New Clients: I’m currently only accepting new clients at the Toronto location.
Current Vaughan Clients: You may continue to book at the Vaughan location.
A graduate of the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, Karen is a Registered Psychotherapist, Registered
Art Therapist, and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional.
Throughout her professional career she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults within
a variety of settings including children’s mental health, addiction and mental healthcare and
long-term care. Her youngest client to date was 4 years old and the oldest was 103. It’s exciting
to witness how art therapy can be successful with all ages (and no skill in art making is
required)!
Karen draws upon attachment-based therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, person-centred therapy, positive psychology, and strength-based psychology. Together, you can use art and other creative means to help express and work though experiences, thoughts and feelings or just talk (or a combination of both).
Karen’s areas of focus include managing anxiety, reducing stress, depression, emotional regulation,
self-care, boundaries, coping with life changes, issues related to aging, identity, improving self-
esteem, boosting confidence and addiction healing aftercare.
You are the expert of your life so Karen will collaborate with you to ensure that you receive care that is customized to meet your unique needs, personality, strengths, resources, and level of comfort.
Her therapeutic style is curious, conversational, open-minded, compassionate, honest, flexible,
easy-going, and very patient. Via the combination of art and verbal psychotherapy, she strives to
create a nurturing space where clients of all ages can feel safe, heard, and accepted.
Samuel is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario. He was conferred two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at York University and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University.
Samuel is a Certified Trauma-Informed Therapist who emphasizes helping clients explore and understand how traumatic experiences lead to the development of adaptive responses that help them cope and survive through difficulties in life but may no longer be adaptive in tackling their day-to-day challenges in the present moment. Samuel also assists clients with a better understanding of how previous adverse experiences contribute to the development of issues related to anxiety, depression, interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation, trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Samuel prioritizes a pluralistic approach. He has an extensive background in the application of Applied Behavioural Analysis to assist individuals of any age with Autism Spectrum Disorder in acquiring foundational social and emotion regulation skills through the modality of play therapy. Moreover, he specializes in and has completed certification in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and integrates techniques from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focus Brief Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing Therapy. Lastly, he incorporates psychoeducation based on the Neuroscience behind the brain’s neuroplasticity and neurocircuitry to equip clients with knowledge that helps them understand why they think, feel, and behave as they do.
Samuel recognizes the uniqueness of each client he works with and, as such, emphasizes creating an individualized treatment plan to address the clients goals. He aims to ensure the clients are physically, emotionally, and psychologically stabilized through the provision of a safe, non-judgmental, empathetic, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive therapeutic space that sets up both him and his clients for success. He works with children (ages 4+), adolescents, adults (ages 18 - 64) and older adults (65+).
Sam is fluent in English and Tagalog.
