Individual Therapy

I practice an eclectic therapeutic approach, drawing primarily on tools and techniques from narrative therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (described below). I view my role as a compassionate guide, helping you identify your strengths and resources, enhance your capacity for self-awareness and reflection, and navigate life’s complexities in a way that aligns with your values.

Each individual therapy session is 60 minutes and costs $160. Therapy sessions provided by a registered social worker may be covered by your insurance provider. Sessions are virtual at this time, with an in-person option coming soon in East Toronto.

The therapeutic relationship is the most important factor for facilitating meaningful change, making a good fit between you and your therapist critical. If my approach resonates with you, feel free to schedule a free 20-minute virtual consultation here (or reach out using the form below) to determine if we’d work well together.

Note: Cancellations or requests to reschedule require at least 24 hours’ notice. Late cancellations or missed appointments will be charged the full session fee.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is an evidence-based treatment proven effective for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use, and disordered eating. CBT views thoughts, feelings, and behaviours as interconnected, emphasizing that what we think and do affects how we feel. In CBT, we work to challenge and modify unhelpful thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs (cognitive) and actions (behavioural) to reduce symptoms and enhance emotional well-being. While historical experiences are explored, CBT is primarily present-focused and addresses problems occurring in the here-and-now of everyday life.

Our thoughts play a significant role in how we perceive and process situations. Unhelpful thinking patterns, also known as cognitive distortions, are common and contribute to the psychological distress associated with various disorders, symptoms, and experiences (e.g., excessive worrying). Through cognitive restructuring, CBT teaches us how to identify, evaluate, and challenge our irrational and problematic ways of thinking to allow for more realistic and balanced perspectives. With time and practice, CBT can help us sustain an enhanced level of cognitive flexibility that promotes positive behavioural responses, emotional regulation, and adaptive coping strategies in stressful circumstances. These practical skills can help us learn to respond rather than react, and are especially helpful for navigating issues that are out of our control or have no clear solution.

CBT is also concerned with changing unhelpful behaviour through the implementation and reinforcement of healthier patterns and habits. This model operates under the premise that all behaviours—whether functional or dysfunctional—have been learned (and therefore can be unlearned). Techniques include behavioural activation (increasing participation in positive and meaningful activities), exposure therapy (confronting fearful and typically avoided situations in a gradual and controlled way), and somatic-based mindfulness practices (facilitating present-moment awareness and physical relaxation).

Narrative Therapy

Developed by Michael White and David Epston in the 1980s, narrative therapy is a collaborative, non-pathologizing, and strengths-based approach that centres people as the experts in their own lives. It is grounded in the belief that we make meaning of our lives through stories (or narratives), which are shaped by our experiences, relationships, and cultural contexts. These stories are not seen as mere reflections of reality, but rather are active social constructions that impact how we view ourselves and others. Often, these dominant discourses are problem-saturated and hold self-limiting beliefs that constrain our sense of identity and possibility. Narrative therapists join with people to explore their stories, their effects, their meanings, and the context in which they were authored.

The primary goal of narrative therapy is to co-discover the client’s alternative stories and re-author their life stories in a way that better reflects their values, strengths, aspirations, and preferred identities, leading to a more nuanced and empowered sense of self. In line with the tenets of narrative therapy, I approach each person as inherently separate from their problems through externalization, which allows us to change their relationship with the problem by gaining emotional distance and perspective. For instance, we might reframe the statement “I am a depressed person” to “Depression affects me sometimes.” We also work to break down problems into smaller, more manageable parts via deconstruction and search for/expand alternative life narratives, also called unique outcomes. This process empowers us to reclaim authorship over our life stories by moving beyond narrow, deficit-focused identity stories into richer, more fulfilling narratives that foster hope, resilience, purpose, and agency.