About Me

---

Explorer of the edges of the human spirit, nervous system and stress scientist, tour guide of the heart and mind, I partner with clients in potent, empathy-driven dialogue to spark fresh understanding and deep insight, and to nourish renewed excitement for their place and purpose in the world around them.

When I was young, I was incredibly shy. I bounced off social activities like they had force fields. Keeping up with small talk seemed totally out of reach. However, I was a patient, observant listener. I watched others from the sidelines, trying to understand social cues and social conventions, never really fitting in, but always learning.

I found some comfort when I started performing. It didn’t make sense, at first. How was this shy kid speaking in front of an Honors Society audience in high school, or dancing in my choir’s Grease medley? Somehow, it simply worked. I could be myself on stage. I was still really shy in everyday life, though, and so I kept listening and watching from the edges of social circles.

My journey has brought me through a wide range of art forms and venues, from playing djembe while suspended from the ceiling of Rogers Arena to spinning fire in the snow on Grouse Mountain, to teaching David Suzuki and his daughters how to dance for their weddings. I’ve been a dancer with the Vancouver Opera, an assortment of scary characters for the Ghost Train in Stanley Park, a dancer and choreographer for Hallmark films… and the list goes on.

My path has also included leading over a hundred anti-violence workshops for teen boys as a Safeteen facilitator, working with special needs students in schools, teaching countless dance classes and private lessons, and building a worldwide following for my work as a didgeridoo player and teacher.

Always, no matter what I do, teaching is at the core of things. I love figuring out how other people's brains work, then finding just the right way to share a new idea or skill. Human connection is a beautiful puzzle and mystery I keep trying to solve.

All of this is to say I bring a lot to my new path as a professional counsellor. I really want to know what makes my clients tick, and I draw from a really wide range of tools as I support their learning and growth. If I can walk alongside even one client as they transform their life, I think my work will feel fulfilling.  If anything I've shared here resonates with you, I'd love to chat!

David Yates has a Bachelors of Arts (2001) from The Evergreen State College, with equal time spent studying writing, theatre, music, and dance.

He performed as a dancer with the Vancouver Opera, danced and choreographed for film, and spent several years performing in local theatre shows with the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret and other groups.

He has worked in elementary and middle schools as a support educator for special needs programs, as an anti-violence facilitator for high school boys with Safeteen, and as a facilitator for accelerated learning programs with Jump! Foundation.

Ever since learning to swing dance in 1998, he has also explored and taught a wide range of dance styles, always with a focus on connection, inner understanding, and consent. For many years, this included working with couples, helping them learn to dance for their weddings while also navigating communication on a physical level. 

More recently, David taught a stage presence course for the Victoria Conservatory of Music in conjunction with Camosun College in Victoria, BC. The central aim of the course was to support music students in overcoming their shyness, nerves, anxiety, and fear, while learning tools for stress management and nervous system regulation.

He is halfway through training in ortho-bionomy, a gentle bodywork modality based on osteopathy, has a 200 hr yoga teacher training certification from Karma Teachers, a certificate in creative movement education from the Creative Movement Center in Seattle, a trauma-informed practice certificate from Trish Walsh and Alyson Quinn, and is a huge proponent of Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, Narrative Therapy, and somatics-based approaches to counselling. He is also trained in the basics of NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) and will receive his NARM-informed certificate this year.

David has a Professional Counsellor Diploma from Rhodes Wellness College. He is a member of the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) and is designated as a Registered Professional Counsellor Candidate (RPC-C).