Counselling & Psychotherapy - Lauren Kalvari, PhD Cand MSW RSW #800396

Over the last 25 years of working with people experiencing pain and trauma I have become increasingly inspired by their strength and resilience. I work with a trauma-informed approach meaning that I am always aware of the overall goal being to cope and "get up in the morning". I cautiously unpack trauma histories, all the while replacing them with new meanings and hope. I use an eclectic approa... Read More

Over the last 25 years of working with people experiencing pain and trauma I have become increasingly inspired by their strength and resilience. I work with a trauma-informed approach meaning that I am always aware of the overall goal being to cope and "get up in the morning". I cautiously unpack trauma histories, all the while replacing them with new meanings and hope. I use an eclectic approach, including attachment therapy, interpersonal therapy, meaning-making existential techniques, mindfulness based stress reduction aspects, cognitive behavioral therapy, contemplative, humanistic, couple and family systems, intimate partner violence, psycho dynamic, relational, family of origin, person-centered, grief work, strength based and solution focused. I use the therapy model that is most suited at the time to the the specific personality type, current situation and the persons needs. I tend to go back and forth organically between models as people are complex and cannot be pigeon holed into any one way. A huge part of my approach though is the authentic compassion and commitment that I feel for those that I partner with! I truly believe in the ability to heal and ultimately thrive in ones life regardless of the past trauma and extreme challenges.

Welcome and thank you for reaching out!

Very little about human experience surprises me anymore — yet people continue to move and inspire me. I am deeply open-minded, curious, and grounded in a strong sense of relational and community responsibility. My work is shaped by decades of clinical practice and by a lived understanding of complexity, resilience, and care under pressure. I bring steadiness, intuition, and a thoughtful sense of humour into the therapeutic space, creating an environment where people can feel safe enough to speak honestly and begin to heal. ​I am also attentive to the spiritual, cultural, and meaning-making dimensions of people’s lives, including experiences of spiritual or religious harm, loss of community, and the search to rebuild identity after trauma. Therapy is not about fixing what is broken, but about creating space for integration, dignity, safety, and renewed choice.

​Professionally, I have worked within provincial mental health and welfare systems and continue to support charitable and community-based initiatives focused on intimate partner violence. I have also been involved in a federally funded research project examining coercive control and the challenges faced by culturally insular communities, work that informs my clinical and supervisory practice. ​​ My therapeutic approach is integrative, relational and responsive to each person’s inner world and culture. I draw primarily from psychodynamic and relational traditions, alongside somatic and trauma-informed approaches, adapting therapy to the pace, needs and lived experience of the individual. This includes support for individuals affected by intimate partner violence, spiritual abuse, and trauma within religious or culturally insular communities.

Welcome and thank you for reaching out! Very little about human experience surprises me anymore ... Read More

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Located at: 778 Sheppard Ave West, Suite 103, North York
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