“life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”
-Søren Kierkegaard
I’m Yordanka and I am a Registered Psychotherapist, Canadian Certified Counsellor, and an EMDR - trained therapist providing psychotherapy services to adults in Ontario and most other provinces/territories.
Please scroll down to learn more about me, my approach, and how I can support you on your mental health journey. I also have a Resources page that has a list of books, articles and podcasts on a number of topics - check it out and see if you find anything that catches your eye!
Looking forward to connecting with you!
hey there!
about me
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Below are some of the most common concerns I have experience providing support for:
Anxiety/Anxiety disorders
Emotional dysregulation
Relationships
Trauma (developmental, PTSD)
Self-criticism
Depression/low mood
Immigrant experience
Pregnancy/postpartum
Relationship with food/body
During my graduate studies, I completed my internship working with marginalised populations in Chicago. This experience, alongside my training in multicultural counselling, has lead to my dedication to consistently explore my own bias in order to provide anti-oppressive support and practice cultural safety.
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I utilize a number of approaches, and below you will find short, “real world” explanations of each one:
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)** - understanding how your internal world (sensations, emotions, thoughts, urges) and behaviour impact your wellbeing and relationships, and building a more compassionate relationship with yourself and others by connecting to your values.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)** - using techniques meant to stimulate both sides of the brain in order to help your nervous system process traumatic experiences and present day triggers.
Interpersonal Neuropsychology* - one of the main ways our developing nervous system learns about the world around us is through our relationships. The quality of those relationships can impact how our nervous system functions and how we manage emotional distress. This is the most updated version of the attachment and relational theories.
Internal Family Systems* - challenges the mono-mind perspective; different parts of us develop in order to help us survive certain experiences/circumstances growing up and it can often feel that those parts are the ones behind the wheel. This approach focuses on learning about those parts, building a more compassionate relationship with our parts, and orienting them to the present.
Feminist* - focuses on how society, culture, and politics impact our experiences, and thus, our internalized beliefs about self, others, and the world.
Psychodynamic* - early life relationships contribute to the sense of self and subconscious beliefs about self and others and impact behaviour. Experiences in relationships, including the therapeutic relationship, are utilized to explore core beliefs.
Evolutionary psychology* - humans’ nervous system is shaped by millions of years of evolution as well as human history, specifically what was needed for survival. This is an important lens to consider especially when we’re trying to make sense of our behaviour in the present context of a fast changing culture.
I will collaborate with you to figure out which approach (usually a mix) best fits your needs. We will regularly check in with the process, identifying any setbacks to progress and adjust the approach as needed. Your feedback will always be encouraged.
**Approaches I have official training in.
*Approaches I am informed by, meaning I have done my own learning by either reading materials and/or attending webinars.
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Registered Psychotherapist
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, registration number: 007182Canadian Certified Counsellor
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, certification number: 10001862Masters of Education, Counselling Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 2017
Honours Bachelors of Science, Psychology, Biology & Anthropology, University of Toronto, 2014
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Trainings/Webinars/Workshops:
EMDR 2.0 (2024)
EMDR for Attachment Injuries (2024)
Working With The Inner Critic to Reduce Self-Harm (2024)
EMDR for Anxiety Disorders, Phobias, and OCD (2024)
Advanced Skills for Complex Trauma and Dissociation (2024)
EMDR for Eating Disorders (2023)
Management and Treatment of Personality Disorders (2023)
Personality Disorders Skills Training (2023)
Stabilization Interventions: Navigating Repair with Regulatory and Relational Interventions (2023)
Assessment of Complex Developmental Trauma Disorders (2023)
Understanding Black Clients in Mental Health Care (2023)
Working with Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors (2023)
Complex Trauma & Dissociation: Study & Consultation groups (2023)
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR): Basic training (2023)
Stabilization Skills in the Treatment of Complex Developmental Trauma Disorders (2022)
Acts of Recognition & Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Embedded Relational Mindfulness and the Repair of Trauma and Relational Failure (2022)
Responding to Suicidal Thoughts - Narrative Therapy Centre (2022)
The Role of Fantasy in Complex Trauma (2022)
Calming the Inner Critic: Working with Punitive Introjects, Ego States, and Dissociative Parts (2022)
Narrative Documentation Practices: Addressing Power Inequalities Through Documentation Practices (2021)
2SLGBTQ+ Inclusive Trauma-Informed Care (2021)
Interrupting the Vicious Cycle of Toxic Stories in Addictions and Trauma Treatment (2021)
Identifying, Understanding and Treating Narcissism in Clinical Practice (2021)
Working with the effects of emotional abuse, severe neglect and invisibility (2020)
When Suicidal Thoughts Persist: Treating Chronic Ideation (2020)
Clinicians As Suicide Loss Survivors: Postvention for Caregivers (2020)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Immersion (2020)
Cannabis Update: What Counsellors and Therapist Need to Know Now (2019)
Books:
EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation by Jim Knipe
Finding Solid Ground: Overcoming Obstacles in Trauma Treatment by Brand et al.
Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual: Trauma-Informed Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, PTSD & Substance Use by Anderson et al.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR): Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures by Francine Shapiro
Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach by Patricia DeYoung
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts by Resmaa Menakem
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson
The Moral Injury Workbook by Wyatt Evans, Kent Drescher, Jacob Farnsworth
The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain by Louis Cozolino
The ACT Approach: A Comprehensive Guide by Timothy Gordon
Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change by Steven Hayes, Kirk Strosahl, Kelly Wilson
The Marriage Clinic by John Gottman
Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love by Robert Karen
Psychodynamic Techniques: Working with Emotion in the Therapeutic Relationship by Karen Maroda
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Basics and Beyond by Judith Beck