Hi, I'm Petra!
I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology candidate at Yorkville University. The “qualifying” status indicates that I have completed the theoretical portion of my training and am now accruing direct client contact hours under the supervision of more experienced professionals. This is part of the requirements of my degree, which I am slated to complete in August, 2025. I am also a student member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
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Psychotherapy is my second career. I have a Master of Arts in Child Study and Education from the University of Toronto, and have worked in early, elementary, and adult education for the last 14 years, first as a classroom teacher, then an outdoor Kindergarten teacher, Forest School Educator, professional development facilitator, and college professor.
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Last but not least, I am mom to three sons, including a set of twins, and my experience bringing them into the world and settling into my life and identity as their mother involved perinatal anxiety and depression, and post traumatic stress symptoms including anger. Having come through to the other side, I am dedicated to supporting others as they journey into and through parenthood.​
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I bring warmth, compassion, and a sense of humour to therapy, and I draw from a variety of modalities. Depending on your needs and preferences, this could include mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, emotionally focused therapy, or brief solutions based therapy. Regardless of modality, consistent for each client is my commitment to a person-centered and feminist approach. This means that I will never judge or criticize you, tell you what to do, or try to “fix” you or your problems. Rather, I will accompany you through the challenges you’re facing, and support you to move towards the life you want as you reconnect with or discover for the first time your innate dignity and capacity for wellness.
Land Acknowledgement
I am a Settler Canadian of Eastern European descent, living, working, and raising my family on the unceded, unsurrendered traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe Nation. I’m grateful that my maternal grandparents and my father were able to find safety and opportunity in what is currently called Canada in the 1950s and 70s, respectively, and I’m acutely aware that while they were able to build lives and careers from which I benefitted, many Indigenous peoples in Canada have been and continue to be systematically denied that same safety and opportunity on this, their stolen lands.
With that awareness, I seek to bring a decolonial and anti-oppressive focus to my work (see more in the “my approach” section) and to build and nurture relationships with Indigenous community members in order to work towards the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action number 22, which is about recognizing Indigenous mental health expertise and traditional healing practices.
Education and Professional Memberships​
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Student Member, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
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College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) – Registered Psychotherapist, Qualifying; RP(Q)
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Masters of Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University, in progress (estimated finish date: September, 2025)
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MA Child Study and Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, 2010
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Bachelor of Arts (Combined Honours), Contemporary Studies and French, The University of King’s College, Halifax, 2008