Get to know: LCC therapist Hiu Chan
Hiu has long hair and is in a black turtle neck. Looking into the camera, Hiu’s hand is casually supporting the left side of her head. Hiu is smiling slightly.
What would you like clients to know about you?
It’s interesting to answer this question because sharing about ourselves with clients is a deliberate act in therapy.
I want clients to know that the therapists at LCC, including myself, are reflexive and work hard on our mental health because we believe it’s crucial to do good work as therapists. I continuously learn to better set boundaries in both my professional and personal life.
I am curious about many things psychotherapy and psychology-related, including neuroscience and somatic attachment. I’m actively sharpening my knowledge in these areas and integrating them into my work.
I’m ambitious about rest. This year I’m committing to softness and optimism. In my therapeutic, personal, and artistic practice, I continue to explore topics on anti-capitalism and mental health and meditate on grief and the meaning of accessibility.
How did you come to do care work?
I came into this line of work in a less traditional fashion: I’d wanted to become a mental health professional since I was a child and in my adult life there were a few times when I was recruited to be one, but the timing wasn’t right. I lived abroad for a few years and after returning to so-called Vancouver I worked in the arts as a writer, public relations person, and interdisciplinary artist.
Inspired by my former therapist and my beautiful relationship with them, I found the Feminist Narrative Immersion Program at ProChoices Community Therapy Clinic (RIP) with hands-on learning and experiences. I was particular about that as I had a bad experience with academia. My learning and experience at ProChoices are formative to my practice. Knowing that I would want to pursue more training and therapy as a career, I decided to take the plunge and did a master’s degree in counselling. Cofounding LCC is a proud achievement of mine.
What are / do you like outside of work?
Something about me that hasn’t changed over the last few years is—I’m a big fan of comedy and celebration, a co-guardian of two cats with opposite personalities, and have a deep appreciation for immersive art spaces.
I’ll close with a quote that has made the most impression on me in recent times:
“Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that is uncomfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear, from it, from us, for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence.”
- Michaela Coel