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Meet Our Team
Every member of our team brings something different — and every client deserves the right fit
Frank Kakarelis - Founder
MACP, R.Kine, Registered Psychotherapist & EMDR Clinician
Meet Frank
Frank works with individuals and couples navigating trauma, PTSD, relationship difficulties, and the emotional impact of overwhelming life experiences. Combining his background in psychotherapy and kinesiology with EMDR, somatic work, and parts-based approaches, he brings a distinctive, body-aware perspective to healing, with a particular interest in men’s mental health and the effects of traumatic brain injury.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
EMDR therapy
Men’s mental health
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Somatic and body-aware therapy
Emotional regulation and stress
Anxiety and depression
Relationship and couples therapy
Attachment wounds and recurring patterns
Identity, self-understanding, and personal growth
Who Frank Works With
Men Navigating Mental Health Challenges — Men experiencing stress, emotional disconnection, anxiety, relationship difficulties, or challenges expressing and understanding their emotional experiences.
Individuals Healing from Trauma — People whose past experiences continue to affect their sense of safety, emotional well-being, relationships, or everyday lives.
Individuals Living with the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury — People navigating the emotional and personal challenges associated with traumatic brain injury and changes in how they experience themselves and the world.
Couples Experiencing Relationship Difficulties — Partners seeking to understand recurring conflict, improve communication, and rebuild emotional connection.
Individuals Who Feel Stuck in Repeating Patterns — People who understand their difficulties intellectually but continue to experience familiar emotional reactions, behaviours, or relationship challenges.
Therapy with Frank
Frank integrates EMDR, somatic approaches, and parts-based work to help clients explore the connections between their experiences, emotions, bodily responses, and relationship patterns. His background in kinesiology adds a body-aware dimension to his therapeutic work, recognizing that emotional distress can affect more than thoughts alone. His approach supports clients in developing a deeper understanding of their experiences, processing difficult memories where appropriate, and building healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges.
→ Available In-Clinic in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON
→ Limited Availability for New Clients
Zoe Eliopoulos
B.A. RSW. - Registered Social Worker & EMDR Clinician.
Meet Zoe
Zoe works with individuals and couples navigating trauma, anxiety, grief, relationship difficulties, and the lasting effects of stressful or overwhelming experiences. With a particular interest in supporting first responders and frontline workers, she draws on EMDR, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and grounding techniques to help clients process difficult experiences, build emotional resilience, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
EMDR therapy
First responders and frontline workers
Work-related stress and occupational trauma
Anxiety and depression
Grief and loss
Couples and relationship challenges
Self-esteem and personal growth
Emotional regulation and stress management
Coping with overwhelming or distressing experiences
Who Zoe Works With
First Responders and Frontline Workers — Individuals managing the emotional impact of demanding work, repeated exposure to stressful events, occupational trauma, or experiences that are difficult to leave behind at the end of a shift.
Individuals Navigating Trauma — People working through distressing experiences, trauma-related symptoms, anxiety, or patterns that continue to affect their everyday lives.
Individuals Experiencing Anxiety, Grief, or Stress — Clients seeking practical tools and a deeper understanding of their emotional responses to difficult experiences and life changes.
Couples Experiencing Relationship Difficulties — Partners wanting to improve communication, understand recurring patterns, and build healthier, more connected relationships.
Individuals Working on Self-Esteem and Personal Growth — People looking to strengthen their confidence, emotional resilience, and understanding of themselves.
Therapy with Zoe
Zoe takes a collaborative, trauma-informed approach, incorporating EMDR, CBT, mindfulness, and grounding techniques to support clients in working through difficult experiences at a pace that feels manageable. Her focus is on helping clients feel grounded and in control of the therapeutic process while developing greater emotional understanding, practical coping skills, and meaningful change.
→ Available In-Clinic in East Gwillimbury, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Pamela Rose Thwaites
RP, MACP, M.Ed. & EMDR Clinician
Meet Pam
Sometimes something happens and life doesn’t quite feel the same afterward. It might be a traumatic experience, a loss, a difficult relationship, a major transition, or years of experiences that have gradually changed how you see yourself and the world.
Pam offers trauma-informed therapy to adolescents, individuals, and couples across Newfoundland and Labrador, with a particular focus on trauma, PTSD, grief, anxiety, and difficult life transitions. She uses EMDR when appropriate to help clients process distressing experiences that continue to affect them emotionally, physically, or in their relationships.
Before entering therapy, Pam worked in education internationally, including in Korea, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Brunei, as well as within First Nations communities in Canada. These experiences have shaped her understanding of culture, identity, and the many ways people experience and respond to adversity.
Therapy with Pam is collaborative and carefully paced. You don’t need to know exactly what kind of therapy you need before reaching out. You can start with what is happening now and work together to identify what may be useful, at a pace that supports safety and stability.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
EMDR therapy
Grief and loss
Anxiety and emotional distress
Life transitions and coping skills
Relationship challenges and emotional disconnection
Adolescent mental health and major life changes
Couples experiencing conflict, communication difficulties, or the impact of past experiences
Who Pam Works With
Adolescents — Young people navigating identity, relationships, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, trauma, and major life transitions.
Individuals — People feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected, including those dealing with trauma, grief, anxiety, emotional distress, or the lasting impact of difficult experiences.
Couples — Partners experiencing conflict, communication difficulties, emotional disconnection, relationship transitions, or the impact of past experiences on their relationship.
People Affected by Trauma or Loss — People who want support processing distressing experiences, adjusting to loss, or understanding emotional and physical responses that continue after an event.
Therapy with Pam
Pam draws on EMDR and trauma-informed approaches, with attention to safety, stabilization, and each client’s readiness. Her work is collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all: therapy can help clients understand the effects of difficult experiences, develop coping strategies, and work toward a greater sense of control and connection. Her international and community experience informs a respectful, culturally attentive approach.
→ Available In-Clinic in St. John’s, NFLD
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Mahnaz Aminzadeh
MSW, RSW - Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist & EMDR Clinician
Meet Mahnaz
Mahnaz brings more than 20 years of experience in psychotherapy, clinical consultation, training, and mental health education. She works with individuals, children, and families, helping clients process difficult experiences, strengthen relationships, and build a clearer sense of resilience and direction. Her approach is trauma-informed and culturally responsive, with particular attention to how culture, identity, family dynamics, and life experiences shape each person’s needs. Mahnaz offers therapy in English and Farsi.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
EMDR therapy
Attachment and relationship patterns
Culturally responsive therapy
Children, parents, and family relationships
Anxiety, depression, and stress
Grief, loss, and life-stage challenges
Self-esteem and personal growth
English- and Farsi-language therapy
Who Mahnaz Works With
Individuals Healing from Trauma — People whose difficult or overwhelming experiences continue to affect their emotions, relationships, or sense of safety.
Children and Parents — Families seeking support with attachment, emotional needs, parenting concerns, and strengthening relationships.
Individuals Navigating Relationship Patterns — People who want to understand how earlier relationships may be shaping current emotional and relational experiences.
Culturally Diverse Clients and Newcomers — People who want therapy that respects the influence of culture, identity, family, gender, race, and sexual orientation.
People Seeking Therapy in English or Farsi — Clients who prefer to express themselves in either language in a supportive therapeutic setting.
Therapy with Mahnaz
Mahnaz uses a compassionate, collaborative, and non-judgmental approach. Her work integrates EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, attachment-based therapy, play therapy, and mindfulness, adapting the approach to the person, their needs, and their pace. Her aim is to help clients process difficult emotions, understand the effects of past experiences, build useful coping strategies, and move toward greater clarity, connection, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.
→ Available In-Clinic in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Shannon Rooyakkers
BSW., RSW. — Registered Social Worker
Meet Shannon
Shannon works with individuals navigating trauma, grief, fertility and perimenopause, eating disorders, addictions and substance use, and ADHD. With 15 years of experience supporting people experiencing mental health and substance-use concerns, she brings a trauma-informed, practical approach that recognizes how different challenges often overlap. Her work also makes space for the effects of changing life stages, emotional overwhelm, and the pressure to keep functioning when existing strategies are no longer helping.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Grief and loss
Fertility and perimenopause
Eating disorders
Addictions and substance use
ADHD
Emotional regulation and stress
Life transitions
Anxiety and depression
Anger Management
Who Shannon Works With
Individuals Recovering from Trauma — People whose past experiences continue to affect their emotions, relationships, sense of safety, or day-to-day lives.
People Navigating Grief and Loss — Individuals adjusting to bereavement, change, or experiences that have altered their sense of self or future.
Women Navigating Fertility or Perimenopause — People seeking support through reproductive and midlife transitions and the emotional challenges that can accompany them.
Individuals Concerned About Alcohol or Substance Use — People who want to better understand their relationship with alcohol or other substances, including when use overlaps with stress, mental health, or life changes.
Individuals Living with ADHD or Eating-Related Concerns — People seeking support with the emotional and practical impact of ADHD or eating-disorder experiences.
Therapy with Shannon
Shannon’s practice is trauma-informed and draws on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion Inquiry. She also incorporates nervous-system regulation, body awareness, mindfulness, and self-compassion to help clients develop practical tools that can be used beyond the therapy space.
→ Available In-Clinic in Owen Sound, ON
→ Accepting New Clients — Evening Availability
Kim McCullough
MSW, RSW. - Registered Social Worker, OCSWSSW Psychotherapist, Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapist
Meet Kim
If you’ve spent years trying to understand why you react the way you do—and still feel as though your nervous system has a mind of its own—there may be more going on than anxiety or everyday stress. Past experiences can continue to shape how you feel, relate to others, respond to pressure, or experience your own body, even when you understand those experiences intellectually.
Kim works with adults navigating complex trauma, PTSD/CPTSD, dissociation, emotional dysregulation, and the lasting effects of abuse. Her areas of interest also include Borderline Personality Disorder, traumatic brain injury or concussion, chronic pain, anxiety, and concerns related to substance use.
Brainspotting is a central focus of Kim’s approach. Alongside somatic and other trauma-informed methods, Brainspotting may offer a way to explore experiences that feel difficult to put into words or that continue to show up through emotional, physical, or relational responses. Therapy is not about forcing you to retell everything before you are ready; it is about working collaboratively to understand what is happening now and finding a pace and approach that support safety and meaningful change.
Areas of Specialization
Brainspotting and trauma-focused therapy
Complex trauma, PTSD, and CPTSD
Dissociation and nervous-system dysregulation
Emotional regulation and coping with intense emotional responses
The effects of abuse and other overwhelming experiences
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Traumatic brain injury and concussion
Chronic pain and the relationship between emotional and physical experience
Anxiety and substance-use concerns
Attachment patterns and relationship difficulties
Who Kim Works With
Adults Living with Complex Trauma — People whose past experiences continue to affect their sense of safety, relationships, emotions, or daily life.
People Who Feel Stuck in Repeating Responses — Individuals who understand their patterns but still experience strong reactions, shutdown, disconnection, or distress.
People Experiencing Dissociation or Emotional Dysregulation — Adults who want support understanding and responding to experiences of disconnection, overwhelm, or intense emotions.
People Living with the Effects of TBI, Concussion, or Chronic Pain — Individuals navigating changes in mood, identity, functioning, or relationships alongside physical or neurological challenges.
People Affected by Abuse or Difficult Relationships — Adults working through the ongoing effects of harmful experiences and seeking a greater sense of agency and connection.
Therapy with Kim
Kim’s approach looks beyond symptoms to consider what the brain, body, and nervous system may have learned in response to overwhelming experiences. Brainspotting is highlighted as a key approach, alongside somatic therapy, parts-based work, attachment-informed and trauma-focused approaches, and Polyvagal-informed perspectives. Sound-based approaches may also be incorporated where appropriate.
Kim’s profile also describes a Two-Eyed Seeing perspective, bringing Western relational and neurobiological frameworks into conversation with Indigenous ways of knowing.
The aim is not to reduce a complex experience to a single diagnosis or technique. Therapy can help you develop a clearer understanding of your responses, work at a manageable pace, and build new ways of relating to yourself and others.
→ Available In-Clinic in Owen Sound, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Melanie Huska
PhD, MSW, RSW. - Registered Social Worker & Trauma Informed Clinician
Meet Melanie
Melanie works with high-achieving students, academics, and professionals who may appear capable on the outside while privately managing anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, depression, imposter feelings, or the sense that they are constantly falling behind. She supports university and college students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, professionals, and other adults navigating demanding academic and professional environments. Melanie also offers an affirming therapeutic space for LGBTQ+ clients and people exploring gender identity, alongside support with neurodivergence, relationships, body image, identity, and major life transitions.
Areas of Specialization
Academic stress and high-pressure environments
Perfectionism and self-criticism
Burnout and overwhelm
Anxiety and depression
ADHD and neurodivergence
LGBTQ+ affirming care
Gender identity and identity exploration
Imposter feelings and self-worth
Body image
Trauma and life transitions
Relationships and work-life balance
Who Melanie Works With
Students and Emerging Academics — University and college students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows managing academic pressure, deadlines, uncertainty, and high expectations.
Faculty, Researchers, and Professionals — People balancing demanding work, performance pressure, leadership responsibilities, and the expectation to keep functioning.
People Experiencing Perfectionism or Burnout — Individuals who hold themselves to demanding standards, struggle to switch off, or feel that their usual strategies are no longer sustainable.
LGBTQ+ Clients and People Exploring Gender Identity — People looking for an affirming space to explore identity, belonging, relationships, or the emotional impact of navigating the world as themselves.
Neurodivergent Individuals and People at a Life Crossroads — Adults exploring ADHD, neurodivergence, identity, body image, relationships, or significant personal and professional transitions.
Therapy with Melanie
Melanie’s approach is warm, intellectually curious, and practical. She draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic and trauma-focused approaches, mindfulness-based strategies, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), tailoring the work to each person rather than applying the same model to everyone. Therapy can offer a place to examine the standards and patterns that have helped someone succeed but may now be difficult to sustain, while making room for identity, relationships, and a more workable relationship with achievement.
→ Available In-Clinic in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Alexandra Zapata
MACP, Registered Psychotherapist
Meet Alexandra
Alexandra works with adults and older adults navigating trauma, major life transitions, identity exploration, existential questions, and experiences that challenge how they understand themselves or the world. Her integrative, trauma-informed approach draws on psychodynamic, existential, mindfulness-based, IFS-informed, somatic, nature-based, and psychospiritual principles. She also supports people seeking psychedelic preparation and integration, and brings experience working with refugee and newcomer populations affected by complex trauma, grief, displacement, and forced migration. She offers therapy in English and Spanish.
Areas of Specialization
Trauma and complex trauma
Life transitions and identity exploration
Existential questions, meaning, and purpose
Psychedelic preparation and integration
Highly sensitive and introspective adults
Grief, displacement, and newcomer/refugee experiences
Anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation
Self-worth, confidence, and personal growth
English- and Spanish-language therapy
Who Alexandra Works With
Highly Sensitive and Introspective Adults — People who feel deeply, reflect extensively, or have felt different or misunderstood and want to better understand themselves.
Individuals Navigating Trauma or Major Life Transitions — People processing difficult experiences or moving through changes that have unsettled their identity, relationships, or sense of direction.
People Exploring Meaning and Identity — Individuals asking questions about purpose, values, spirituality, or who they are becoming.
Individuals Seeking Psychedelic Preparation or Integration — People seeking a grounded therapeutic space to prepare for or make sense of psychedelic experiences, within the clinician’s scope and service offering.
Refugees, Newcomers, and Culturally Diverse Clients — People navigating displacement, grief, identity changes, or the psychological effects of forced migration; sessions are available in English and Spanish.
Therapy with Alexandra
Alexandra approaches therapy as a collaborative process grounded in safety, authenticity, compassion, and respect for each person’s story. Her integrative work draws from psychodynamic, existential, mindfulness-based, IFS-informed, somatic, nature-based, and psychospiritual principles and strategies. She supports clients in exploring patterns and experiences, increasing awareness of their nervous system, and developing clarity, resilience, and a more intentional relationship with themselves and their lives.
→ Available In-Clinic in Toronto, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Larissa Noble
MSW, RSW - Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist, EMDR-Clinician
Meet Larissa
Larissa works with couples seeking to repair their relationships and individuals navigating the effects of trauma. Drawing on her relationship therapy training and incorporating EMDR into her couples work, she helps clients explore the deeper wounds behind recurring patterns, process difficult experiences, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.
Areas of Specialization
Couples and relationship therapy
Trauma and its impact on relationships
EMDR-informed couples work
Attachment wounds and relational trauma
Communication difficulties and recurring conflict
Infidelity, betrayal, and rebuilding trust
Emotional disconnection and intimacy concerns
Individual trauma therapy
Emotional regulation and relationship patterns
Relationship repair and major life transitions
Who Larissa Works With
Couples Experiencing Recurring Conflict — Partners who feel stuck in the same arguments and want to understand the patterns driving their disconnection.
Couples Healing from Betrayal — Partners navigating broken trust, attachment injuries, or the aftermath of difficult relationship experiences.
Couples Seeking Deeper Connection — Partners who want to move beyond surface-level communication strategies and address the emotional wounds influencing their relationship.
Individuals Navigating Trauma — People working through distressing experiences, trauma-related patterns, and the ways past experiences continue to affect their present lives and relationships.
Therapy with Larissa
Larissa’s approach focuses on understanding the emotional experiences beneath our reactions and the patterns that can keep us feeling stuck. Through individual trauma therapy and couples work informed by her relationship therapy training and EMDR, she helps clients work toward greater emotional understanding, connection, and meaningful change.
→ Available In-Clinic in Owen Sound, ON
→ Currently Accepting New Clients
Shannon Bahen
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), EMDR-Clinician
Meet Shannon
Shannon works with individuals aged 16 and older who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, perfectionism, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, life transitions, or low self-esteem. Her background includes community mental health, private practice, and hospital settings, where she has provided counselling to teens, adults, and seniors and co-facilitated groups focused on DBT, distress tolerance, and CBT for perfectionism. She brings a compassionate, curious, and collaborative approach to therapy.
Areas of Specialization
Anxiety and depression
Trauma and difficult life experiences
Grief and loss
Perfectionism and self-criticism
Emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Interpersonal conflict and relationship challenges
Life transitions
Low self-esteem
Who Shannon Works With
Teens and Adults Aged 16+ — People looking for a supportive place to understand what they are experiencing and develop strategies that fit their lives.
Individuals Experiencing Anxiety or Low Mood — People managing worry, depression, emotional overwhelm, or the impact of mental health stigma.
People Struggling with Perfectionism — Individuals who feel pressure to meet high standards, are hard on themselves, or find it difficult to tolerate mistakes or uncertainty.
Individuals Navigating Grief or Life Transitions — People adjusting to loss, changing circumstances, or challenges in relationships and daily life.
People Working on Emotional and Interpersonal Patterns — Individuals who want to better understand their reactions, strengthen emotion regulation, and respond differently in difficult situations.
Therapy with Shannon
Shannon takes a compassionate, kind, collaborative, non-judgmental, and curious approach. She draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Client-Centred Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, and Compassionate Inquiry. Her approach is tailored to the person and their concerns, with an emphasis on building understanding, strengthening coping skills, and helping clients find workable ways forward.
→ Contact for In-Person Availability
→ Accepting New Clients — Evening Availability
Karri North
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Meet Karri
You may be moving through a period of change and finding that the person you used to be, the life you expected, or the ways you once coped no longer quite fit. You might be grieving a relationship or another kind of loss, feeling disconnected from yourself, struggling with family conflict, or wondering where your sense of meaning has gone. Sometimes the difficulty is less about one clear problem and more about feeling unsettled, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward.
Karri works with emerging adults, people navigating midlife, and aging adults who are experiencing life transitions, grief and relationship loss, depression, mood dysregulation, identity challenges, addictions or concerns about substance use, family conflict, and the emotional questions that can arise around aging, dying, and change. Her work also makes space for the effects of migration, cultural adjustment, and the stress of finding a sense of belonging across different worlds.
Therapy with Karri offers a warm, collaborative space to slow down, make sense of what you are experiencing, and explore what matters to you now. You do not need to arrive with a clear explanation or a plan. You can begin with what feels most present and work toward a clearer understanding of yourself, your relationships, and what a meaningful next chapter might look like.
Areas of Specialization
Addictions and substance-use concerns
Grief, bereavement, and relationship loss
Life transitions and changing roles
Aging, dying, and end-of-life concerns
Family conflict and relational strain
Loss of meaning, purpose, or pleasure
Identity challenges and disorientation of self
Mood dysregulation and depression
Migration, cultural adjustment, and migrant stress
Emotional disconnection and periods of uncertainty
Who Karri Works With
Emerging Adults — People navigating independence, identity, relationships, belonging, and the uncertainty of deciding what comes next.
Adults in Midlife — People reassessing roles, relationships, purpose, and identity as their priorities or circumstances change.
Aging Adults — People making sense of aging, loss, changing family dynamics, mortality, and questions about meaning or legacy.
People Grieving a Relationship or Other Loss — Individuals adjusting to separation, bereavement, changing relationships, or the loss of an expected future.
People Feeling Disconnected or Without Direction — Individuals experiencing low mood, diminished pleasure, emotional disorientation, or a sense that life no longer feels meaningful.
People Navigating Family or Cultural Stress — Individuals working through family conflict, migration-related stress, cultural adjustment, or tensions between different expectations and identities.
People Concerned About Substance Use — Individuals exploring the role alcohol or other substances may play in coping, relationships, mood, or life transitions.
Therapy with Kari
Karri’s approach is collaborative and compassionate. She begins with what is most present in a person’s life and works with them to understand the experiences, relationships, and patterns that may be contributing to feeling stuck or disconnected. Rather than assuming there is one right way forward, therapy creates space to explore what has changed, what still matters, and what might help the person move toward a more grounded and meaningful next chapter.
Her work is intended to be thoughtful, respectful, and responsive to each person’s circumstances, including the influence of culture, family, identity, loss, and life stage.
→ Available In-Clinic in Owen Sound, ON
→ Accepting New Clients — Sliding-Scale Rates Available