Sylvia Chan, R. Psych

Sylvia is a registered psychologist with over 12 years of experience in mental health, beginning her career as a registered nurse in psychiatry.

Her path into the helping profession was shaped by her brother’s death in her late teens, which grew a desire to accompany others through shared human experiences of pain and healing.

Sylvia’s practice has been grounded in trauma work, supporting people in healing from single, life-altering incidents to complex, interpersonally layered experiences. She has worked in specialized settings, including helping those rebuild confidence after serious car accidents and supporting refugee survivors of torture and sexual captivity. Her passion for trauma healing led her to Rwanda during her graduate training, where she witnessed the strength and resilience of the human spirit in rebuilding after genocide. Sylvia has trained in specialized non-verbal therapies like EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), using eye movements to process distressing experiences and support healing of the nervous system.

In recent years, Sylvia worked in primary care addressing a broad spectrum of mental health concerns at inner-city, maternity, and university teaching clinics. Sylvia now works at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, supporting medical residents and fellows through an incredibly demanding season of their careers.

Outside of work, Sylvia loves slow mornings with a book, curating cozy spaces, and scratching her chronic travel itch. These help Sylvia connect with herself, which allows her to hold space for others to connect with themselves.