Therapists in Chinatown, Toronto, ON

You’ve been through a lot. Life and its challenges keep you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and confused, like heavy boulders in your way. Perhaps, you are going through a difficult transition and finding it hard to adjust or something in your life just doesn’t feel right. You might be feeling numb, angry, sad, hopeless, scared… you may be feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. You might not know where or how to start. Therapy can be an intimidating experience as it requires us to open up to our inner world. Taking the first step is hard and I value the courage it takes to make that first stride.

I offer support to individuals who are seeking assistance and investing in their personal growth and development. I hope to walk alongside you, to empower you to invest in your wellness as we explore your strengths, values and areas of growth. Topics of focus may include: depression, anxiety, stress, relationships, self-esteem and self-confidence, life transitions, career goals, adjusting to change, and loss. Through experiential cognitive and mindfulness exercises, we may explore your thought patterns, practice training your awareness and experiment with new coping skills.

With me as your therapist I will guide you through a journey of self-discovery, exploring the roots of your struggles in childhood and major life events. By understanding your past, we illuminate the path to a brighter present and future. Whether virtually or in person, our sessions are tailored to your unique needs. I am also happy to offer a sliding scale.

Are you someone who feels stuck in anxiety, overthinking, and relationship struggles, often caught in cycles of grappling for control, perfectionism or people-pleasing? Do you know your past trauma impacts your present but feel overwhelmed or disconnected? If you are seeking a compassionate space where you can explore their emotions and receive a blend of somatic, EMDR, and mindfulness-based therapy to heal deeply, we should connect. We can work towards managing anxiety, setting boundaries without guilt, building healthier connections, and creating a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

Do you feel like life is chaos and you’re all alone? Like none of your relationships are working out and that there’s always a crisis to address? Maybe you’ve been told you’re too much or too sensitive and that you need to get over things that have happened to you in the past. Whether you have been diagnosed with BPD, CPTSD, PTSD, or are struggling with feeling chronically suicidal, managing you addiction, or feel emotionally out of control, HopeStart Therapy is dedicated to validating and supporting individuals to address these experiences, figure out what’s going on, and find practical skills to grow into living the life you want.

First and foremost, I provide clients with a space in which they feel safe, valued, comfortable, and heard. As someone with lived experience, I am all too familiar with the challenges of addiction and the destructive tendencies that accompany them. I want to validate your experiences: You are not alone. Let's take the first step, together.

My counselling practice is about supporting growth, achieving positive change and overcoming adversity with compassion and integrity. An effective therapeutic relationship can help clarify the nature of struggles you are facing and most importantly, foster your strengths and skills to help you achieve your goals. I would value the opportunity to provide you with responsive, evidenced-based supports in your process of growth.

Are you looking for a therapist that understands what it means to be a part of the queer and trans community? Hi! My name is Sawyer and I use they/them pronouns. I’m a queer, transgender, non-binary registered social worker, and therapist working with Positive Space Consulting. I’m looking to connect deeply with the queer and trans community in a relational and curious way. I hold a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from the Univesity of Calgary.

With gentleness, curiosity and humour, I've walked with people at all ages and stages: facing mental illness or trauma, dealing with infertility or baby loss, embracing queer identity, wrestling with spirituality, living with disability. Your story is central, but talking isn't everything: some of our deepest wounds are held in realms beyond words. Because I often work with trauma and embodied pain, I use neurobiology-based somatic approaches. I use Internal Family Systems (inner parts work) and other approaches that engage clients’ creative, imaginative, and meditative sides in the service of healing.

To grow and to heal. This is a choice we can make. If you are reading this, you have already taken a step in that direction. Perhaps you are wondering if therapy can help you take some more steps. These steps can be in many directions – doing better, achieving goals, reducing distress, managing difficult emotions, understanding unhelpful patterns, dealing with relationship issues, coming to terms with the issues of the past, or seeking answers to life’s challenging questions. We arrive in therapy with our own unique expectations. My goal is to help you take the steps towards meeting those expectations.

Do you feel like you don’t know how to ask for help, or feel like you have no one to turn to? Do you feel like there’s a part of your identity that you need to explore? Have you tried other therapists before and it felt too stuffy or like you didn’t ‘click’? Hi, I’m Steph and I see you, thank you for being here. I am here to remind you that it is okay to be feeling exactly how you feel, all of your feelings are valid. I bring my whole self to our sessions with a grounded, curious and kind demeanor and really focus on fostering a genuine therapeutic relationship with you. I believe that therapy should feel less clinical and formal.

Dr. Michel (Mike) Thibodeau is a clinical psychologist and member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. His practice focuses on the assessment and treatment of adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety-related disorders. He is committed to delivering efficient evidence-based treatment using cognitive behavioural therapy and exposure and response prevention guided by current research on best practices. His pragmatic skills-based approach is paired with a collaborative therapeutic style to empower his clients to make lasting changes.

Entering therapy can be scary. There are so many things to think about. What happens if that tightly held container you’ve been putting things in, overruns you and floods you once you start opening up about hard things? What if you feel more judgment and more shame from therapy? Opening up to another human being can be hard and therapy may feel like a calculated risk, and I understand this. It is a risk. What I can also tell you, though, is that I strive to provide you with a caring, respectful, non-judgmental environment. I will make the environment as safe as I can, so you can articulate those things you need to talk about.

I work with individuals and couples to improve their well-being, and re-connect with themselves and their loved ones on a deeper emotional level. I use a practical and direct approach to explore your unique experiences, determine your strengths and find techniques and solutions that take into account the moving parts in your life.

Looking for a shrink? You’re in the wrong place—because my job is to help you grow. As a certified clinical trauma specialist, I use a trauma-informed approach to focus on your strengths and resilience, offering a safe environment for you to explore and make sense of your experiences. Using an informed approach in sex therapy, couples counseling, and identity exploration, I blend empathy with deep understanding to create a space where you can confidently navigate your concerns around sex, intimacy, and relationships.

My aim is to listen to my patients and provide proactive care that will help them reach balance and inner peace. Through a CBT based approach , I try and identify the root causes of problems and provide my patients the tools needed to help themselves achieve long term wellness. My specialties are anxiety, depression, OCD, stress and anger management, couples therapy, addiction, chronic pain, emotional disturbance, self-esteem, family conflicts and anxiety . As a fully licensed Psychologist (permit granted by the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec) I can issue receipts to those with insurance for full or partial reimbursement.

Life can feel difficult and quite overwhelming at times. You may be feeling “stuck” in a particular situation, experienced a traumatic event, lacking motivation or confidence, struggling with a relationship, suffering from depression and/or anxiety, or feeling disconnected from others. If any of these situations sound familiar to you, know that you are not alone. Times of adversity are also times of growth, and with appropriate support, even the most difficult of situations can be used as an opportunity to become a better version of yourself!

You may come to therapy because you feel lost, alone, angry, confused, empty, fearful, betrayed, or hopeless. Or not. You may be struggling with anxiety, depression, identity, relationships, unwanted thoughts and feelings, addictions, shame, or guilt. Or not. You may come to therapy because you want to understand how your early experiences are shaping your life. Or you may be curious about the therapeutic process, more generally. Or not.

Experiencing a lot of stress/anxiety? Having a hard time overcoming your past? Therapy can help. We're a team of kind, passionate and experienced counsellors based in Ottawa offering psychotherapy to adult individuals online and in-person. Our goal is to help you get curious about what’s getting in the way of your mental health, and to find clarity, acceptance and motivation to start feeling better. Our work is trauma-informed and you can expect to feel safe, accepted and empowered in session. Visit our website to view our intro videos, what to expect in session, and how to book.