Therapists in Toronto, ON

Our psychotherapy sessions are holistic & address healing at the level of mind, body & spirit. Some of the issues addressed include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship issues, trauma, abuse, grief & loss, spiritual issues & more. We combine the best of modern psychology with eastern wisdom teachings. I also specialize in feminine empowerment & divine feminine awakening, in a signature 3 month program called "The True Feminine Rising". In this program we combine psychology, spirituality, goddess work, chakra healing and yoga psychology.

I work with people who seek a mindful and heart-centred way of resolving traumas, limiting beliefs, stuck emotions, and other blockages. If you want to gently but effectively shed inner patterns that have been holding you back, I am here to help you work on the deepest of levels. We may be a particularly good fit if you have an interest in the domains of intuition, spirituality, or connection to something beyond the self.

Are you navigating questions about your sexual orientation or gender identity? Are your experiencing relationship distress? Are you healing from the loss of a loved one? At Collective Care Counselling, we specialize in the following areas: trauma, grief and loss, spirituality, gender identity, transitioning, LGBTQIA2s+, perinatal mental health, OCD, BDD, neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, etc.), concussions, and many other topics. All of our therapists work from a trauma-informed, strengths-based, anti-oppressive and intersectional framework.

I remember feeling so lost and alone, unsure which way to turn. Who was I? Having 2 young children yet, wanting to die. The pain was unbearable, I could not see any other way out. I cried non stop, dragging myself out of bed in the morning; slept many hours during the day. Not able to see any possibility of change in sight. Why do I hurt? Why am I here? Blaming myself for all that had gone wrong in my life. I was emotionally frozen. No hope! Even the things I loved, didn't bring me joy any more. Does this sound like you? Do you want to be rid of your pain? Are you tired of living this way? IT IS possible to change! I did!

Welcome! I am committed to cultivating a nurturing relationship with clients that sees, affirms and honours individuals for who they are. All parts of you, including the parts that have been hurt, are welcome here. I believe that the human spirit is resilient, in spite of trauma, hardship, and struggle. You have the power to heal, and I am here to empower that spirit. As a client, you are in charge of your healing and are the sole authority of your lived experience. I offer you the freedom to set both the goals & the pace of our work together, and I intend to meet you where you are.

With over a decade of experience in the field of psychotherapy, I have witnessed the transformative power of healing first-hand. My extensive training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) allows me to employ evidence-based techniques tailored to your unique needs. Throughout my career, I have successfully supported clients dealing with a wide range of challenges, including trauma, PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), developmental trauma, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

I work in a non-pathologizing, strengths-based way, and your dignity is important to me. I am an experienced psychotherapist with a focus on transitions, relationships, trauma and mindfulness. I offer a customized treatment experience that takes into account your preferences and past experiences and how these fit with evidence-based approaches.

I am a registered psychotherapist and have been practicing in Toronto since 2010, offering psychotherapy with Intuitive alignment strategies. I work from a trauma-informed base of psychotherapy. I am certified by the Heart-Math Institute as a Heart Coherency Teacher. As a practitioner of yoga and shamanic traditions of indigenous wisdom. I offer a synergy of traditional western methods in compliment with tested therapeutic alternatives. Having recently adapted my practice to enable online counselling and online trauma-informed psychotherapy, I am now available to work with clients irrespective of location.

You’re smart and motivated. You have the spark to create impact in this world. And there’s a part of you that already knows that. But you feel like you aren’t yet living up to your true potential. Something keeps holding you back. This leaves you feeling guilty and frustrated, and you believe you should have it figured out by now. You’re tired of band-aid fixes, and ready to get to the root cause of what’s holding you back. You deserve to have the clarity and confidence to pursue your life calling.

Do you want to grow in life? I believe that wisdom and creativity emerge through openness, curiosity, and reflection on your authentic experience. Usually when we experience difficulty in life, we do our best to adapt. We might push away our pain or attempt to mentally escape our situation. This may help in the short term, but our deeper unresolved issues often resurface in confusing or distressing experiences. We can find ourselves in patterns of feeling stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or confused. These patterns are not just random occurrences but meaningful signals that something needs more attention.

I have learned there is wisdom and resilience hidden in even the most painful of patterns, even when these patterns leave us trapped in destructive habits, despair or bad relationships. Once we find the wise intentions behind the old strategies, healing can happen. If you’re used to numbing out or criticizing yourself to get through the hard times – we’ll do it differently. Therapy with me is a judgment-free space to bring your sorrow, anxiety, anger and confusion without having to hide it or push through on your own.

Welcome, courageous human. If you recognize your patterns (& still struggle to change the harmful ones) . . . if you find yourself overwhelmed/triggered all over the place by the state of this world, or your family, or your relationships, I see you. Come in to the courage room. (The good news: you're already there, in the courage room of your brain-body-spirit.) If you want to heal: betrayal trauma (including sexual assault, incest); anxiety or stuckness; or require support during a big transition, please reach out. (FYI, my hypnotherapy work is different than regular therapy. Learn more about both here: www.karenconnelly.ca).

I work with people who are undergoing any experience that might be called 'transformation.' Sometimes transformation is forced upon us by trauma, and sometimes we are called to it from within. Either way, it can be difficult to navigate alone. I can provide you with a compassionate space where you can process pain, come to understand your patterns, and grow into your truest self. By using a holistic approach that gets to the roots of deep issues, we will move at your own pace to uncover pathways toward healing. This involves understanding the past, exploring emotions in the here-and-now, and tapping into the body's wisdom.

"I believe one of the bravest things you can do is to begin to understand your own story." I have dedicated my life to build a practice where people can come to a place of peace, where you feel comfortable and safe to unburden yourself about the most intimate and personal aspects of your life without the fear of being judged or shamed. This process allows you to shed the layers that keep you going in the same cycles and help you start a new and more fulfilling chapter in your life. Calling a therapist can be intimidating, but I hope you will take a moment (and maybe a deep breath) to call and see how I can help.

I welcome new clients. Depression, anxiety, trauma, and other debilitating emotions do not need to be the norm. Tap into the wisdom of your mind. Mindfulness is being in the present moment, which is the only moment you have control over. Meditation changes your brain chemistry. Both are skills you can learn and practice. Treat your mind like any other body part in pain, be tender, kind, and attentive. I am a Registered Psychotherapist with a degree in Psychology from McMaster University. I am a certified Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Facilitator. I specialize in using mindfulness and meditation to heal.

My style of coaching is client-led, active, adventurous, collaborative, and compassionately challenging. Using specialised, bottom-up and top-down approaches to leverage brain design, functionality, and neuroplasticity, sessions go above and beyond the standard formulaic coaching model to engage the subconscious mind, deepen transformation, foster rapid results, and facilitate positive long-term change in neural architecture.

I believe that people are much more understandable when you know their life journey. I believe in the power of human connection and the healing that this connection alone can bring about in therapy. My clients know that I am there rooting for them as they navigate difficult chapters: past, present, and future. This is why I am always honoured and excited to hear someone’s story. Looking at the different layers of your story will help us track where certain patterns and cycles have started. Together, we will work through the parts that need healing. We will move forward with this information to make positive changes in your life.

I take a holistic approach to a person’s life, recognizing the impact and continued effects of colonization and systemic racism on racialized bodies. Marginalized communities experience higher rates of loss. Understanding that people experience micro-aggressions, discrimination and racism (overt and covert) socio-political injustices. People may come to me for multiple reasons: Identity development. Economic and health inequities. Over-policing, violence and incarceration, detentions and deportations. Interracial relationships. Workplace stress.

Life rarely goes according to plan, and in our most difficult times, many of us have not had the support and tools needed to navigate losses, transitions, and traumas. My role is to help you find your way through hardship, while expanding your capacity to meet challenges from a place of resilience and acceptance. Your struggles are not due to your own inadequacy; rather, I believe all behaviour makes sense on some level, when viewed from the right perspective. I work from a holistic stance that accounts for the individual, cultural, and societal factors affecting each of us uniquely, and therefore requires a personalized approach.