coverage (for clients in BC)
If you’re unable to find an available time that works for you, please reach out to wendy@innerverseintegratedhealth.com
