I am a registered mental health practitioner (RSW, MSW, BA in Psychоlogy). I have years of experience from my private life-coaching and psychotherapy practices, and cutting edge institutions such as the Center for Addictions and Mental Health (both CAMH locations). As a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Collaborative Masters Program (COPAS), I specialize in Adult Mental Health and Addictions. My areas of expertise include concurrent, mood, anxiety, and eating disorders, as well as addictions, borderline personality, trauma and others. I cater to a large variety of clients from all walks of life. I continue to offer life-coaching, individual short-term and long-term psychotherapy sessions, private couples and family counselling, group therapy facilitation, and motivational speaking. I am fluent, and can provide services in several languages.
I am currently offering private sessions for individuals, couples and families. My office is located downtown, 2 minutes from Bathurst subway station. I am currently offering free phone consultations. We will collaboratively screen the therapeutic match to your individuals needs.
My personal philosophy is client-centered and strength-based. Meeting each person “Where They Are” is my core belief.
Where are you now? My first goal is to meet you in your own “here and now” within a safe, genuine, and authentic space. Each person has a valid truth, and a valid narrative. Many people are not heard. I am honored to bear witness to each unheard story. As a survivor myself; I use self-disclosure only to the advantage of particular clients. Overall, my clients’ best interests are always a priority.
Sadly, some clients disclose prior negative experiences with the mental health system; often unhelpful or even stigmatizing. People often do not feel fully “seen” or understood, and report often feeling rushed, waitlisted and overmedicated.
This can often impede further help-seeking. This is tragic. Personally, I seek to remedy and heal these obstacles. My humanistic approach is that of unconditional empathy, non-judgement, and positive regard. My eclecticism is rooted in objective evidence, research and experience.
My root philosophy is in radical acceptance. Evidence-based theory dictates that our “as-is” presence in the ‘here and now” results from the sum of the best coping strategies known to us to date.
Most coping strategies (from perfectionism to addictions) actually enable survival to ones’ best ability. The proof of this vital (yet often elusive) concept is that “you have survived to date and are reading this right now“.
How have your own coping methods enabled you to survive until this moment? I believe in honoring old patterns with awareness and “mindful gentleness”. Psychological paradox theories dictate that we first must recognize and accept what is holding us back, to then gain and apply the insight, motivation and capability to change it. Only sufficient support can breed readiness, motivation and ability to exchange old unwanted behaviors for new ones.
What is your ideal vision of Yourself? Your relationships? Your future? Your life? It may be scary or exciting to imagine real happiness sometimes…
Try some Real Talk or you can always stay “Where You Are” and find happiness there.
