Hey — I’m Shirley!

I’m a student at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (TATI) completing my training to be a registered psychotherapist. That means that even if putting words to your struggle is hard, we’ve got other methods of communicating which can be really helpful when working through tough stuff.

I love working with all kinds of people who are looking to manage hard things, but especially people who have immigrated to Canada, are in the queer community, or have lived the caregiver role.

Immigration is tough and finding a community again is important — so is getting the support you need to function at your best.

Being queer, especially if you’re also an immigrant, can make finding that community feel even more complex.

Functioning as a caregiver to someone in your life is a whole new experience for a lot of us. It could be an aging parent, an ailing spouse, developmentally complex kids — or just kids in general.

Connecting people with themselves and their newfound communities, navigating changes to your identity, and steering through caregiver burnout are all things I’m really good at, so if you’re reading any of this and thinking, “Hey, that sounds like me!”, then book a 15-minute consultation to see if I’m the right fit for you. I’m looking forward to it!

Shirley has completed all course work towards her diploma and is supported in her practicum placement by Heidi every step of the way!