Therapists in Port Hope, ON

Have you always had an alternative approach to lifestyle, relationship, or spirituality and wonder if you'll ever find a therapist who will "get" you? Are you struggling with anxiety, mood, ADHD, life transitions, grief or trauma? Tired of feeling stagnant and ready to take a leap to change? Reaching out for help is half the battle and together we will challenge you to heal, grow, and transform. I am a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Canadian Counsellor, and have an MA in Counselling Psychology. I have 9 years' experience working in mental health, and am certified in virtual counselling.

If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, and disconnected from yourself, you have come to the right place. Let me walk alongside you and offer you a safe and supportive space to explore your experiences and learn new, empowering ways of responding to your challenges. I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and Certified Yoga Teacher, and I blend mindfulness, neuroscience, and psychology with my own mental health and addiction recovery tools to offer clients a unique, holistic approach to healing. I've been where you are and I know this: you don't have to do this "work" alone.

My practice involves co-creating a compassionate space for clients to explore why they might feel stressed, anxious, depressed or a loss of meaning in life. We all in some way, seek to bring relief and meaning to what we have gone through and the challenges we are currently facing. Often times our trauma can keep us in patterns that no longer serve us, hindering our connection to ourselves and others.

At times, many of us contend with emotions and suffering that are overwhelmingly painful, disheartening and difficult to bear, often as a result of unique stressors and events. I work with adults, adolescents, families and step-families using Emotionally Focused Therapy, EMDR, interpersonal psychotherapy, and DBT/CBT within neuroscience and attachment frameworks. I encouraged clients to access inner strengths and free their capacity for growth. Whether you or a family member experience depression, anxiety, marital distress or difficulties with peers, you deserve support in a confidential, accepting, safe and caring environment.

Have you ever wondered why, despite all your efforts, some emotional problems or conflicts fail to heal? I believe dysregulation is at the heart of the problem. Crying uncontrollably, racing thoughts or spacing out, flying into rage or shutting down, are all examples of dysregulation. If you've tried therapy before but you're still struggling, it's likely that traditional therapy like CBT, which does not effectively address the nervous system response to stress, has left you still reacting in these old ways. Sensorimotor somatic psychotherapy works directly with the nervous system to down regulate anxiety and upregulate depression.

Healing looks different for everyone, and that is why we begin with a full understanding of your experiences and the context in which they occur. I work collaboratively with you to explore those meanings and help you gain agency over these narratives to live a life with more space for compassion and curiosity in mind, body, and experience. Whatever you are working through, I respect you as the expert. My role is not to analyze, pathologize, or label you, it is to understand you as your whole self, including your experiences, identities, values, and how you have been impacted by the current systems that are set in place.

Do you suffer with chronic pain or illness that leaves you feeling broken, hopeless, and disconnected? This disconnection can show up in our relationships with others, but also in the most important relationship – the one with ourselves. Trauma and toxic relationships can manifest as anxiety, stress, and low mood, but can also show up physically. Perhaps you are overwhelmed with feeling these things, but you are ready to make a change. I am here to help you get to the root of your suffering and live a life that is aligned with your values. Let’s work together to reconnect you with yourself and rediscover a more meaningful life!

Using a client-centred approach, I guide our sessions based on what resonates most with you and your individual needs. You can expect an open and receptive environment, and a safe space where emotions can be deeply felt and expressed.

See You Tube "its not about the nail". We're both counsellors because our passion is seeing people empowered to move forward in life by understanding how to find freedom. It's possible in one visit to understand root causes of problems. We can help you to understand and implement boundaries in both personal and professional relationships. If you're tired of how you're reacting to circumstances and want to rise above emotional chaotic thinking then call.

Life is a journey of constant change, filled with ups and downs. At times, it can feel unsettling and overwhelming. As we transition back to "normal" life after COVID, feelings of fear, anxiety, stress, anger, guilt and shame may be heightened. Are you lacking energy and motivation? Are you dealing self-doubt and finding it hard to make the right decisions? In your relationships, do you struggle to feel heard and understood? Feeling disconnected from your true self is a difficult reality to face, but know that there are solutions to every problem.

True healing is the return of body, mind, and emotion to balance. It is the spiritual restoration of wholeness to all parts of the Being. Recovery is a personal journey of self-discovery and regaining control of your path to wellness. This journey will involve learning from challenges and developing self-awareness about strengths and passions in order to develop meaningful goals related to your purposeful life.

Vijaya's counselling philosophy is to provide a strength-based and cultural sensitivity perspective to clients. Vijaya's extensive professional background allows her to treat clients who have had experiences with mental heath, domestic abuse, sexual assault, relationships issues, anxiety, and depression. Her clients appreciate her personalized approach to counselling in a comforting and welcoming. Vijaya's comprehensive background experienced in working with clients from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Also trained in providing education and Nero rehabilitations after brain injury, with cognitive, emotional and psychological fatigue.