Strength-Based Therapists in Ontario

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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.

Mara Behan

Mara Behan

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

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!

Allison Mundle

Allison Mundle

Registered Psychotherapist, Sandalwood Psychotherapy

Virtual In-Person

Online therapy for women in Ontario navigating anxiety, relationships, and emotional overwhelm. You may look like you are holding everything together, while inside you feel anxious, emotionally drained, or disconnected from yourself. Maybe you are used to keeping the peace, carrying too much, or saying yes when something inside you is saying no.

Paris Moaf

Paris Moaf

Registered Psychotherapist, M Psy, MSc, RP

Virtual

As the founder and clinical director of Paris Mind Clinic, Paris Parastoo Moaf specializes in helping clients manage and overcome depression, anxiety, PTSD, emotional disorders, grief, and relationship issues. Using CBT, DBT, MBCT, ACT, EFT, and Adlerian Therapy, Paris Parastoo Moaf tailors sessions to your unique needs.

Meredith Bailey

Meredith Bailey

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

I believe that as a therapist, it is a privilege to be invited into another person’s life & one I never take lightly. Reaching out for support may feel overwhelming, & the task of finding the right person for you can be daunting. I want to assure you this is a safe space, & my primary objective is YOU finding the right person for YOU. Your confidence in that decision is extremely important to me.

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.

Katharine De Santos

Katharine De Santos

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

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.

Now + Next Psychotherapy & Neurofeedback

Now + Next Psychotherapy & Neurofeedback

Registered Psychotherapist

In-Person

Now + Next is a psychotherapy and neurofeedback clinic in Downtown Toronto offering personalized, neuroscience-informed care. We integrate evidence-based therapy, neurofeedback brain training, and practical strategies to help you better understand yourself, improve emotional well-being, and create lasting change. In person in Toronto and virtually across Ontario.

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.

Khysandra Lee

Khysandra Lee

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Cierra DoCouto

Cierra DoCouto

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

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.

Melanie Pine

Melanie Pine

Registered Psychotherapist

In-Person

Are you feeling overwhelmed, unhappy with where you are, or unsure about your next step? You don’t have to figure it out on your own. I’m here to walk with you through life’s challenges and help you create the future you want. I work with both individuals and couples to help support with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, with a strong focus on perinatal mental health.

Lisa O’Donovan

Lisa O’Donovan

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

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.

Ukasha Malik

Ukasha Malik

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Ukasha Psychotherapy is a private therapy practice focused on trauma-informed care, self-awareness, and empowerment. It offers a safe, supportive space for clients to work through challenges like anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. The practice emphasizes accessible mental health education, coping tools, and personal growth.

Samantha Bernhard

Samantha Bernhard

Registered Psychotherapist Qualifying

Virtual In-Person

Mississauga in-person therapy now available! Life can feel overwhelming at times—whether it’s the weight of unresolved emotions, relationship struggles, or the stress of daily life. If you’re looking for a space to feel seen, heard, and supported, I’m here to help.

Yasmin Rombola-Bacchus

Yasmin Rombola-Bacchus

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

Picture a road map through counselling therapy to find more meaningful connections with yourself & others, gaining more confidence & peace. Picture finding yourself again, a greater love for yourself & your life. Imagine a transformed you and a better future. In my practice, you will be provided with a safe & caring environment. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!

Shannon Deeley

Shannon Deeley

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual In-Person

My approach is integrative and conversational with a focus on intersectionality and the therapeutic relationship. I have specialized training in ACT for ADHD, CBT-I (for Insomnia) and have worked with young parents and women who have survived or are fleeing violence.

Taylor Davis

Taylor Davis

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Virtual

If you constantly overthink, struggle to say no, or feel overwhelmed trying to keep everyone else happy, you’re not alone. I support adults navigating anxiety, depression, and people-pleasing using IFS, somatic therapy, and attachment-based approaches to help you reconnect with yourself, regulate emotions, and build more authentic relationships. Reach out to schedule a free consultation.

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.

Cassandra Tennriello

Cassandra Tennriello

Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual

Hi! I'm a Registered Psychotherapist and Canadian Certified Counsellor with 11 years of experience. I walk alongside my clients as they heal, whether supporting emotional regulation, processing trauma, or navigating life transitions. I use an integrative approach, drawing from different theories, modalities, and approaches that fit their unique needs!

How do therapists in Ontario compare?

Number of therapists listed

92

Average years in practice

5.5 Years

Currently accepting new clients

100 %

Therapists in Ontario who prioritize treating:

80% Anxiety
60% Relationship Issues
47% Depression
41% Trauma and PTSD
36% Self Esteem
33% Stress
29% ADHD
27% Emotional Dysregulation

How therapists see their clients

42% In Person & Online
52% Online Only
5% In Person Only

Top therapy approaches used in Ontario:

100% Strength-Based
86% Cognitive Behavioural (CBT)
73% Person-Centered
70% Trauma Focused
57% Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
57% Attachment-based
55% Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
52% Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)

Frequently Asked Questions About Strength-Based

What is strength-based therapy?

Strength-based therapy is an orientation in therapy that deliberately focuses on the client's existing resources, strengths, values, capabilities, and resilience — rather than primarily on pathology, deficits, and problems. It is not denial of difficulties; it is a choice to place equal or greater weight on what is working, what the person has overcome, what they value, and what they are capable of. Strength-based approaches include Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Positive Psychology therapy, narrative approaches, and many humanistic frameworks.

How does strength-based therapy differ from traditional approaches?

Traditional approaches often focus heavily on problems, symptoms, deficits, and what is wrong. Strength-based therapy shifts the lens: rather than "what is your problem and what caused it," it asks "what do you want to be different, what resources do you have, and what has worked before?" This is not bypassing real difficulties — it is choosing to mobilize the person's existing capacity alongside addressing their challenges. The approach is often experienced as more validating and energizing than deficit-focused approaches.

What is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is one of the most widely researched strength-based approaches. Developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, SFBT focuses on identifying and amplifying what the client does when the problem is less present (exceptions), describing in detail what their preferred future looks like (the miracle question), and building on their existing strengths and resources. SFBT has evidence for depression, anxiety, family therapy, school settings, and diverse populations. It is brief — often 3–8 sessions.

Is a strength-based approach appropriate for serious mental health concerns?

Yes — strength-based approaches are not limited to mild concerns or wellness coaching. Identifying and mobilizing resilience and existing resources is valuable alongside evidence-based treatment for depression, anxiety, trauma, and serious mental illness. A strength-based lens does not mean ignoring suffering — it means holding both the difficulty and the capability simultaneously. For very serious presentations, strength-based approaches are most effective as part of a comprehensive treatment plan rather than as the only approach.

Who benefits most from strength-based therapy?

Strength-based therapy tends to resonate particularly with people who feel pathologized or whose sense of self-efficacy has been eroded by chronic difficulties; with people who prefer a future-focused, action-oriented approach over extended exploration of the past; with children and adolescents for whom building on strengths is developmentally appropriate; and with people from cultural backgrounds where talking about problems or expressing distress is less natural than focusing on action and solutions. The approach can be deeply empowering when done well.