Team Categories: Adults

Rebecca Wilkes

Pronouns: she / her / hers

CURRENTLY ON LEAVE

Rebecca Wilkes is a registered social worker in Ontario with over 14 years of experience in health and social services. She has extensive experience in a variety of community and hospital-based settings, in rural, remote and urban centres, working with adolescents, adults and seniors.

She supports clients around various issues, such as multiple life stressors, life transitions and relationship issues including separation / divorce, complex health issues, low self-esteem, bullying, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), insomnia, anger management, chronic pain, domestic violence, mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders and borderline personality disorder.

Rebecca offers online sessions only. She works with a non-judgemental, client-centred, trauma-informed approach, and is trained in mindfulness-based practice, cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectal behavioural therapy, brief solution-focused therapy, positive psychology, motivational interviewing and acceptance & commitment therapy.

Licensing Body: Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

Education: Master of Social Work (University of Waterloo)

Paula Laitila

Paula Laitila is a registered social worker in Ontario with over 18 years of experience supporting children, youth, young adults, and families. She has worked in community settings, including child welfare and the public education system with experience supporting individuals and families encountering acute mental health crises, anxiety, depression, ADHD, stressors related to the demands of life and various life stages, relationship challenges, difficulties with parental separation/divorce, and emotional dysregulation.

Paula is a compassionate therapist whose non-judgmental approach provides a welcoming space for clients to safely express their thoughts and feelings. She uses a trauma-informed lens and evidence-based interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), emotionally focused therapy (EFT), mindfulness, and narrative therapy with an integrative framework. Paula’s training has centered on child development and attachment, along with environmental and structural impacts on personal adjustment and general well-being.

Paula provides in-person sessions to children, teens, young adults, and families. She takes a holistic approach to therapy, seeing the whole as greater than the sum of its parts, with each of us being the expert of our lives. She believes that we all have the ability to change, and can use our individual and innate strengths, talents, and abilities to reignite hope and light in our every day.

Licensing Body: Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

Education: Master of Social Work (York University)

Professional Association: Ontario Association of Social Workers

Merryl Varughese

Merryl Varughese is a registered social worker in Ontario offering psychotherapy and counselling services. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto. She has several years of experience providing mental health treatment for teens and adults within community agencies and in-patient settings, as well as working in child welfare.

Merryl has training and experience providing individualized and group support for teens and adults who are challenged with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and disordered eating, interpersonal conflicts, low self-esteem, difficult relationships, stress, trauma, bereavement, and grief.

In her practice, Merryl uses a non-judgemental, anti-oppressive, person-centered, and strength-based approach. She works with her clients to identify strengths, resilience, and resources, and to create personalized goals for treatment. Merryl uses various therapeutic approaches as needed, including elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Motivational Interviewing. She values the use of empathy, compassion, warmth, and the genuine use of self in helping her clients to achieve their goals and increase feelings of wellness and wellbeing.

When not at the office, Merryl enjoys hiking, being outdoors, painting, and spending time with family and friends.

Licensing Body: Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

Education: Master of Social Work (University of Toronto)

Daniela Merenda

Daniela Merenda is a registered social worker offering psychotherapy and counselling services. Her practice uses a wide range of evidence-based interventions including but not limited to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), motivational counselling, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), emotion focused therapy and brief solution-focused therapy. She brings with her a well-rooted feminist, anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory, harm reduction and trauma informed practice framework.

Daniela has had the privilege to work within the field of social work for over 21 years where children, youth, women and families have allowed her into their lives in the midst of the crisis they have experienced. The foundation of her years of experience stems from work across several sectors: Criminal Justice System, Violence Against Women sector, child protection services, sexual assault sector, crisis intervention, the health system, and the education system.

Daniela offers online sessions only. She provides psychotherapy and counselling services to children, adolescents and young adults seeking support in the areas of mental health, anxiety, mood, grief & loss, parent / adolescent conflict, addictions, suicide ideation, and behaviour.

When it feels as though things are falling apart, Daniela is committed to helping you put the pieces together.

Licensing Body: Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

Education: Master of Social Work (York University)

Professional Associations: Ontario Association of Social Workers

Courtney Fuciarelli

Pronouns: she / her / hers

Courtney Fuciarelli is a registered social worker in Ontario with over 14 years of experience in children’s mental health, and school based support. Courtney has worked with children and youth experiencing acute mental health crisis, and has had extensive experience in the education system as a school social worker. She has also provided counselling services within outpatient health settings, and in private practice.

Courtney brings passion and energy to working with children and youth who are experiencing a wide range of difficulties including: anxiety and mood related disorders, adjustment issues, family and peer relationship difficulties, bereavement, self-esteem, difficulties in family change (i.e. separation and divorce), and school refusal.

Courtney’s eclectic approach is grounded in a combination of training in the areas of child development, attachment, and environmental/structural impacts on personal adjustment, while also using a trauma-informed, emotion-focused approach to inform her perspective supporting children and youth in their journey to feeling better, and doing better in their lives. Courtney uses a combination of therapeutic modalities including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and play-based approaches to engage clients in session, as well as other integrative practices blending activity and psychotherapy.

Licensing Body: Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

Education: Master of Social Work (University of Windsor)

Julia Sivarajah

Pronouns: she / her / hers

Julia Sivarajah is a registered psychotherapist and provides mental health counselling and psychotherapy for youth and adults. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She has several years of experience in the field of Mental Health, and has worked in various residential, hospital, outpatient and community mental health settings. The focus of her work has been helping individuals who are struggling with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, ADHD, anger, trauma, personality disorders, parenting, and relationship difficulties.

Julia’s approaches in her work are client-centered and solution-focused. Julia mainly draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approaches, and is also versed with Mindfulness and related Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) techniques. Throughout the years, Julia has worked with various populations involving teens, young adults, and families, which include the LGBTQ community and culturally diverse populations.

Julia aims to assist individuals in enhancing their mental health / well-being goals, and in improving their quality of life.

Licensing Body: College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario

Education: Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology (Yorkville University)