Meet Rachelle, RP, CCC

Welcome! I am Rachelle (Ra-shell). I am a Registered Psychotherapist with The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC).

Who I work with.

I work with adults 18+ who struggle with feeling stuck in old patterns, despite awareness of where these patterns originate. This could include feelings of anxiety, depressive episodes, overwhelm, chronic stress that leads to physical symptoms, insecure attachment, seeking meaning and purpose, interpersonal challenges, negative ways of relating to yourself; feelings of shame, guilt and self-rejection and lacking self-confidence or self-compassion.

• If you question how you respond to difficult situations and feel anxious, negative, depressed and alone without external validation.

• If you are tired of feeling alone and overwhelmed by your emotions.

• You have an insecure attachment pattern, either avoidance or preoccupied/anxious which makes being in your relationships feel imbalanced, burdensome or anxiety provoking or causes you challenges in forming deeper connections.

  I would be honoured to help you gain a sense of agency, self-acceptance and peace of being in your mind and body.

My background.

I became a Psychotherapist after having a career as a yoga teacher for over a decade and working as a clinician in the holistic health field. My previous careers have led me to be deeply involved in mindfulness, eastern philosophy, spiritual psychology, contemplative practices and natural healing modalities.

My Therapeutic Philosophy.

I believe that every person has an inherent internal capacity to heal and grow and that internal resources are available under the right conditions. Therapy is a place where we create the right conditions and little by little shifts in self-perception, internal resources and insights are integrated and brought outside of therapy sessions into day-to-day life. When these internal resources are strengthened they support connection and regulation and lead toward mind-body health.

My therapeutic philosophy is to turn toward rather than trying to "get rid of" symptoms or challenges that keep you stuck, withdrawn or holding back in life. I aim to understand each person within the context of systems both internally (biological factors, internal parts, past experiences, trauma, nervous system and neurobiology) and externally (socially and culturally) rather than just the symptoms.

What approaches will we use in sessions?

I am currently undergoing training in NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) which is a somatically informed clinical model for resolving complex trauma and supporting relational health. This model is my preferred way of working and receiving therapy. NARM is a depth-oriented approach which invites you to remain in the here and now as that is where reshaping occurs. NARM focuses on shifting underlying patterns that are driving symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

In addition, I am Internal Family Systems (IFS informed) and Polyvagal Theory informed and use Brainspotting as a somatic-oriented approach.

We will work experientially in sessions and combine bottom-up (body, emotions and unconscious processing) and top-down (cognitions, planning, concepts, narratives) approaches.

Therapy is a space where we can develop self-insight, self-growth and a renewed relationship with ourselves. I aim to help you embody the present with new skills and perspectives that make life more easeful and enjoyable.

I intend to create a safe, non-judgmental space, where you explore your story, make sense of your challenges and bolster your natural strengths. While I take therapy seriously, I also value being able to laugh together and bringing levity to sessions.

"The most common form of despair is not being who you are"

– Kierkegaard