About Cheryl

If your compassion does not include yourself, then it is not complete. —Buddha

I have 25 years of experience counselling individuals with trauma experiences, including intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, child abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), bereavement and grief, losses, and transitions including coming out as LGBTQ+. I have worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds in community agencies, the Violence Against Women sector, post-secondary education and in private practice.

In post-secondary, I provided counselling and advocacy, took leadership on violence prevention, and created health promotion programs including workshops on healthy relationships, assertiveness communication and mindfulness meditation for stress and wellness.

I have spearheaded initiatives on accessibility for diverse clients including people with disabilities, who are deaf, who identify as LGBTQ+, or who are indigenous or racialized. I have experience working with ASL and ESL interpreters.

I feel very privileged to work with individuals who are on a therapeutic journey to understand, mourn and recover from experiences of trauma and loss. It takes courage and work, but can be well worth the recovery, growth and freedom the therapeutic process can bring.

My Approach:

The primary approach I bring to psychotherapy is the Internal Family Systems model, developed by Richard Schwartz, PhD. Together we bring appreciation and compassion to all parts of you - the parts that are holding painful or difficult experiences, as well as the parts that help(ed) you to survive - and connect to your own energy of healing to create inner harmony.
A trauma-informed, anti-oppression approach, that recognizes the societal context where power and control, violence and abuse, arise, including patriarchy and sexism, racism, ablism, heteronormativity and colonialism.
Psycho-education on the mind-body (neurobiological) impact of stress, grief and trauma, as well as attachment;
Strategies to understand and manage post traumatic stress responses such as triggers, and improve emotional regulation;
Discussing safety planning and legal options;
Coaching on communication skills to improve boundaries and self-care, develop healthy relationships, and build a support network;
A mindfulness approach that cultivates self-compassion, builds self-awareness, and affirms inner strengths and core values.

Certifications & Training:

Cheryl has a Master of Education degree in Counselling, as well as significant and ongoing professional development in the areas of psychotherapy, mindfulness, grief, violence prevention and trauma.

Registered Psychotherapist, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, #1951
Master of Education, Western University, London Ontario
Internal Family Systems: Skills and Competence Course (Derek Scott)
Somatic Internal Family Systems Training (Susan McConnell)
Bereavement Education Program Certificate, OISE, University of Toronto
Applied Mindfulness Meditation, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Certificate in Trauma Counselling for Front Line Workers, Levels 1 & 2. Hincks-Dellcrest Institute

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Professional Affiliations & Memberships:

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals
Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists

Professional Development:

Compassion for the Addictive Process: An IFS Lens, Cece Sykes
IFS & Trauma: Exploring Wholeness and Multiplicity with Childhood Trauma Survivors
Counselling Ethics Workshop: Writing Efficient, Useful & Ethical Session Notes, Dawn McBride
A Therapists Path for Exploring Racial Trauma and Implicit Bias
The Neurobiology of Feeling Safe: Working with Boundaries Inside and Out
Internal Family Systems: Grief
Trauma, Memory and the Restoration of One's Self: When Talk Isn't Enough
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Strategies and Skills
Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human with Dan Siegel
Becoming an Attachment Focused Therapist