Hey! I’m Stephanie – I’m a Registered Psychotherapist that lives with my husband in Toronto, Canada. I provide online therapy to residents of Ontario. Like so many of us, I have had my own personal struggles with anxiety and perfectionism that left me very stuck at one point in my life.
My Story
Growing up I worried a lot about what others thought of me and about what I was going to do with my life. I spent so much time up in my head, stressing about things I couldn’t control.
By my teenage years, my mind was running a mile a minute and I didn’t know how to escape the thoughts.
Worries like, “what’s wrong with you?”, “will I ever be good enough?” …
… and harsh self-criticisms like, “you never get it right!”, and “nobody likes you”, were constantly running through my head.
By the time I entered university, my inner critic got the best of me. Sometimes I was too nervous to go out with friends – I felt ashamed, sad, and alone. No matter what I tried, it seemed like I was digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole.
In my early twenties, I began an in-depth journey of personal growth and healing.
I started running and practicing yoga and mindfulness. I began to learn to relate to my thoughts in a different way and I understood that my thoughts didn’t need to control me.
Eventually I discovered an approach to therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Where yoga and meditation had left off, therapy helped me to develop self-awareness, understand my own patterns, and take control of the relationship I have with my thoughts and feelings.
I learned about all of the strategies I used to avoid my anxiety, and how some strategies such as withdrawing were making my life worse in the long run. I clarified my values and I was able to reconnect with the things that mattered most to me.
I realized that, all along, my inner critic had been judging the very things I cared most about. Authenticity, kindness, and compassion were strong values of mine. I craved connection, yet I had been hiding myself away from others.
After I finished my undergrad I moved to Ireland for a year. The open and friendly culture helped me realize how much I enjoyed talking with others and hearing their stories.
I decided to pursue my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and also entered back into my own personal therapy. My therapist helped me realize that what I was going through was really common and affected a lot of people. I learned that I could do the things that mattered to me and move forward in my life, even though I was experiencing anxiety.
My inner critic still pops up from time to time, but I now have a number of tools to help take the critic less seriously, and also treat myself with compassion when it does show up.
My story may be a bit different than yours, but my aim as a therapist is to help support you along your own personal journey and to meet you wherever you are at.
I look forward to meeting you and seeing how I can support you!
Professional Bio
I received my Hon. Bachelor of Science with a specialization in Psychology from the University of Toronto, and my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. I have training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Mindful Self-Compassion.
I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and a professional member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). I am a board member for the Ontario Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (ACBS).
