from anxiety to ease
for lawyers and professionals

from anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionalsfrom anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionalsfrom anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionals
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    • Home
    • Law Firm Services
    • Individual Counselling
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Book an appointment

from anxiety to ease
for lawyers and professionals

from anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionalsfrom anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionalsfrom anxiety to ease for lawyers and professionals
  • Home
  • Law Firm Services
  • Individual Counselling
  • Meet Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Book an appointment

MEET OUR TEAM

lawyer turned therapist
Toronto
provides counselling and therapy

Melanie Banka Goela

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

Melanie Banka Goela

  • Founder
  • Registered Psychotherapist & Social Worker
  • Former Lawyer


Melanie is a former lawyer, now therapist, who left the law to pursue a career that was more in alignment for her with her wish to help others and to explore paths to healing and recovery from mental health challenges. Melanie takes a special interest in supporting racialized, 

  • Founder
  • Registered Psychotherapist & Social Worker
  • Former Lawyer


Melanie is a former lawyer, now therapist, who left the law to pursue a career that was more in alignment for her with her wish to help others and to explore paths to healing and recovery from mental health challenges. Melanie takes a special interest in supporting racialized, equity seeking, BIPOC individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, self doubt, grief/loss, post traumatic stress and health issues. She uses a pragmatic, "easy to apply" approach that is trauma informed, anti-oppressive and rooted in mindfulness based therapies. Therapy is tailored to each client's unique experiences, needs and goals.


Before private practice, Melanie worked as a therapist at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and as a trauma counsellor. Melanie has a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Masters in Counselling from University of Toronto. 


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lawyers turned therapists
provide counselling and therapy to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Ellen Schlesinger

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

Melanie Banka Goela

  • Founder
  • Registered Psychotherapist & Social Worker
  • Former Lawyer


Ellen is an outside the box thinker who connects her clients to ideas, inspiration, and their innate capacity to problem solve and design possibilities. She does this while understanding the practicalities, realities, and constraints of the legal profession, and everyday life. 

  • Founder
  • Registered Psychotherapist & Social Worker
  • Former Lawyer


Ellen is an outside the box thinker who connects her clients to ideas, inspiration, and their innate capacity to problem solve and design possibilities. She does this while understanding the practicalities, realities, and constraints of the legal profession, and everyday life. With empathy, compassion, and humour, she helps clients gain strategies to cope in the immediacy of their current challenges. Ellen received a JD from the University of British Columbia and was called to the Bar of BC after articling at a national firm. She earned a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University (Vancouver, BC) where she investigated the emotional experiences of lawyers for her graduate thesis. She’s worked in a variety of public mental health care settings as well as providing individual counselling to JD and International LLM students at Osgoode Hall Law School. Ellen, is a Registered Social Worker (Ontario) and Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC). She provides coaching to lawyers worldwide. 

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provide counselling and therapy to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

  • Ontario & BC Lead Associate
  • Registered Psychotherapist


Liz specializes in supporting Millennial and Gen X professionals through issues such as depression, anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, and relationship and family concerns. Liz takes a holistic and integrative approach to therapy, exploring the ways in which mind and body interac

  • Ontario & BC Lead Associate
  • Registered Psychotherapist


Liz specializes in supporting Millennial and Gen X professionals through issues such as depression, anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, and relationship and family concerns. Liz takes a holistic and integrative approach to therapy, exploring the ways in which mind and body interact and contribute to overall health. Her approach is rooted in Person-Centred Therapy and she also draws from other modalities as suits each individual client. Prior to private practice, Liz provided counselling in a variety of settings, including college campuses, community centres, and rehabilitation clinics.  Liz is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Canadian Certified Counsellor who holds an M.Ed. in Counselling from Acadia University and a BA in Psychology from Concordia University.

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provide counselling and therapy to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Saranki Sivan

Sabrina La Tona

Elizabeth (Liz) Beiderman

  • Registered Social Worker


Saranki is a Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW) who practices from a client-centered, intersectional, anti-oppressive lens. During her time as a counselling placement student at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Saranki developed a passion for supporting new lawyers as they overcome obstacles and find their foot

  • Registered Social Worker


Saranki is a Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW) who practices from a client-centered, intersectional, anti-oppressive lens. During her time as a counselling placement student at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Saranki developed a passion for supporting new lawyers as they overcome obstacles and find their footing in the field. Saranki draws from CBT and Solution-Focused approaches in her practice and has experience with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, grief, relationships, and self-esteem. As a racialized counsellor, Saranki recognizes the unique stressors and lived experiences that come with navigating often oppressive institutions and systems. Saranki holds a Masters of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and a BA in Sociology from the University of Toronto. 

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provide counselling and therapy to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Sabrina La Tona

Sabrina La Tona

Sabrina La Tona

  • Registered Social Worker

 

Sabrina is a clinical social worker (RSW, MSW) who has been practicing counselling for over 16 years using an integrative, person-centered approach. She enjoys sharing her knowledge on the mind-body connection and how our nervous system works.  Sabrina has worked with various populations and settings using an anti

  • Registered Social Worker

 

Sabrina is a clinical social worker (RSW, MSW) who has been practicing counselling for over 16 years using an integrative, person-centered approach. She enjoys sharing her knowledge on the mind-body connection and how our nervous system works.  Sabrina has worked with various populations and settings using an anti-oppressive lens. She works in a primary health care setting while also having a private practice part-time.  Sabrina works with clients on a variety of goals including how to improve their sleep and have a healthier relationship with food. Sabrina integrates approaches that are expressive, or evidence- based such as:

· CBT-Insomnia 

· Mindful Intuitive Eating

· neurobiology

· CBT

· MBCT

· DBT

· trauma

· attachment

· grief

· child and adolescent psychotherapy

·  expressive arts (storytelling, play therapy, sand tray)

· parenting

· spirituality

In her spare time, she enjoys volunteer work, painting while also supporting the music and arts industry and is passionate about causes such as addressing food insecurity.

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provide counselling and therapy (psychotherapy) to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Leah Reinhartz

Sabrina La Tona

Sabrina La Tona

  • Registered Social Worker 


Leah specializes in providing anxiety and depression treatment to diverse clients including lawyers. She is warm, friendly, and non-judgmental and tailors her approach based on the client's specific presenting need and identified goals. She operates from an eclectic approach, integrating Cognitive Behavioural, Dia

  • Registered Social Worker 


Leah specializes in providing anxiety and depression treatment to diverse clients including lawyers. She is warm, friendly, and non-judgmental and tailors her approach based on the client's specific presenting need and identified goals. She operates from an eclectic approach, integrating Cognitive Behavioural, Dialectical Behavioural, Psychodynamic, and Solution Focused therapies.  Leah has worked in a variety of different settings including schools, hospitals, and community/grassroots agencies in Boston and Toronto. She is a Registered Social Worker and holds a Master of Social Work from Boston College and a Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University. 

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provide counselling and therapy (psychotherapy) to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Jordan Virtue

Jordan Virtue

Jordan Virtue

  • Registered Social Worker
  • Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
  • Former Lawyer


Jordan is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She is a Therapist In Training serving Ontario clients. Jordan  is a former lawyer who decided to make the switch to become a psych

  • Registered Social Worker
  • Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
  • Former Lawyer


Jordan is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She is a Therapist In Training serving Ontario clients. Jordan  is a former lawyer who decided to make the switch to become a psychotherapist. Her prior degrees in Sociology and Social Work instilled an interest in human behaviour and, ultimately, counselling. Having worked at firms in Toronto and abroad, Jordan understands the unique challenges and stressors that lawyers face. She looks forward to connecting with clients and working with them to achieve their goals. Jordan provides individual psychotherapy under the clinical supervision of clinic co-founder Ellen Schlesinger, Registered Psychotherapist/Registered Social Worker. Sliding scale rates are available for sessions with Jordan, please inquire.  

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provide counselling and therapy (psychotherapy) to Toronto based lawyers and professionals

Julia Viskov

Jordan Virtue

Jordan Virtue

  • Registered Psychotherapist 

  

Julia assists lawyers in coping with a variety of concerns using a warm, compassionate and insight-oriented approach. Informed by mindfulness, psychodynamic theory, and philosophical inquiry, Julia assists with depression, anxiety, relational difficulties, substance misuse, existential issues and meaning-makin

  • Registered Psychotherapist 

  

Julia assists lawyers in coping with a variety of concerns using a warm, compassionate and insight-oriented approach. Informed by mindfulness, psychodynamic theory, and philosophical inquiry, Julia assists with depression, anxiety, relational difficulties, substance misuse, existential issues and meaning-making, as well as immigration and cultural conflicts. Julia has experience in a variety of settings, and prior to private practice has worked as a community counsellor in Yellowknife (NWT), an embedded mental health therapist at Osgoode Hall Law School, a crisis counsellor at the Toronto Distress Centre, and has trained legal volunteers at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Julia is a Registered Psychotherapist (Q) and a Canadian Certified Counsellor who holds an MEd in Counselling and Psychotherapy from OISE/UofT, and an HBA in Philosophy and History from University of Toronto.

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REACH OUT TODAY

We look forward to helping you achieve your mental health and wellness goals. Our practice provides therapy to professionals and lawyers residing in Ontario and BC.

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  • Law Firm Services
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Contact us: info@fromanxietytoease.com

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Our team specializes in providing counselling/therapy to lawyers and professionals struggling with anxiety, stress, burnout, low mood, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, grief & loss, relationship & career challenges.

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