Bowmanville Location
Mind Matters Psychotherapy & Creative Education
200 King Street
Suite 205
Bowmanville, ON L1C
Christine Johansen
Founder | Clinical Director | Clinical Supervisor
Registered Psychotherapist, MACP, PsyD Candidate
Christine has been working in the field of mental health for over 10 years and is passionate about treating children, youth, and families. She has experience working in a variety of different therapeutic settings such as group homes, youth detention centers, community programs, not-for profit agencies, and private practice. Christine is passionate about meeting her clients where they are at and designing a treatment plan that is best tailored to the clients unique strengths and challenges. Christine practices through a psychoanalytical lens, while incorporating an expressive arts approach to therapy. She is also passionate about incorporates elements of play therapy while working with children and youth. Additionally, having 3 small boys of her own, Christine loves any opportunity to work with parents who might be seeking parental supports or support with family dynamics.
She is passionate about working with clients to get to the root of their emotions and working through challenges by utilizing a trauma informed- client-centered approach. Christine works to incorporate mindfulness strategies, relaxation techniques, and develop coping skills with clients where appropriate. In additional to her Psychodynamic foundation, Christine is a EMDR trained clinician. This approach allows for her to support clients work through thier traumatic memories and experiences, as well as current day symptoms by accessing target memories, and reprocessing them using bilateral stimulation and a variety of other EMDR tools.
Christine is passionate about supporting the LGBTQ+ community and has experience working with transgendered children/teens, and supporting parents through the transition. Christine is also passionate about working with teens who are struggling with self-harm and suicide ideations. She is also certified in Crisis Intervention Response and works with Durham Regional Police to support survivors of crime.
Christine has an (hons) BA in Criminology, an (hons) BA in Psychology, Diploma in Youth Corrections & Interventions, Masters Degree in Psychotherapy, and is currently working on her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. While having a passion for learning, Christine also has a passion for teaching, and has been teaching Forensic Psychology and Developmental Psychology at Durham College for 7 years.
Connie Cancellara
Registered Psychotherapist, MACP | Clinical Coordinator
Connie grew up in Ajax and developed a passion for helping individuals which has led her to become a dedicated mental health advocate!
Connie always knew that she was meant to pursue a career in the mental health industry. She majored in Forensic Psychology and minored in Criminology at UOIT (Honours) and completed a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University.
Aside from being an Instructor Therapist at One Care Inc. for a brief period, Connie volunteered at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences within two departments: OSSEP Vocational Services where I tutored patients over the age of 21 in various subjects, and the Forensic Assessment Unit. Connie is an active volunteer with a non-profit community organization called The Sidewalk Talk; this involves travelling as a group of listeners throughout the city aiming to offer free listening in order to enhance human connection. Additionally, Connie is a new volunteer with Kids Help Phone supporting children and youth who are struggling with the current pandemic.
Connie has experience in working with clients who have struggled with anxiety, depression, and life stress. Connie is passionate about supporting these clients in becoming self-aware, and feel motivated to make life changes to work towards optimal wellness. Connie is also passionate about offering Family Therapy and offers supports to families who are struggling with conflict, transition, loss, and substance abuse. Connie is a trained EMDR clinician, and offers this service to clients who are working through past trauma, or looking to gain resourcing around current day symptoms and or future endeavours.
Connie is passionate about utilizing her knowledge in Client-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to support her clients and their families. Striving for positivity, gratitude, and wellness are all important factors to Connie when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. For fun, Connie enjoys watching Netflix with family and friends, cooking, working out, travelling, singing, and participating in mindfulness meditation on a daily basis.
Shannon Carr
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) MACP | Certified Fertility Mind Body Coach
Shannon lives in Courtice with her husband and 7 year old twins. She holds undergrad degrees in Social Sciences from The University of Western Ontario and Commerce from McGill University, and enjoyed a long career in Marketing and Finance. Her lived experience and passion for mental health and supporting others led Shannon to pursue her current graduate studies as a student in the Masters in Counselling Psychology program.
Shannon is also a Certified Fertility Mind Body Coach, and uses her training and personal experience to support women and couples dealing with infertility and family building struggles.
Shannon considers her counselling style as collaborative, and always strives to walk alongside her clients on their growth and healing journeys. She uses a strengths-based approach, to support and empower clients as they move through their mental and emotional health struggles and work towards their counselling goals. As a Master in Counselling intern therapist, she has been trained in various therapeutic approaches, and tailors the treatment approach that best suits the client needs.
Amanda Bernard
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Amanda recognized how courageous it is to take the frist steps to seeking help. She feels it is a privilege to be apart of her clients journey towards growth, healing, and self-discovery.
Amanda’s mission is to provide all her clients with a safe, nonjudgmental, compassionate environment in which they are free to share their experiences, explore their purpose, identify their strengths, and ultimately find their happiness. In therapy she works with her client to recognize that past may influence your present, however, it does not need to determine your future. By forming a therapeutic alliance, developed through empathy, support, warmth, and collaboration, realistic goals can be established, you can build resiliency, and develop effective coping skills that will help you manage your emotions, thoughts, and behaviours.
Amanda take an eclectic approach to therapy and modifies her methods to ensure that each clients unique needs, wants, and expectations are met.
Jennifer Preston Garibaldi
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Jennifer’s mission is to support and empower clients on their journey towards growth and healing. She is committed to promoting a safe, open, and non-judgmental space to deconstruct what you are feeling, what you have experienced, and your current situation. Jennifer strives to build a trusting therapeutic relationship with her clients through empathy, authenticity, and collaboration. Jennifer recognize that there is no “one size fits all” approach to therapy, and as such, she aims to tailor sessions based on your unique individual experiences and needs.
Following a client-centred approach, Jennifer believes that as the client, you are the expert steering the boat called life; and her role as a therapist to to be the passanger helping you to navigate through lifes stormy waters. Jennifer strives to be a gentle reminder that with every storm there is a calm.
Jennifer admires the strength and vulnerability that it takes for clients reach out for support, and I look forwards to hearing from you to begin your healing journey.
Barry Lydon
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Barry completed his M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. In addition to this, he holds a B.Sc Honours Degree from Dublin Institute of Technology.
Barry practices from a psychodynamic, trauma-informed perspective using talk therapy and EMDR. He believes strongly in creating a safe, compassionate space to help people access emotions and safely examine the parts of themselves that are causing pain, challenges, and difficulty. Barry enjoys being with people, hearing their stories and joining alongside them as they seek greater healing and wholeness in their lives and relationships.
When Barry is not working with clients, he enjoys reading to expand his knowledge of developmental psychology, and spending time with his animals.
Courtney Spence (Maternity Leave)
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Courtney is dedicated to providing a safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate space for her clients to exercise their authenticity and autonomy. Viewing her role as an opportunity to walk alongside her clients on their healing journey, she strives to help her clients explore their own experiences and emotions, while identifying and breaking down barriers. Recognizing that your mental health matters is the best first step you can take on your healing journey and Courtney believes there is no “one-size-fits-all” in therapy. Working in a client-centered, psychodynamic approach, Courtney believes in the importance of the therapeutic relationship and working with clients from where they want to start. Incorporating approaches that best suit the needs and well-being of her clients Courtney enjoys supporting youth, adults, couples, and families.
Courtney holds an M.A. in Counselling Psychology, a B.A. (Hons) in Criminology and Justice Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management. Courtney brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from various backgrounds in the broader public sector including investigations, training, and labour relations. Courtney believes in the importance of community involvement and has previously volunteered with such recognized organizations as Durham Girls Inc. and the Toronto Police Service.
Marcie Menzies
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Marcie is currently completing her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She
holds a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology from Trent University. She is an advocate for mental health
and has long-standing ambition to become a counsellor. She is passionate about working with
children, youth and families and aspires to continue working with this population once
completing her degree.
Marcie’s passion for supporting children and youth stems from her extensive experience working
with adolescence within the nonprofit sector at both the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA.
She has seen the important role mindfulness and relaxation techniques can have on children and
youth and strives to incorporate this into her work when applicable.
Marcie works from a biopsychosocial, trauma-informed framework and believes that there is no
standard approach to therapy. She instead alters her approach to meet each individual client’s
experiences, goals, and needs. In addition, she believes attachment styles often play a role on
current struggles and, in understanding them, we can better identify root causes, or contributors,
of negative emotional experiences. Marcie wants to walk alongside her clients and support them
through hearing and understanding their stories and implementing coping mechanisms that will
best support them
Hannah Snider
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP
Hannah’s goal is to provide all her clients with a safe, supportive, and empowering environment to promote healing. She knows that each client’s journey is different and reaching out to begin healing can be a difficult task. For this reason, she believes that establishing a safe, and trusting therapeutic relationship is the first step. She utilizes a client-centered, empathy-based approach, built around the client’s collaboration.
Hannah is currently completing her M.A in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Health Studies (Honours) from Queen’s University, where she also completed a Global Health and Disability exchange program in the UK. As a new mental health professional, Hannah is looking forward to supporting children, youth couples, adults, and families on their healing journeys.
Stephanie Headrick
Intern, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP Candidate
Stephanie is currently completing her M.A in counselling psychology at Yorkville University. Her previous experience comes from 20 years of working in a unique community setting with people representing a variety of diverse cultural backgrounds and ages. She is no stranger to supporting children, youth, young adults and seniors, as well as their families as they navigate socioeconomic, psychological and biological pressures contributing to their overall quality of life. This includes walking with those who face depression, anxiety and grief.
Stephanie wants you to know that your brokennesses is welcome here. This means that she is dedicated to creating a safe space for you to walk through the highs and lows and will honour and adapt to your needs as your healing journey evolves.
You can expect Stephanie to incorporate trauma-informed interventions while maintaining flexibility. When Stephanie is not with you or her other clients, she is mostly likely spending time with her 4 kids with a coffee in hand
Abigail Thompson
Intern, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP Candidate
Cassandra Mason
Intern, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP Candidate
Cassandra is passionate about providing a truly collaborative approach to therapy. She believes that you are the expert of your own life and strives to empower you on your therapeutic journey. Her goal is to provide a safe, welcoming, non-judgmental space to foster self-discovery.
Cassandra is currently completing her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. She has always enjoyed working with people and after volunteering with Big Brother Big Sisters she discovered a passion of working with children and the community. Through this volunteer position, she saw the profound effect healthy relationships can have on an individual’s overall well-being and strives to emphasize the therapeutic relationship in her work with clients. As a new mental health professional, Cassandra is excited to support a diverse population including children, teens, adults, couples, and families.
Cassandra acknowledges the strength it takes to reach out for help when you need it. She feels privileged to be alongside you through this journey and witness your growth.
Kristy DaSilva
Intern, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP Candidate
Kristy is currently completing her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) with a specialization in Life Sciences at Queen’s University.
Kristy has extensive experience supporting children and youth in a variety of different roles and settings, including non-profit organizations, schools, camps, and hospitals. She volunteered as a Crisis Responder with Kids Help Phone during the height of the pandemic and has worked within the school system for the last four years – both inside and outside the classroom supporting domestic and international students. Through these experiences she has developed a thorough understanding of the problems school-aged children and youth face in today’s competitive academic landscape, combined with the complexity of peer relationships and debilitating socioeconomic pressures – not to mention the added challenges that come about during these critical years of development and identity formation.
Kristy is passionate about helping children, youth, adults, and families navigate the complexities of life and supporting them in achieving life-enhancing outcomes. Kristy utilizes a culturally sensitive, client-centered approach that integrates theories and evidence-based strategies from various modalities including Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioural, Experiential and Strengths-Based. In collaboration with the client, a treatment plan will be created that is tailored to the client’s unique strengths, needs and goals.
