Compassion Focused Therapists in Bayfield, ON

My person-centered approach aims to help you understand yourself on a deeper level, shift perspectives, set healthy boundaries, work through past trauma, increase confidence & trust in yourself and break unhealthy patterns. I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, low self-esteem, perfectionism, people pleasing, codependency, childhood trauma, grief and relationship concerns. I provide a comfortable, approachable and safe space for you to open up and feel heard.

Currently accepting new clients! Whether you are experiencing symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, grief, or are going through a difficult transition, there are strategies out there that can help you.

Many people experience feelings of being stuck, confused, isolated, and/or unsatisfied in their lives for various reasons. Such feelings can be overwhelming and scary. However, I want to reassure you that you don't have to tolerate these often uncomfortable emotions and that things can get better. I am here to assist you!

My work is client-centered - guided by your needs and where you are in the change process. I am mindful to set the pace of our work at an optimal level. I aim to uncover the strengths that you have, understanding that you may not have recognized them as such. Knowing your strengths will certainly aid you in the process. Collaboratively we will set goals, so that you are again in the driver's seat for this journey.

You've decided something needs to change and that you no longer want your past stealing joy from your present. You want to feel like yourself again. You want to live a life you're proud of. Together, we will co-create a hopeful and non-judgmental space to get you there. With curiosity and compassion, you can (re)connect with your authentic self and what it is that truly matters to you. You can (re)gain control over your thoughts and feelings, no longer reacting automatically and impulsively. You can be comfortable in your body and deepen your connections in the relationships that mean the most to you. It's all possible!

We are often faced with immense pressure and challenges in life that can leave us feeling lost or unsure of ourselves, and feeling emotions we don’t even understand and it gets harder to keep pretending everything is okay. Let me be that safe space for you to explore those feelings and challenges. My passion for being a therapist comes from seeing the empowerment that occurs when a person is provided the support and a safe environment where they can be seen and heard. Every person has their own narrative, every person is capable of living the life they want, and I aim to empower that person to take control of their story.

With over two decades of experience as a leader in the mental health field, I am a compassionate guide for teens, young adults, and parents navigating life's challenges. My career has focused on supporting youth struggling with mental health issues. As a mom myself, I understand the difficulties of adolescence and the transition to adulthood. I strive to help you rewrite negative self-stories with empathy, humor, and humility. I proudly serves families through a trauma-informed, healing-focused, and feminist lens. Her devotion is to empowering young people to overcome worries and thrive.

Life will bring challenges and difficult times causing confusion, fear, anxiety, depression…and numbness. We also experience transitions and losses, not only through the death of people we love, but loss of our health, relationships, jobs. Maybe you are a Health Care Provider with moral injury as a result of your challenging work? Chronic stressors can bring up feelings of fear and a lack of belief that we can cope. Some events and relationships may leave deeper, traumatic wounds. Sometimes it just feels like it is all ‘too much’. Whatever challenge brings you here, together we can work with and process these feelings.

With over 20 years of experience working with individuals and groups, I am passionate and experienced in building strong, nurturing relationships with my clients as we sort through life's challenges together. Particular areas of interest and expertise include stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, women’s issues, relationship issues, life transitions and personal growth. While some clients prefer short-term, highly structured sessions, others prefer a more longstanding, fluid relationship to support them through life's ups and downs. I am open to discussing all options and believe that flexibility and a sense of humour go a long way!

When you have experienced trauma, your whole system can feel challenged day to day. You might struggle with persistent anxiety, feelings of shame and hopelessness and have a bleak outlook on the future. You can feel exhausted by your circumstances and truly at a loss for how to change or heal. Trauma impacts your thinking, your happiness, your quality of life and your joy. You can often find yourself engaging in behaviours that don't serve you, trying to numb out or manage the pain. It can feel hard to get close to anyone. It can be so hard to trust yourself, or other people. I completely understand, and I help people change daily.

Are you waking up exhausted? You start your day tired. Maybe you’re feeling trapped by the mental load you carry and don't see any relief insight. Your important relationships are suffering and you’re either avoiding or snapping at everyone, making you even more stressed out and unhappy. It’s not unusual to feel like you’ve lost your way- whether at school, work, with your partner, at work or even in parenting. Now more than ever many people are finding themselves overwhelmed by the pressures and responsibilities of their day-to-day lives and just wanting to reconnect with their true selves.

Amelia has been a Registered Social Worker for 23 years working with individuals, couples, and families who may have experienced intergenerational trauma, mental health diagnosis such as anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, or relationship ruptures causing stress and conflict within their daily lives. By giving them the knowledge and skills of how to accept the things they cannot change and to change the things they can control will assist them in building a life worth living.

As a neurodivergent practitioner, I have personal experience with the myriad of issues that can come from living on the autism spectrum. Whether it's intense emotions, spiritual/death anxiety, social anxiety, picky eating, sensory issues, or identity confusion, we can work through it together. Even if you are not living with a disorder, but still identify with one of these issues, I am happy to support you. :)

What do you need, and what stays in the way? We can figure it all out together. With 25+ years of experience, I specialize in helping individuals heal and discover effective therapy tools. My expertise spans anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, addictions, relationship issues, work-related stress, grief, negative body image, and eating disorders. Also, having worked extensively with military, law enforcement, and CAS, I offer therapy for uniformed personnel, first responders, CAS workers, and their families. Additionally, I provide support for fellow therapists and mental health professionals for burnout and vicarious trauma.

Have you noticed a sense of longing to feel more connected to your body, to the land, or in your relationships? Are you experiencing anxiety, grief, loneliness, or trauma? Trauma can live in the body as disrupted patterns of relating: to ourselves, our bodies, our breath, and the world around us. Somatic therapy is a practice in re-connecting to those things that remind us of our aliveness and can help us build a sense of home in our bodies and our world. This work is gentle, and centers the experience of the nervous system in therapy, drawing from arts, play, spirituality, compassion-focused and nature-based approaches.

If you are looking for a supportive environment in which to tackle your mental health concerns, I offer a non-judgmental space where you will be accepted unconditionally. Just as pain and suffering are an integral part of human life, so is our capacity for healing. The safety of the therapeutic relationship offers you an opportunity to face past hurts and present difficulties, let go of defenses that no longer serve you, and adopt new coping mechanisms. I use an integrative approach to help you process emotions, change unhelpful thinking patterns, develop a mental well-being toolbox, and live a life more in line with your values.

One of the most difficult parts of feeling emotional pain and internal suffering is experiencing it alone. I believe walking alongside your journey and listening to your voice matters. A lot of us want a better understanding of self and/or require support with trauma, depression, anxiety, and/or relationships. Often, seeking support can be a challenging first step as there are unpleasant feelings, stigmas, thoughts and difficult behaviours. My goal is to provide a nonjudgmental, safe and accepting space for you explore them. I strive to help you build a stronger connection to yourself and strengthen your mental resiliency.

If you're struggling with anxiety, depression, grief or other losses, coping with a past that includes traumatic events or childhood experiences, and want to find ways to build your own mental and emotional resiliency, then it can be helpful to work with someone to find ways to heal, feel supported and heard. You may also be worried or anxious about the way things are in world related to post-pandemic life, climate change, conflict and economic uncertainty. Or, you may struggle to feel understood as someone who is gifted and/or highly sensitive, or may be experiencing challenges in your close relationships or with your partner.