“When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like, ‘WHAAAT?" - Phil Dunphy
Hi, I’m Angela . . .
This might sound crazy but, I love love love anxiety! It’s an amazing process that is designed to keep us safe – when it’s working properly.
Back in the 90’s when I had my first child I was in school for law. A book I read at the time changed my plan entirely. It was called “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doige. It was full of fascinating stories of neuroplasticity – the ability of the brain to actually change structure. I was instantly fascinated with how diseases or injuries in our brain affects our behaviour and how our behaviour also can change the actual structure of brain matter. I chose developmental and neuroscience electives whenever I could so that I could learn brain/behaviour processes, and now I use that information to better help clients understand themselves and their symptoms. I focus on what works – the same tools won’t work for everyone because one size does not fit all – and my passion is about finding the right tools for each individual person, so you can confidently manage your own life’s stresses.
Right from the start of my psychotherapy training, my best successes were with clients who struggled with different kinds of anxiety. They were clients who managed their lives fairly well but often found themselves feeling blocked or frozen, unable to cope with symptoms that sometimes seemed to come from out of nowhere, or who were feeling stuck, or avoided certain things in their lives because the anxiety was just too much.
I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. I obtained an Honors Specialization in Psychology Bachelor’s Degree at Huron College at Western and then my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Yorkville University.
My goal as a therapist is to help others navigate challenging thoughts and emotions when anxiety feels overwhelming. Anxiety is powerful, but you can learn how to use your own power and bring a sense of control back into your life – restoring peace of mind.
What I’m most proud of are my kids. All five of them (ages 5-24) are incredibly interesting, funny, and compassionate people, and uniquely themselves. It has been the greatest pleasure (and the greatest stress!) of my life to nurture them and watch them grow into really cool people!
As a really busy mom for over two decades, I am uniquely qualified to help you cope with high stress, anxiety and challenging situations. I know what it’s like to prioritize everyone else’s needs before my own (kids, partner, dog), and I also understand how important it is to take care of yourself, so that you can more effectively take care of the things in your life that are most important to you.