Our Team of Vaughan Therapists

Daniela is a child and family therapist and registered clinical supervisor with over a decade of experience supporting children and families. She takes a warm, collaborative approach to help families create meaningful and lasting change. Daniela specializes in working with parents, children, and teens facing challenges related to anxiety, ADHD, ASD, learning disabilities, behavioural issues, trauma, and grief. She draws from a range of evidence-based approaches, including play therapy, art therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

When big feelings, anxiety, or behavioural challenges begin to impact a child or family, it can feel overwhelming to know how to help. I work with children, teens, and their caregivers, with a strong focus on supporting parents who may feel unsure, stuck, or overwhelmed in responding to their child’s emotional and behavioural needs. A central part of my work is parent coaching. I help caregivers understand what may be happening beneath a child’s behaviour and develop practical, trauma-informed, and attachment-based strategies that strengthen connection, improve communication, and support emotional regulation, both at home and at school. My approach is collaborative and grounded in real-life tools that feel sustainable and aligned with each family’s values. Alongside parent support, I work directly with children and adolescents to build emotional awareness, coping skills, and resilience while supporting them through anxiety, stress, school-related challenges, life transitions, and the impact of past experiences. I strive to create a warm, safe, and supportive space where children feel understood and families feel empowered. I truly appreciate the trust it takes to reach out and the opportunity to support you, your child, or your family through meaningful and often challenging moments. I look forward to walking alongside you and helping you navigate these experiences in ways that feel right for your family.

Gretchen is a Music Therapist Accredited (MTA), Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who works from a warm, relational, and developmentally attuned approach. She holds a Master of Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance with a World Music Certificate from the University of Toronto. Gretchen offers music psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and families, integrating evidence-based approaches with creative, expressive modalities. Her work is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and guided by curiosity, play, and attunement. She supports clients in building emotional awareness, regulation, communication, and self-expression within a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship. She values caregiver involvement and believes in collaborative, family-centred care, where both children and families feel supported throughout the therapeutic process. Gretchen views music therapy not just as an intervention, but as a meaningful relational space where clients can feel seen, heard, and empowered in their growth. Gretchen has experience providing both individual and group therapy across clinical settings, including work with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as individuals navigating anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma, grief, addiction, and complex emotional experiences. She has also supported individuals and families in medical and end-of-life care, using music to promote comfort, grounding, and meaning-making.

Your path in life may take some unexpected turns and it is an honour to walk beside you for part of the journey. Ruth-Ellen is a Child and Family Therapist, a Registered Psychotherapist and has graduate and post-graduate training in Play Therapy, Family Therapy and Couple Therapy. She began her career focusing mostly on adults, but for the last 10 years has expanded her focus to include children, youth, parents/caregivers and families. She strongly believes that, wherever possible, caregivers need to be consistently involved in their child's therapy, in order to make long-term change possible outside of sessions. She is also committed to strengthening attachments in family relationships, as another important factor in creating positive change. See the chart below for the types of struggles she has helped people with and the types of approaches she uses. Faith-based (Christianity) support is available upon request, and Ruth-Ellen can also thoughtfully address Indigenous concerns when relevant. Ruth-Ellen uses an experiential/interactive approach, especially with young clients. She notes that children generally don't use "talk therapy." Instead, they use toys to represent people and situations and proceed to role play/process real-life experiences in this way. Therefore, when seeing children, Ruth-Ellen might use relevant toys, story telling, puppetry, role play, games, visual art, music, movement, fun attachment activities and more.

Dizia is a registered social worker with a specialty for working with children, teens, families and young adults using a variety of therapeutic approaches tailored to clients needs. With a master's focus on mental health and an undergraduate degree in early childhood studies and a minor in child and youth care, Dizia prides herself on finding fun, creative and developmentally appropriate ways to support client goals. Dizia works hard to build a sense of safety and trust in sessions while focusing on clients concerns, needs and goals. Dizia believes that there is no one perfect therapeutic model that can be used for every challenge brought forward, so she uses a variety of evidence based theories, practices and tools to help build client's resourcefulness, resilience, and self esteem. By focusing on what is in one's control versus what isn't, Dizia helps clients build a tool kit of coping strategies to address both thoughts, emotions and choices. Once a foundation of coping skills has been built, we can then begin to tackle problems or stressors with a new sense of confidence. Dizia has worked in the fields of mental health, health, and trauma as both a clinical therapist as well as a case manager. Through her work she realized how prevalent untreated traumatic experiences are, and how overwhelming they are in day to day life. Dizia began focusing her continuing education on trauma and trauma therapies and aside from working with a variety of presenting iasues, Dizia uses these trainings and knowledge to offer trauma informed care to all clients. Dizia understands how scary and challenging it can be to find a therapist that you feel safe and comfortable sharing some of our hardest thoughts, feelings and experiences with. This is why Dizia is grateful and appreciative of the opportunities to stand with clients and earn that trust.

Nikki Bianchi is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Her practice is grounded in narrative therapy and informed by Internal Family Systems (parts work). This means you’ll explore your inner world as a system of parts — each with its own story, role, and reason for being. As trust builds within your system, you’ll begin to connect more often with your Core Self — the calm, grounded, wise inner presence that’s always been there, just beneath the noise. Nikki has a special interest in self-identity, self-worth, and self-compassion. Her approach is warm, relational, and conversational. Additionally, she offers emotional attunement and occasional humour to help you learn practical ways to support your inner parts, respond to triggers with kindness, and create more ease in your everyday life.

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, and maybe you’re not even sure where to begin. You might have a lot on your mind, or just a sense that something isn’t sitting right and that’s okay. Imagine a place where someone is dedicated to you for 50 minutes. Alongside their training and experience, their role is to help guide, provide different perspectives and package it in a way you may easily understand. That is how I like to think about what therapy looks like. If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or confused about your life, therapy can be the space where you finally feel heard and gain control back in your life. If you are curious about taking that first step into gaining that control back then I invite you to book a free consultation call.

Bevlyn is a Registered Psychotherapist who supports children, teens, young adults, and parents with anxiety, OCD, ADHD, ASD, BFRBs, emotional regulation, perfectionism, and peri- and post-natal mental health.

Michelle is a Registered Social Worker who specializes in working with children aged 0–7 and their parents. She values family-based practice as a foundation for healthy child development and emotional well-being, and works to empower families in strengthening their relationships. Michelle supports children facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and developmental concerns like ASD and ADHD. With a warm, play-based, and compassionate approach, she creates a safe space for children to explore their emotions and build resilience. Her work integrates modalities including Child-Centered Play Therapy, Theraplay, CBT, DBT, SFT, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Art Facilitation, and Parent Coaching.

Riki is a skilled social worker with a focus on helping individuals of various age groups, including youth, teens, and adults. She utilizes several therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and a Strength-Based perspective. Riki's practice encompasses addressing a range of mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. One of Riki's key strengths is her emphasis on building strong therapeutic relationships with her clients. Establishing trust and rapport is crucial for effective therapy. Riki's ultimate goal is to equip her clients with the necessary tools to navigate life's challenges successfully. By combining evidence-based techniques and a client-centered approach, Riki aims to help her clients achieve their goals and improve their mental and emotional well-being.

Shalheves is a Registered Social Worker dedicated to empowering children, adolescents, and adults to overcome challenges such as anxiety, depression, loss, trauma, addiction, and school difficulties. Her approach is tailored to each individual’s unique needs, using a range of modalities including CBT, IFS, play therapy, and motivational interviewing. Shalheves works with individuals and families to identify the root causes of their struggles and empowers them to develop healthy coping skills. She utilizes a holistic and strengths-based approach, creating a safe space to help her clients explore their thoughts, emotions, behaviours and develop effective strategies for lasting change and growth.

It’s not about trying to fit into someone else’s version of normal — it’s about feeling grounded and at ease with who you are. Jackie is a Registered Social Worker and Accredited Family Mediator with over 30 years of experience supporting individuals and families through their most complex transitions. At the heart of her practice is a deep commitment to neuro-affirming care. Jackie doesn’t just bring clinical expertise to the room; she brings the lived insight of a neurodivergent parent raising neurodivergent children. This "double discovery" allows her to create a space that is not only trauma-informed but radically accepting. Whether you are navigating an ADHD diagnosis, moving through burnout, or seeking peace within a high-conflict co-parenting dynamic, Jackie’s approach is direct, compassionate, and forward-thinking. She supports you in letting go of the idea that something is wrong with you and instead focuses on building a life that genuinely aligns with who you are. In her sessions, Jackie shows up as a grounded, collaborative ally. She understands that real growth is rooted in the simple, transformative power of being seen exactly as you are—without the mask. She partners with you to design a life that actually honors your unique internal wiring, building a practical roadmap that respects your energy, your sensory needs, and your strengths.