Meet Cara

Throughout my career, I’ve discovered that my biggest strength is my ability to connect, engage, and build solid, long lasting, and trusting relationships with young people and their families. Because I’m an experienced primary and middle school educator and a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), I’ve developed a skillset and wealth of knowledge around teaching and supporting kids with unique learning profiles, both academically and emotionally. Providing youth and family therapy combines what I really love – helping young people understand their learning and social/emotional processes, build on their skills and confidence, and feel secure in who they are as individuals.

While engaging with young people and families comprises a large portion of how I like to spend my time, I also make art, graphic design, sing, and play piano and guitar. Fortunately, integrating many of the art strategies I’m comfortable with into therapy sessions is often welcomed by and beneficial for kids and teens. Besides getting creative, I adore animals and try to spend as much time with my two cats as possible, and I’m originally from Newfoundland - so I try to visit the East coast whenever I can. I’m a big fan of the city though - I live with my daughter and husband in midtown Toronto.

Approach

During my years of disability assistive work, behaviour therapy, parent work and teaching students requiring mental health and academic supports, I’ve always known that the relationship between supportive professionals, students and families is key. And because I genuinely enjoy spending time with kids and families, connecting with them comes naturally to me.

My approach to therapy is entirely collaborative, person-centred, strengths-based and anti-oppressive. I maintain that every child has a multitude of skills and unique values, and my goal is always to highlight the perspectives and knowledge my clients bring to their learning processes and lived experiences. I work with folks from a broad range of diverse backgrounds and seek out differing perspectives in both my personal and professional life.

Additional Trainings

Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) Essentials: EFFT Level 1 & 2, Nancy T. Aikin and Kathryn de Bruin, 2024

IFS Immersion: Integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) Across Clinical Applications, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Dr. Frank Anderson and others, 2024

Low Demand Parenting Summit, Amanda Diekman and others, 2024

Secure Parent, Secure Child: How a Parent’s Adult Attachment Influences the Attachment of the Child, Annette Kussin, MSW, RSW, RMFT, SickKids Learning, 2024

Guiding Cooperation Parenting Program, Dr. Chelsey Hauge-Zavaleta, 2023

Helping Trauma Survivors Level 1, Maureen MacDiarmid, 2022

Creative Interventions to Assess and Treat School Refusal, Liana Lowenstein, 2021

TASC Suicide Prevention Training TASC, LivingWorks, 2021