Culturally Sensitive Therapists in Hamilton, ON

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.

Mandeep Lalli

Mandeep Lalli

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stuck? Maybe something feels wrong? I help people navigate anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and relationship struggles, with culturally sensitive care that honours your full background, including pressures others may miss. As a South Asian therapist who spent 15 years in the corporate world, I bring lived experience and real-world context to therapy.

Kumasi Jay Gwynne

Kumasi Jay Gwynne

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Relationships of any kind can be challenging. I never underestimate how complicated things can get once we tease out the relational pieces in our lives and try to understand how they are affecting us.

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.

Megan Gauthier

Megan Gauthier

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist

Virtual

*Accepting new client in-person in Guelph and virtually across Ontario* Therapy for people who struggle with self-doubt, overthinking, and repeating painful relationship patterns.

Cristal Hines

Cristal Hines

Clinical Social Worker & Therapist

Virtual

I am a Registered Social Worker, and trauma therapist specializing in complex trauma, PTSD, family therapy, and racial trauma. I provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed care using CPT, CBT, DBT, and Narrative Therapy to help adolescents, adults, and families heal, build resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change.

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.

Kanica Coshal, MSW RSW

Kanica Coshal, MSW RSW

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist

Virtual

Welcome! My name is Kanica and I am a registered Social Worker with over 10 years of experience working with children, teens and adults. I work from a trauma informed lens and specialize in providing support to individuals experiencing anxiety, OCD, depression, ADHD, relationship challenges, parenting, school-related stressors (i.e. academics, attendance, bullying), self-harm, suicide, and self-e…

Sophie Cohen

Sophie Cohen

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Trauma-informed therapy available virtually

Martha Li

Martha Li

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

I am a Registered Psychotherapist based in Oakville, Ontario. I help you feel understood and supported as we explore what's weighing on you. Together, we uncover patterns, build coping strategies, and nurture the skills you need to thrive. My goal is to create a safe space where you can grow, heal, and feel more connected.

Manisha Grewal

Manisha Grewal

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

I offer a compassionate space to address both immediate struggles and deeper patterns. Together, we’ll build tools to manage symptoms in the present while exploring past experiences, identity, and meaning. My approach blends existential therapy, parts work (IFS), and ACT, and is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and LGBTQIA+/BIPOC affirming.

Aida Retta

Aida Retta

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

You’ve always been the one others count on—the thoughtful one, the steady one. But under the surface, you might feel anxious, resentful, or quietly overwhelmed. You say yes when you want to say no. You shrink your needs to keep the peace. You care deeply, but sometimes feel like you’re disappearing in the process. These patterns often begin in relationships where love felt conditional, conflict w…

Maya Awad

Maya Awad

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), ADHD-SP, HBSc (she, her)

Virtual

Accepting NEW clients - Are you feeling overwhelmed or like you’re carrying a lot on your own? Feel like you're doing everything you’re “supposed to do,” but something still doesn’t feel right? Have a desire to better understand your thoughts, emotions, or patterns, work on building confidence or self-esteem, or find support for your relationship?

Margot Hovey

Margot Hovey

Counselling Therapy

Virtual

About me I’m embracing Eldership in my counselling practice: individuals, dyads, and families through transitions and challenges. During our conversation your life story, influences, and challenges emerge. We’ll collaborate on how to best shape the life you want to lead. Integral counselling weaves mind, body, and spirit into healing. I bring a deep appreciation of wholeness to our work.​

Varshini Skantharajah

Varshini Skantharajah

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Tina Pirvali

Tina Pirvali

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

Accepting new clients. I provide virtual therapy across Canada for adults and couples navigating trauma, relationship challenges, communication difficulties, infidelity, codependency, attachment patterns, and life transitions. Using a warm, trauma-informed approach, I help clients strengthen their relationships, reconnect with themselves, and create lasting, meaningful change.

Lisa O’Donovan

Lisa O’Donovan

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

I offer Psychodynamic, trauma-informed therapy for adults and couples in-person in Burlington and virtually. I support clients navigating complex trauma, relationship difficulties, addiction and recovery, family dysfunction, and life transitions helping to uncover and understand emotional and relational patterns, process experiences, build greater self-awareness in a safe, compassionate space.

Cierra DoCouto

Cierra DoCouto

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Helping adults in Burlington, Ontario navigate anxiety, self-esteem challenges, relationship concerns, and attachment patterns. Offering in-person and virtual psychotherapy that is collaborative, evidence-informed, and tailored to support personal growth, emotional well-being, and resilience.

Kim Michael

Kim Michael

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Betrayal and relationship trauma can leave you stuck, anxious, and unsure where to turn. I help couples recover after infidelity and individuals whose past wounds shape how they trust and connect. Using the Gottman Method, trauma-informed care, and clinical hypnotherapy, we'll rebuild trust and create lasting change. Virtual across Ontario. Evening & weekend appointments. Free 15-min consult.

Donnica Campbell

Donnica Campbell

Registered Social Worker/ Psychotherapist

Virtual

Beginning therapy can feel like a vulnerable step, and it can also open the door to greater grounding, clarity, and self-connection. I work from a trauma-informed and inclusive approach. Together, we’ll explore what healing looks like for you, at a pace that feels supportive, and work toward feeling more connected, empowered, and well.

How do therapists in Hamilton, ON compare?

Number of therapists listed

62

Average years in practice

5.7 Years

Currently accepting new clients

98 %

Therapists in Hamilton, ON who prioritize treating:

77% Anxiety
65% Relationship Issues
55% Trauma and PTSD
47% Depression
34% Self Esteem
31% Emotional Dysregulation
29% Stress
26% ADHD

How therapists see their clients

2% In Person & Online
98% Online Only

Top therapy approaches used in Hamilton, ON:

100% Culturally Sensitive
84% Trauma Focused
74% Cognitive Behavioural (CBT)
71% Strength-Based
66% Person-Centered
61% Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
61% Attachment-based
60% Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Frequently Asked Questions About Culturally Sensitive

What is culturally sensitive therapy?

Culturally sensitive (or culturally competent) therapy is practice that recognizes and respects the ways in which a client's cultural background, identity, and community context shape their experience of distress, their understanding of mental health, their help-seeking behaviour, and their healing. A culturally sensitive therapist does not treat culture as incidental but as central — understanding that concepts like family obligation, spirituality, collectivism vs. individualism, experiences of racism or discrimination, and cultural expressions of distress must all inform the therapeutic approach.

Why does culture matter in therapy?

Mainstream psychological frameworks were largely developed in Western, White, educated, industrialized contexts — which means they do not always apply accurately or helpfully across all cultural groups. The meaning of symptoms, the role of family in decision-making, the acceptability of discussing certain topics, the stigma of mental health in different communities, and the impact of historical trauma (such as residential schools for Indigenous Canadians) all vary significantly by cultural context. Ignoring these factors leads to misdiagnosis, poor therapeutic alliance, and premature dropout from treatment.

Who benefits most from seeking a culturally sensitive therapist?

Culturally sensitive therapy is valuable for everyone, but is particularly important for people from racialized communities, immigrants and newcomers, Indigenous peoples, people navigating bicultural identities, religious and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ2S+ people of colour, and anyone whose cultural identity has been a source of discrimination, shame, or misunderstanding in healthcare settings. If you have previously felt unseen, misunderstood, or pathologized in therapy, a culturally sensitive therapist may make a meaningful difference.

Does my therapist need to share my cultural background?

Not necessarily, though shared background can offer valuable understanding. What matters more than matching identity is cultural humility — a therapist's genuine curiosity about your experience, willingness to learn about your background without making assumptions, and awareness of their own cultural biases. A skilled therapist from a different background who approaches your culture with curiosity and respect may serve you better than one from a shared background who has not examined their own cultural biases or done the training in multicultural practice.

How do I find a culturally sensitive therapist in Canada?

When searching for a therapist, look for those who list culturally sensitive, multicultural, or anti-oppressive practice in their specialities. You can ask directly in a consultation: "How do you approach cultural differences in therapy?" and "Have you worked with clients from my background?" Trust your initial sense of whether a therapist seems genuinely curious about your experience. Theralist allows you to filter by speciality including culturally sensitive practice, and many therapist profiles describe their approach and the communities they serve.