ABOUT ME
I am a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice, working with adults in individual and group psychotherapy. I am a full clinical member of the CRPO (College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario) and a member of CAPT (Canadian Association for Psychodynamic Therapy).
In addition to my practice, I am a faculty member at TIRP (Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy), teaching, training and supervising psychotherapy students in an intensive training program that is recognized by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
My own training and education has been acquired through Diploma programs in psychotherapy in England, Canada and the United States:
*1996-1998: Regent’s College, London, UK
*1998-1999: New School of Psychotherapy & Counselling, London, UK
*2001-2005: TIRP (Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy)
*2011-Present: The Center for Group Studies, New York, NY
My overall counselling and psychotherapy education and practice has evolved over the past 25 years, encompassing relational psychotherapy private practice (since 2003) and counselling for: crisis management, bereavement, sexual health, children & youth and the LGBTQ community.
I am committed to embedding anti-oppression and awareness of power dynamics and the harms of social injustice in all aspects of my practice. I have an open and broad perspective and am able to relate to and empathize with many experiences that may or may not be similar to what I know in my own life. With respect to this, it is the connection and rapport a client and I form that bridges the gap between us.
ABOUT MY PRACTICE AND ITS SETTING
I work with a wide range of individuals, from very different backgrounds and with greatly different stories, experiences, questions and struggles. Here is an idea of what issues feature prominently in my practice:
- Relational concerns and difficulties (All forms of relationships: understanding and negotiating them, establishing healthy boundaries in them, attachment and intimacy, navigating relationship transitions)
- Midlife issues and concerns - reflecting on life in one's time of midlife (often 40s and 50s)
- Unresolved childhood and family issues (including recovering from abuse and toxic early home environments, neglect and absence)
- Anxiety and depression (Feeling stuck, shut down, overwhelmed, isolated, unable to feel calm)
- Shame (Relating to experience of one’s self, body, addictive patterns, sexual behaviour, food/eating issues)
- Major life transitions/displacements (Loss and bereavement, relationship endings, career changes)
- Sexuality (all LGBTQ-related issues, transitions related to coming out or gender identity, sexual intimacy struggles, sexual practices including BDSM/kink and polyamory/non-monogamy)
- Existential concerns (Death and mortality, finding meaning in life, ethical dilemmas, freedom and responsibility)
- Creativity (Finding enjoyment and empowerment through pursuits that engage one’s talents and passions)
- Men's issues and emotional well-being (Offering men a supportive space to discuss their feelings in a way they normally might not with family, friends, co-workers).
My demeanour and my office setting are both relatively informal. My office is not in a clinical setting. It is a welcoming and comfortable place to do therapy, I am told. This is a reflection of my own need to feel at ease in my space, in order to do this very personal work with clients.
On another personal note, it’s hard for me to imagine doing anything professionally that is unrelated to this field. Being privileged to work so closely with others who are engaged in their own personal process, is a very meaningful and rewarding experience for me. As it is in my own personal work, self-awareness is not always an easy or painless pursuit, but my own experience - and witnessing the experience of many others - tells me that being able to speak, to ask/receive questions, to name things, to be heard and to find acceptance (from/for self and others) is essential to healthy living.