Motivational Interviewing Therapists in Guelph, ON

Nikki Ward

Nikki Ward

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Therapist & Clinic Owner at Electric City Wellness Accepting new clients both In-Person in Peterborough & Virtually throughout Ontario! Offering FREE 20-minute consultations!

Carla Barbosa

Carla Barbosa

Registered Social Worker

Virtual

I’m a bilingual psychotherapist (English | Portuguese) offering LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent-affirming therapy for adults navigating autism, ADHD, burnout, and identity exploration. I integrate compassion, cultural awareness, and evidence-based care to help clients feel seen and empowered across life’s transitions.

Alysha Leal

Alysha Leal

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Life can throw us curveballs that may seem impossible to navigate or process through emotionally. I understand the courage it takes to seek support, and I am here to walk alongside you every step of the way. Regardless of where you are in your journey, I will meet you there and work collaboratively with you to get to where you want to be.

Haley Moore

Haley Moore

Registered Social Worker (RSW)

Virtual

Welcome to Therapy Uninterrupted, where your mental well-being is our top priority. We understand that life can be challenging, and sometimes we all need a little extra support. As a team of dedicated clinicians, we are here to help you navigate through your journey and find the strength within yourself to heal and grow.

Mackenzie Fournier

Mackenzie Fournier

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Hi, I’m Mackenzie! I’m a Psychotherapist who loves keeping therapy real, down-to-earth, and practical. I help people untangle patterns around anxiety, food, and self-trust using tools grounded in science. In sessions, I bring my authentic self—you can expect a mix of support, guidance, and maybe a little humour when it feels right—so we can tackle challenges together without the extra pressure.

Arianne Nicole Palmares

Arianne Nicole Palmares

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Hi, I’m Arianne. I’m glad you’re here. I believe everyone deserves therapy access, regardless of background or identity. As a first-generation immigrant, I combine lived experience with clinical training to create a safe and brave space where you can be seen, heard, and take meaningful steps toward the life you want.

Teodora Kostadinovska

Teodora Kostadinovska

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

I am dedicated to supporting youth, adults, and couples who may be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about their next steps in life. Reaching out for support can be a vulnerable and courageous decision, and my goal is to create a space where you feel safe, heard, and understood. Therapy is a journey, and I am here to offer a steady hand as you move toward growth and greater well-being.

Sarah Perone

Sarah Perone

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

I help individuals and couples break painful relationship cycles so they can feel more connected, secure, and confident. I support concerns like recurrent conflict, relationship anxiety (and ROCD), limerence, and resentment. Using an attachment- and evidence-based approach, I offer warm, non-judgmental virtual therapy across Ontario. Book a free 15-minute consultation to get started.

Anna Marson

Anna Marson

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Anna Marson is a registered psychotherapist specializing in ADHD, trauma, neurodiversity, attachment, stress, and emotion regulation. She integrates evidence-based therapies, mindfulness, and ADHD coaching to help clients build resilience, regulate emotions, and develop practical skills for lasting, positive change. Her approach is compassionate, brain/body-informed, and strength-based.

Jessica DeMille

Jessica DeMille

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, B.Sc (Hons)

Virtual

I work with individuals, couples, families, and children (10+), providing a safe, supportive space for exploration and growth. Using an integrative, client-centered approach, I help clients navigate anxiety, depression, relationships, and life transitions, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and meaningful change. Together, we explore tools and strategies to support emotional well-being.

Abby Tait

Abby Tait

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

You might come to therapy feeling stuck in familiar patterns - ways of coping, thinking, or relating that once made sense but now feel hard to shift. You may be thoughtful and self-aware, yet find yourself overthinking, avoiding certain emotions, or feeling disconnected from who you are or where you’re headed. Questions about identity, values, and purpose often sit quietly underneath these experi…

Siobhan McCarthy, MSW, RSW

Siobhan McCarthy, MSW, RSW

Registered Individual and Family Therapist , Clinical Consultant

Virtual

If you feel that you are not living your best life, your relationships are not what you hoped they would be, or the conflict in your life is not going away, perhaps it is time to talk to someone about it. Starting counselling is a brave first step and I will be there to support you through this process. Additionally, I provide supervision to Social Workers in Private Practice.

Katherine Koplov

Katherine Koplov

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

A second-generation psychotherapist with lived experience as an immigrant, corporate leader, and survivor of relational trauma, I bring a compassionate, culturally attuned, and trauma-informed lens. My integrative approach draws on Mindfulness, Somatic Therapy, EFT, IFS, Polyvagal-informed approaches, Narrative Therapy, DBT, CBT, and SFBT to foster meaningful and lasting change.

Connie Coda

Connie Coda

Registered Nurse Psychotherapist, Certified Nurse Psychotherapist

Virtual

Connie is a Registered Nurse Psychotherapist and Certified Nurse Psychotherapist offering virtual therapy to individuals aged 16 and up across Ontario. She supports clients coping with chronic illness, anxiety, grief (including pet loss), stress, and life transitions, using a compassionate and collaborative approach.

Jodi Evers

Jodi Evers

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Providing person-centred, psychodynamic therapy for adults across a wide range of treatment goals. Using an integrative approach that considers the whole person, treatment is adapted to the individual and is deep, experiential, challenging, trauma informed and focused on the body, emotions, and patterns of behavior.

Johanna Benoit

Johanna Benoit

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

NIHB provider, specializing in CPTSD and trauma, perinatal grief and loss, PTSD, anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder.

Grace Gao

Grace Gao

Registered Social Worker

Virtual

Grace is passionate about creating accessible and culturally responsive mental health support, particularly for individuals who may feel hesitant to seek formal counseling services. As a bilingual professional fluent in English and Mandarin, she values creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where clients feel heard and respected.

Annie Szalkai

Annie Szalkai

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

I work with adults from diverse backgrounds, supporting those navigating anxiety, stress, and self-esteem challenges. My approach is client-centred and integrative, drawing from CBT, ACT, EFIT, Solution-Focused Therapy, and more to meet each person’s unique needs.

Tanja Ivic

Tanja Ivic

Registered Social Worker

Virtual

*Accepting new virtual clients across Ontario, supporting teens and adults navigating anxiety, trauma, addiction patterns, identity and life transitions.

Mahum Ahmed

Mahum Ahmed

Registered Social Worker

Virtual

Struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or PTSD? You may feel overwhelmed or stuck and want deeper understanding—not just symptom relief. I offer compassionate, tailored therapy using evidence-based approaches like CBT. Together, we’ll build emotional regulation, stronger relationships, and a more fulfilling, empowered future.

How do therapists in Guelph, ON compare?

Number of therapists listed

49

Average years in practice

7 Years

Currently accepting new clients

100 %

Therapists in Guelph, ON who prioritize treating:

78% Anxiety
55% Relationship Issues
53% Depression
35% Trauma and PTSD
33% ADHD
31% Emotional Dysregulation
31% Self Esteem
22% Grief

How therapists see their clients

98% Online Only
2% In Person Only

Top therapy approaches used in Guelph, ON:

100% Motivational Interviewing
96% Cognitive Behavioural (CBT)
71% Strength-Based
69% Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
67% Trauma Focused
61% Dialectical Behaviour (DBT)
61% Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
59% Person-Centered

Frequently Asked Questions About Motivational Interviewing

What is motivational interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, goal-oriented communication style developed by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick to strengthen a person's own motivation and commitment to change. MI is based on the premise that ambivalence about change is normal — people simultaneously want to change and want to stay the same — and that the therapist's role is to help the person explore and resolve this ambivalence in the direction of their own values and goals, rather than imposing change or providing advice. It is person-centred, evidence-based, and widely used in addiction treatment, health behaviour change, and mental health.

What are the core skills of motivational interviewing?

The core MI skills (OARS) are Open-ended questions (inviting exploration), Affirmations (recognizing strengths and efforts), Reflections (reflecting back what the person has said to deepen understanding), and Summaries (pulling together what has been discussed). The spirit of MI is as important as the skills: a collaborative, evocative, honouring approach that respects the person's autonomy. MI involves selectively attending to and amplifying "change talk" (the person's own arguments for change) while avoiding the righting reflex (the urge to argue for change or give advice).

What does motivational interviewing treat or help with?

MI has strong evidence for substance use disorders (alcohol, opioids, cannabis), smoking cessation, medication adherence, diet and exercise change, weight management, and engaging people who are ambivalent about treatment. It is used as a standalone treatment and as a pre-treatment "engagement" phase before other evidence-based therapies (CBT, community reinforcement approach). MI is also widely used in healthcare settings for health behaviour change.

What is the difference between motivational interviewing and advice-giving?

MI deliberately avoids advice-giving, confrontation, and persuasion — approaches that tend to increase resistance in ambivalent people. When a practitioner argues for change or lists the reasons someone should stop drinking (for example), the person often responds by articulating the reasons they shouldn't — and convincing themselves to stay the same. MI flips this: it evokes the person's own reasons for change and their own arguments, which are far more persuasive to them than arguments from an external authority.

How many sessions of motivational interviewing are needed?

MI has demonstrated efficacy in as few as 1–4 sessions. In many studies, brief MI interventions (even a single 45-minute session) produce significant effects on substance use and behaviour change. MI is often used as an engagement or pre-treatment phase before longer therapy rather than as a prolonged standalone treatment. The brevity makes it particularly valuable in primary care, emergency departments, and settings where extended contact is limited.