MEET OUR TEAM

• 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. 

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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. 

• 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.  

• 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.