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About Charlie | Registered Psychotherapist & EMDR Therapist
I don't believe therapy is about fixing what's "wrong" with you.
My approach looks beneath the surface to understand what's driving the patterns you're experiencing - so we can make sense of where they've come from, understand what you need, and create meaningful change.
HI, I'M CHARLIE,
I'm a Registered Psychotherapist and EMDRIA-Approved/Trained EMDR therapist, offering online therapy for adults across Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
My work is grounded in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming care, with a particular interest in supporting adults with ADHD and Autism, as well as people navigating trauma, anxiety, burnout, emotional regulation/dysregulation, difficult relationships, shame, and the lasting impact of experiences that may still feel present long after they happened.
I believe therapy should be a compassionate space where you can be curious about yourself without being judged for the ways you've learned to cope and survive.
MY STORY
My path to psychotherapy didn't begin in a therapy office. For more than 15 years, my career has centred around social work and helping people navigate complex personal, social, and systemic challenges.
I've worked in social justice, human rights, humanitarian and relief settings, and other helping roles both locally and internationally. I also lived and worked in the Middle East for nine years, an experience that deeply shaped how I understand culture, identity, systems, displacement, resilience, and the many different ways people experience and make sense of the world.
Those experiences taught me that there is rarely a simple explanation for why someone is struggling. I see mental health holistically: what we experience is shaped not only by our individual histories, but also by our relationships, families, cultures, communities, identities, environments, and the systems around us.
That perspective continues to shape the way I practice psychotherapy today.
MIND & BODY
I believe the mind and body are deeply interconnected. Our thoughts, emotions, memories, and experiences can influence the nervous system and the rest of the body, while what happens in our bodies can also affect how we think, feel, and respond.
This is why I take a mind-body approach to therapy, integrating EMDR, IFS, somatic therapy, and nervous-system-informed approaches. We can explore what may be happening beneath the surface while also developing practical tools to understand your patterns, regulate your nervous system, and feel more grounded.
This understanding isn't only something I explore professionally. Outside of therapy, I'm also a passionate freediver and instructor. Freediving has taught me firsthand how closely the mind and body are connected - and how much our nervous system can influence what we believe we're capable of.
Learning to stay calm, regulate fear, and remain present in challenging situations has shaped how I understand nervous-system regulation in my own life. It has also reinforced something I find deeply meaningful in therapy: sometimes, learning to feel safe isn't about forcing ourselves to be calm. It's about learning to listen to the body, notice what our nervous system is doing, and gradually discover that we have more capacity than we realized.
MY APPROACH TO THERAPY
I believe therapy works best when it is collaborative. You are the expert on your own life, and my role is to bring curiosity, clinical knowledge, helpful resources and tools, and a different perspective to help you make sense of what you're experiencing.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin therapy. You don't need to know exactly what's wrong, have the right words for what you're feeling, or be able to tell your story in a perfectly organized way. We can start where you are and work from there.
My approach is trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming, and I draw from different therapeutic approaches depending on what feels most helpful for you. This may include EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic approaches, nervous-system-informed practices, and practical tools to help you feel more grounded and supported in your day-to-day life.
Sometimes therapy means developing tools to help you cope with what's happening right now. Sometimes it means looking more deeply at the experiences, beliefs, emotions, and patterns underneath what you're struggling with. Often, meaningful therapy involves both.
Above all, I want therapy to be a space where you can be honest, curious, and fully yourself. We can slow things down, notice what's happening beneath the surface, and work at a pace that respects your needs, your capacity, and your goals.
TRAINING & CREDENTIALS
My professional background brings together more than 15 years of experience in social work and helping professions, along with graduate training in counselling and psychotherapy and ongoing specialized training in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming approaches.
Professional Registration & Memberships
Registered Psychotherapist (RP)
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Registration #14100
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Certification #11245594
EMDR Canada & EMDRIA Member
Membership #1484
Education & Professional Experience
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP)
Yorkville University
15+ years of professional experience:
In social work and helping professions, including social justice, human rights, humanitarian and relief work, psychotherapy, and other local and international helping roles.
Selected Professional Trainings
(Not exhaustive list)
I continue to pursue professional development and specialized training to deepen my understanding of trauma, EMDR, neurodivergence, the mind-body connection, and nervous-system-informed therapy.
EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training, Parts 1 & 2:
Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc.
EMDR - Integrating Neurodiversity into Trauma Therapy: Clinical Tools for Treating Autistic & ADHD Clients
Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc.
EMDR - Trauma-Related Dissociation: Integrating Top-Down & Bottom-Up Strategies into Your EMDR Practice
Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc.
ADHD, Neurodiversity, and Clinical Practice
David Nowell, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist
Polyvagal Theory: Pathways to Stillness
Deb Dana, LCSW, LICSW
The Anatomy of Our Anxiety
Dr. Ellen Vora, MD
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT): Attachment-based Interventions to Treat Trauma, Anxiety and Depression
Dr. Sue Johnson’s, EdD
Self Leads the Way: Using IFS Therapy Interventions
Amy Pershing, LMSW, ACSW, CCTP-II
The Somatic Healing Trauma Online Course
Sounds True, Dr. Peter Levine
Apply Queer History, Knowledge, and Theory in Clinical Practice: Strategies that Build Connection, Rapport, and Trust While Reducing Client Shame and Minority Stress
Aaron Testard, LMFT, LPCC
Intro to Breathwork Course
Breathworks Africa