Culturally Sensitive Therapists in Markham, ON
Lisa O’Donovan
Registered Psychotherapist
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.
Sophie Cohen
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Trauma-informed therapy available virtually
Martha Li
Registered Psychotherapist
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.
Julia Finetti
Registered Clinical Counsellor & Couples Therapist
Julia Finetti (MA, CCC, RCC) is a compassionate therapist specializing in relationships, life transitions, and emotional healing. She creates a warm, grounded space where clients finally feel at ease. With a practical, insight-driven approach, Julia helps people set boundaries, break old patterns, and reconnect with themselves - delivering real, lasting change.
Haley Moore
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
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.
Tina Pirvali
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
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.
Charmaine McIntosh
Psy.D., R.P.
Hello and Welcome to Sojourn Wellness, a virtual practice. Charmaine is a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Health and Life Coach. Our approach is holistic, collaborative and person-centred. We provide coaching, psychotherapy, and assessments such as psychoeducational, immigration, psychological for mental health, motor-vehicle accidents (MVA), long-term disability (LTD), and workplace…
Christina Hong
Registered Provisional Psychologist
Hello there! I am Christina, I have a genuine love and care for connecting with people. I’m here to support you if anxiety has been making life feel heavy or overwhelming. I believe that, counselling at its core is the genuine collaborative connection of individuals coming together to navigate this wonderfully bizarrely life of ours. In my role, my mission is to create a warm, supportive, and j…
Mara Behan
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
I help couples and individuals find growth, healing, and stronger connections. Using evidence-based and individualized approaches, I support those struggling with women's health concerns (e.g., pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause), relationship concerns (e.g., resentment, infidelity), and life transitions (e.g., separation/divorce, parenting). I offer a free 15-minute consultation!
Aida Retta
Registered Psychotherapist
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…
Mehek Somani
Registered Psychotherapist
Hi there! I'm Mehek. I'm glad you're here! I specialize in burnout, stress, people-pleasing, self-esteem and relationship issues, intergenerational trauma for POC and immigrant communities. Using an emotionally focused, attachment-based, IFS, DBT, trauma informed and culturally sensitive approaches, I offer online therapy across Ontario (Mon–Fri) and Walk & Talk sessions in Oakville on Saturdays.
Emma Hartley
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, BA (she, her)
Are you looking for a therapist that knows what it's like to feel lost or overwhelmed and how to find your footing again? Noticing yourself feeling more anxious, "just tired", and craving a space to slow down and reconnect with a sense of meaning or purpose? Trying to make sense of shifts in mood, questioning careers, exploring relationships, parenting and identity, or a major life transition?
Johanna Benoit
Registered Psychotherapist
NIHB provider, specializing in CPTSD and trauma, perinatal grief and loss, PTSD, anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder.
Daniel Wayow
Registered Psychotherapist
Daniel is a therapist specializing in men’s issues, relationships, addiction, and depression, while also working with women and couples. Rejecting rigid, clinical therapy, he uses humor, curiosity, and holistic care—integrating mind, body, and spirit. With a background in fitness and NASM nutrition training, he offers a collaborative, down-to-earth approach so clients never have to do life alone.
Li Li
Registered Psychotherapist
Li offers relational psychoanalytic and trauma-informed somatic/EMDR/IFS/EFT therapy, to support individual, couples and families in communities such as immigrants, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent (ADHD), and professionals, whose experiences resonate with her own life journey the most. She holds a compassionate, culturally attuned space where clients can express freely and rediscover their authentic self.
Kanica Coshal, MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
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…
Maya Dousti
Registered Psychotherapist
I am a BIPOC trauma therapist, and I work with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, emotional dysregulation, self-esteem, life transitions, racial/cultural issues, new parenthood, identity, family and interpersonal relationships. I work eclectically, borrowing from several modalities to meet my client's needs.
Amanda Rout
Registered Psychotherapist
Have you been struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or self-esteem? Have you been feeling tired, overwhelmed, or stuck? You are not alone. I offer a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space for you to show up as your authentic self and feel heard and understood. Working from a client-centred and collaborative approach, I strive to meet you where you are and support you in navigating th…
Katharine De Santos
Registered Psychotherapist
Healthy Minds Psychotherapy was founded in 2018 with the mission of providing psychotherapeutic care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering resilience in each person and our community as a whole.
Varshini Skantharajah
Registered Psychotherapist
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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.