Short Biography
Danniel is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors who holds a Master’s Degree specializing in School Counseling from the City University in Canada, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree and a Diploma of Guidance Studies from the University of British Columbia. He is currently working as a School Counsellor in the public-school system where he has been working with youth and families for the past fifteen years. He has recently extended his practice into the community of Vancouver West, and is available for those in that area who would benefit from an outside agency resource such as himself.
Born and raised in Vancouver to an immigrant family, Danniel has constantly balanced his sense of identity along with nuanced cultural, family, and societal expectations. Social media, polarised identity groups, and an over all faster pace of life have only magnified these issues more heavily. The world today has become uniquely complex, non-binary, and intersectional and it is Danniel’s goal to combat the stigma of mental illness by approaching his practice with the focus on continual maintenance of one’s physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health. This all-encompassing approach has helped him develop his own mindset training to take on a variety of life challenges, such as a black belt in martial arts, Ironman Canada, arathons, triathlons, and most recently CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting competitions. Danniel’s philosophy of work-life balance is not anything new or particularly ground breaking, but he believes in finding passion, purpose, and meaning in life and seeks to investigate this with his clients in the process of counselling therapy. Approach Danniel’s approach to counseling is person-centered and he works alongside his clients on their journey through the therapeutic experience. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Family-Systems Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy are modalities that influence his practice. He strives to build a strong and understanding bond with his clients to promote a safe and trustworthy environment where open, meaningful, and vulnerable work can take place. It is within this collaborative working alliance that clients can challenge, empower, and even come to respect themselves by lifting some of the weight off their shoulders. Even though those heavy loads might always be present, Danniel challenges his clients to explore new perspectives and holds them accountable to attempt different adaptations and strategies so they can continue to walk forward taking small steps toward resolutions. Many of our life experiences can be
powerful lessons that can show us our own capacity for balance, empathy, and resilience.
As life can be incredibly complicated, Danniel helps clients manage through anxiety, depression, grief/loss, identity, parenting, personal growth, relationships, stress, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, tragedy, transitions, and trauma. Often times these issues occur in comorbidity, which make them especially unique challenges to overcome. He has experience in counselling individuals who are victims of abuse or have been abusive toward others, helping both learn positive ways to cope with their everyday triggers. Perhaps Danniel’s most impactful tool of introspection is exploring one’s identity. Identity may have many facets, but his thesis and graduate research focused primarily on masculinity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. He is an ally to
the LGBTQ2IA+ community, providing support for those that identify as queer and/or questioning or to their parents. Identity might only be one piece of the puzzle, as many individuals also seek understanding of how they can fit into this complex world. Another additional aspect that sets Danniel apart from some of his colleagues in the mental health field is his experience in educational and vocational consultation. This experience involves facilitating adolescents’ exploring interests, establishing academic goals,
post-secondary preparation, and career planning on a personal level. He regularly visits with many local and North American post- secondary institutions to receive the latest updates and requirements in regards to many different options for those graduating high school or those looking to make work or study transitions later in life. The combination of Danniel’s skills as a Registered Clinical Counsellor and School Counsellor can provide a well-rounded approach to helping you or your child find a meaningful education or career outcome in the future. If you would like to inquire more about Danniel or are deciding if he would be a good fit for you, please email: dan.lin.rcc@gmail.com.
Cost per session: $120