20 Under 40: Peter Markvoort

Meet Peter Markvoort, 39, lead clinician & Indigenous social worker at Peter Markvoort Therapy and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2026 recipients

A REGISTERED SOCIAL worker and psychotherapist of Mi’kmaq heritage, Peter Markvoort integrates land-based traditional healing with Western therapeutic practice. Trained in Indigenous wellness by Blackfoot, Cree, Anishinaabe, and Mi’kmaq knowledge keepers, he works exclusively with Indigenous clients, many of whom have been directly impacted by colonization, the child welfare system, addiction, homelessness and involvement in the justice system. Grounded in an Indigenous trauma-informed lens, his work blends approaches such as cognitive behavioural and narrative therapy to support healing from intergenerational trauma, addiction, grief and anxiety — empowering clients toward safety, resilience and renewed personal narratives.

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What is your biggest career achievement so far, or the thing that you’re most proud of?

It has been building a practice that people come back to, especially people who have every reason not to trust helping professionals. My work spans Indigenous mental healthcare, addiction, homelessness and the justice system, including ongoing work in Gladue [Indigenous] courts, diversion programs and community-based supports.

Over time, that work has grown quietly. What often begins as one relationship has extended into broader collaboration, shaping how care is offered, understood and sustained across different settings, simply by staying consistent and showing what’s possible when people aren’t written off.

How has technology changed your work over the past couple of years, if at all?

Covid accelerated a shift to virtual care that moved technology from convenience to a core part of the business. We’re now able to provide consistent mental health support to people living on reserve and in rural or remote communities, reducing access barriers that have existed for generations. At the same time, technology has required us to be intentional about how we work. When used thoughtfully, technology allows the business to expand access without losing integrity; when used poorly, it risks reproducing distance under the guise of innovation.

What’s one unexpected thing you like to tell people about your job?

I talk a lot in real life, but I listen for a living. I’m animated, I ramble, I’ve always got something to say, so people are shocked to learn that some of the most important moments in my work happen when I’m completely silent. Which, if you know me, is nothing short of miraculous.

What’s one book you think everyone should read?

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good. It’s devastating, necessary and deeply human — one of those books that quietly reshapes how you understand history, harm and resilience.

And finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Room service grilled cheese sandwiches. Ideally eaten in a hotel robe, at an unreasonable hour, with absolutely no shame. Interview by Kieran Delamont / Photos by Reid Lucier