about me

Shaun MacDonald

MCP, RCC

(he/him)

I’m a registered clinical counsellor (RCC #14115) of Scottish and Welsh descent. I mainly work with youth and young adults, with a particular interest in working alongside folks seeking support in their relationships with substances.

I take a person-centered approach to counselling, with IFS, Harm Reduction, Existential, DBT, MI, ACT, ecotherapy, as well as decolonial, anarchist, anti-oppressive, and anti-carceral theories making up the foundation of my work.

In addition to my work with Bonfire Counselling, I’ve worked at UNYA, VCH, and currently with the amazing team at Foundry Virtual. Each of these experiences have helped inform my practice to provide attuned, practical, collaborative support to clients.

I’ve been so fortunate to work alongside so many amazing colleagues, clients, and teams, and want to shout out in particular my wife Lana, who helped me establish Bonfire Counselling and has walked alongside me as the most amazing life partner. I also want to shout out both Helen Craig and Sarah Heneghan, who supported me as supervisors early in my career and helped establish so much of how I approach my work.

Training & Experience

Work

  • Pacifica Treatment Centre (September 2014-May 2015)

    • Relief/Casual Counsellor for clients age 19+

    • 1-1 Counselling

    • Group Counselling

    • Facilitated Psycho-Educational Groups

  • Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) (May 2015-August 2019)

    • F/T Clinical Counsellor for indigenous youth ages 12-24.

    • 1-1 Counselling

    • Group Counselling

    • (Co-)Facilitated Psycho-Educational and Recreational Groups (ex. Inside Out series, various Harm Reduction, Drug Safety related groups and lectures, Naloxone training,)

    • Community Outreach

  • Bonfire Counselling (April 2017-Present)

    • Founder & Clinical Counsellor

    • 1-1 Counselling

    • Facilitated The Opioid Crisis: Exploring the Socio-Political Context of Vancouver’s Drug Scene for BCACC’s Skills of Mindful Living Series at Adler University.

  • Vancouver Coastal Health (August 2019- June 2022)

    • F/T Youth and Young Adults Concurrent Disorders Counsellor for clients ages 12-24.

    • 1-1 Counselling

    • Facilitated Psycho-Educational Groups (ex. Responsive Parenting groups)

    • Community Outreach

  • Foundry Virtual (June 2022- Present)

    • F/T Youth Substance Use and Mental Health Counsellor for clients ages 12-25.

    • 1-1 Counselling

    • Co-facilitated Psycho-Educational and Recreational Groups (ex. Seeking Safety, Sacred Creations, Native Narratives)

School

  • University of British Columbia Bachelor of Arts in English Literature

  • Adler University Master of Counselling Psychology

Other Training & Education

2025-2026

  • Completed Substance Use Clinician Training via IYS Learning Centre.

  • Completed Unconscious Bias Training via IYS Learning Centre.

  • Completed Supporting Autistic Youth: Foundations via IYS Learning Centre

  • Completed Supporting Autistic Youth: Service Provision via IYS Learning

  • Completed Gender Diversity Awareness via IYS Learning Centre

  • Attended Gabor Mate’ s Compassionate Inquiry in Action: An Experiential Course for the Healing of Deep Traumatic Wounds (Online Course)

  • Attended Clinical Applications of Internal Family Systems Therapy: Step-by-Step Procedures for Healing Traumatic Wounds and Alleviating

  • Attended Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Addiction and More (Digital Seminar by Alexia

    Rothman, PhD)

  • Attended Therapy is Political Speaker Series feat. Maria Fahkouri, hosted by Therapists 4 Palestine.

  • Attended Indigenous Trauma and Equity Informed Practice by Len J Pierre Consulting.

  • Hosted and attended Stigma, Disinformation & Systemic Abandonment of

    People Who Use Drugs: Situating Changes to Prescribed Safe Supply in a

    Broader Political Context by Amber Streukens of ANKORS/REDUN for Foundry Virtual

  • Attended Transmisogyny 102 seminar by Kit Pacilla for Foundry Virtual

  • Hosted Involuntary Care lecture by Amber Streukens of ANKORS/REDUN, for Foundry Virtual.

  • Completing Certified Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (CDBT) Training Online Course with Lane Pederson, PsyD.

2023/2024

  • Attended What’s New in Addictions SW: Barriers in Accessing Detox, Tx, HR Services (Nov 2022)

  • Completed Sanya’as Indigenous Cultural Safety (August 2022)

  • Attended Drug Decriminalization 2.5: Weighing the impact of BC's Drug Enforcement Exemption (Feb 2023)

  • Completed Completed IFS Institute’s Voices of Addiction IFS Continuity Program Course (August 2023)

  • EFFT (March 2023)

  • Completed Foundry Substance Use Clinician Training 

  • Completed TransCare Intro to Gender Diversity Expanded- Intro and Chapter 1

  • Completed Unconscious Bias Training Pilot

  • Co-facilitated Seeking Safety ongoing skills group for Foundry Virtual

  • Completed Introduction to Drop-In, Single-Session Counselling & Solution Focused Therapy (SFBT) via IYS Learning Centre.

  • Completed Walk-In Counselling/ Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Pt. 2 via IYSLearning Centre Administration.

  • Attended Denise Findlay’s Gathering Our Medicine series for Foundry Virtual

  • Hosted and attended discussion regarding Harm Reduction services in East Kootenay communities by Amber Streukens of ANKORS/REDUN

  • Attended Transmisogyny 101 seminar by Kit Pacilla for Foundry Virtual

2021/2022

  • Attended Decarcerating Care: Community-Based Healing Alternatives and How to Build Them webinar by the Institute for the Development of Human Arts.

  • Attended the Integrated Care for Eating Disorders and Substance Use Training through VCH.

  • Attended the Problems with Medicalized Safer Supply: In Conversation with Eris Nyx, Jeremy Kalicum, and Garth Mullins webinar hosted by V ANDU.

  • Attended the Psychosis: Current Science training seminar by Dr Kyle Burns through the Child & Youth Mental Health and Substance Use team at VCH.

  • Attended What’s New in Addictions SW: Barriers in Accessing Detox, Tx, HR Services seminar.

  • Completed Sanya’as Indigenous Cultural Safety training.

2020

  • Attended the Decolonizing Drug Decriminalization Policy webinar by the Canadian Psychedelic Association.

  • Attended the What’ s New in Addiction Nursing? Ketamine-Assisted Therapy webinar, hosted by the BC Centre on Substance Use.

  • Attended the Intro to Decolonizing Recovery webinar by Carolina Collado of Recovery for the Revolution.

  • Attended Exploring Ethical Issues in Care for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Issues during the Pandemic webinar through VCH.

2019

  • PARIS Training via Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)

  • Attended Chronic Pain Conference through VCH.

  • Attended the Chronic Suicidality and Borderline Personality Disorder webinar by the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospitals and Vancouver Community Mental Health Services Educational Rounds.

2018

  • Attended the Using the ACT Matrix with Trauma training by the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research and Training Centre.

2017

  • I attended the Innovations in Recovery conference, attending lectures on ADHD and Substance Use Disorders, Neurobiology of Trauma and Addiction, Effective Treatment for Eating Disorders in Conjunction with Addiction, and more.

  • Completed 2-day Introductory DBT Training.

  • Completed Conceptual-Relational Workshop Facilitator Training by The Mandt Program.

  • Registered as a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors.

  • Attended walking tour of Insite with other service providers.

2016

  • Completed Naloxone Kit training via UNYA, to both administer naloxone and train others to use it.

  • Attended De-Colonizing Sexuality workshop.

  • Hosted Michael Chandler from the University of British Columbia to facilitate a seminar for staff at UNYA on his work about the role of culture in preventing suicidality in aboriginal youth.

  • Hosted Dr. Bruce Alexander from Simon Fraser University to discuss his research with staff at UNYA.

  • Attended a two-day Kid Whispering workshop at UNYA.

2015

  • Completed three-day Existential Analysis Workshop through Existential Analysis Canada.

  • Attended a Moon Teachings workshop from Vancouver Coastal Health.

  • Attended a lecture by Dr. Martin Brokenleg on The Circle of Courage.

  • Hosted a Belly Dancing with Lana Gabor group for female-identified staff and clients at the Pacifica Treatment Centre.

  • Hosted lecture on Humour in Recovery with Mariam Demian.

  • Hosted discussion groups on Nutrition in Recovery with Garrett Johnson and Body Image with Anne-Marie Armour.

  • Attended Trauma: An Existential Analysis Perspective lecture by Dr. Alfried Langle at St. Paul’s.