Chronic Illness Therapists in Ontario

Challenges and difficult times can happen to any one. Are you experiencing anxiety, unstable moods, life stress or transitions? Do you suffer from chronic illness, pain, perinatal challenges, or issues with substances? I will collaborate with at your pace to help you achieve more control, clarity, and solutions for difficult times. We will look at how thoughts, emotions, and behaviour work together to create different experiences in your life. A trusting relationship with a therapist allows you to enter into deeper discussions and exploration. This can help you transform and elevate your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

I’m passionate about providing clients the space to feel seen and heard, creating the safety to process difficult emotions and experiences, related to trauma, depression, anxiety, chronic illness/injury and life stressors and changes. I’ve also delved into the field of psychedelics offering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy alongside talk therapy at the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Healing. A Registered Social Worker in Sault Ste. Marie, I have been dedicated to the fields of mental health, medical challenges and rehabilitation for more than 15 years. I can't wait to explore innovative approaches to healing and well-being with you!

I am a therapist who is passionate about working with my clients to achieve their personal goals, whether they are facing personal difficulties, life challenges, life transitions, or looking for personal growth and self-improvement. I take a client-centred and solutions focused approach and believe in working together with each of my clients to find the effective strategies and solutions that work best for them.

Finding a therapist who gets you makes a big difference. Together, we can explore your challenges, and figure out what makes life happy and meaningful to you. We can work on recognizing and breaking out of patterns that no longer serve you, building new skills, and developing deeper, more meaningful relationships with others, as well as compassion and appreciation for yourself. My approach incorporates evidence-based therapy models including Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, and Expressive Arts Therapy.

Accepting new clients for online therapy! Living with chronic illness, disability, or neurodivergence is hard. Getting through the overwhelm of everyday life feels impossible. You're starting to feel like all you think about is your condition and everything it has taken away from you - work, hobbies, sleep, relationships. Your family and friends don’t get it. They try to help and probably mean well, but sometimes the dismissive way they say things makes you feel worse. You try to hide your symptoms to seem “normal” but inside, you feel like you might break.

Do you feel like you’re constantly negotiating your own identity amongst challenges and responsibilities in your life? From defining your role as a parent or a  partner, to living within a multi-generational/multi-family home, relationships can become a source of ongoing stress.Unexpected changes such as a health crisis or separation can send you into a world of healthcare or social programs that can make you feel overwhelmed.As someone who identifies as BIPOC, and who lives with a chronic illness, I have lived experience in negotiating these worlds. I invite you to work with me to develop strategies to help you cope, heal and grow.

Our team of Registered Social Workers & Registered Psychotherapists is deeply committed to supporting clients make the change they need to live their healthiest, most vibrant lives. We work closely with clients to create a life that allows for genuine fulfillment, healthy connection and greater self-awareness. The interventions we implement are evidence based and our team is thoroughly trained so that we can offer exceptional therapeutic services to children & youth, adults, couples and parents. Be in touch to learn more :)

Being anxious, sad, overwhelmed or having no hope can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health. Seeking help might not be easy; and opening up and revealing yourself in therapy can be intimidating. This is why most people who suffer mentally and emotionally, do not seek help, often being forced to cope in unhealthy ways to seek temporary relief. But you are here because you are seeking help, congratulations for taking your first step towards healing!

You just made the first step in your journey! Therapy is a process that allows you to understand yourself and heal from within becoming the best version of you. I provide a warm space for clients that want to work on issues including eating disorders, trauma, OCD, anxiety, burnout/stress, and chronic illnesses. Seeing the change in my clients from the first day they sit in my office chair to the last is why I do what I do!

I am a social worker with over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience in the mental health field. I promote health and well being while providing counselling to individuals, couples, groups and families. I have guided many in setting goals for moving forward while living with chronic illness or facing difficult life transitions. I have also helped couples and families learn how to best adapt to the challenges and stresses of having a loved one be acutely or chronically ill. I offer a welcoming, inclusive and non judgmental space for our work.

The need for connection emerges from our very core. Though we are social beings, when our core is wounded or in pain, we may instinctively attempt to protect ourselves, even from our nearest and dearest companions. Whether we’re going through a particularly challenging time in life or facing our usual day-to-day stressors, counselling can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. I work with children, youth and adults learning to: respond skillfully to emotional distress; adjust to expected and unexpected life transitions; process grief and loss; and manage parenting demands and expectations.

At some point in our lives we all struggle with something that feels super heavy and is weighing us down. Is there hurt, anger, grief, regret or relational discord that you haven’t yet made eye contact with or spoken aloud about? It’s my passion and privilege to help you find your way. You don’t need to do it alone. To explore or unpack life's pain and challenges is a courageous step that can lead to meaningful outcomes of growth, healing and a greater sense of wellness. Since each one of us is unique, I intentionally engage in a collaborative approach which respects your individual strengths, experiences and needs.

As a young person, Wallace Upper experienced the positive effects and the value of accessing counselling services. Therapy gave him the tools to navigate the effects of a traumatic childhood. His experience inspired him to help others and influenced his post-secondary education path. This desire was further cemented after sustaining a spinal cord injury during his second year of university, completely paralyzing him from the chest down. If not for the power of peer connections and the help of a great counsellor, he doesn’t believe he would be where he is today.

Are you stuck in a loop of anxiety, negative thinking, emotional turmoil and/or self sabotaging behaviours? Are you tired of suffering, and feeling overwhelmed, and powerless? Do you feel the need for a real solution but have been frustrated by limited or superficial approaches when you have tried therapy before? Through my experience in treating thousands of clients I’ve discovered what is most effective in solving problems and just as importantly, how to help my clients understand themselves and the root of their problem. I empower them with effective tools and insights so they can also coach themselves as they move forward.

Are you seeking personalized solutions to your dilemmas, mental health struggles, stress from chronic illness, or relationship difficulties? Have you suffered a loss and need support in your grieving and mourning process? Maybe you have experienced criticial incidents recently and would like to prevent post-traumatic stress and anxiety? Finally, have you experienced childood adversity or past victimization for which you would like to find a resolution? If any of the above apply, I believe my professional training and years of clinical experience could benefit you.

Life often does not go according to plan and sometimes we need support navigating its challenges. I am passionate about supporting others in living their best quality of life possible. I believe this is best done by creating and holding a safe, non-judgmental space to support self-awareness, curiosity, expression, and change. I believe that each individual has a unique life experience and that you are the expert on your life. I view my role as a counsellor as a supportive guide and ally on whatever journey you happen to be on. I offer an empathetic, inclusive, integrated and collaborative approach.

I am an accomplished and compassionate clinical social worker who has been practicing psychotherapy for over 25 years in various clinical settings. I bring a wide range of skilled approaches to therapy sessions, and have extensive experience working with clients of all ages, backgrounds and complex life situations. My fields of specialization include anxiety and depression, transitions across the life course, caregiving, chronic illness, dementia, grief and bereavement, family dynamics and school and workplace stress. I am licensed in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

I provide counselling to individual adults and teens facing a variety of challenges including anxiety and stress, depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, and chronic illness and pain. I am calm, compassionate and experienced. I’ve worked in the field for 20 years and provide confidential services in a caring and supportive environment.

As a therapist, I am here to work with you to overcome the challenges that you are facing. Whether you are struggling with depression or anxiety, thoughts about suicide, challenges related to chronic illness or disability, interpersonal and relationship issues, cultural identity, immigration, sexuality, gender identity, grief and loss, or difficult emotions, we will work together to build up your resources and your resilience.