Individual Psychotherapy
Karina Clendenning, MSW, RSW.
First and foremost, you are the expert in your own life. Your story matters, and I want to offer a space for you share it and be heard.
I am here to support you in enhancing your well-being as you take this brave, and sometimes scary, step in receiving the care you deserve. We will work on reclaiming the parts of your mind, body, and spirit that have been, or continue to be, impacted by the challenges of life.
Trauma, relationship difficulties, people-pleasing, depression, anxiety, grief, and general life stress are some of the burdens I can help you carry.
Read more about my principles of practices and therapeutic approaches below, and feel free to book a free 15-minute consultation with me to see how I may be able to support you on this part of your healing journey.
50-minute sessions cost $150.
80-minute sessions are also available.
If you have insurance, you can claim my services under Master of Social Work coverage.
Check out my FAQ page for more details
I offer evening and weekend availability.
My principles of practice:
Trauma-informed
Trauma informed practitioners operate on principles of safety, collaboration, trustworthiness, transparency, empowerment, humility, peer support, and awareness, while understanding the impact that trauma has on our brains, bodies, behaviours, and lives.
Confidential
What happens in session, stays in session. You may be aware that there are legal limitations to confidentiality, however we will go through them and, if needed, work together to create plans and strategies to ensure safety in a way that doesn’t break confidentiality unnecessarily.
Anti-racist & Anti-oppressive
As a white person with other privileged identities, I recognize that I benefit from racist and oppressive practices in society. I am active in examining my own biases and actions critically, and work to incorporate principles of anti-racism and anti-oppression into both my personal life and professional practice.
Intersectionally Feminist
A significant portion of my experience and education has been dedicated to understanding and addressing the ways that our identities overlap to increase or decrease the amount of oppression we experience. This lens of intersectionality, a term coined by Black civil rights activist and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, is essential for the advancement of true equality for all people of all genders.
Non-judgemental
The truth is, as humans, we all make judgements. However, I intentionally approach client thoughts and behaviours with curiosity and understanding (see: Trauma informed practice). I actively participate in my own clinical supervision and therapy to work through any barriers that may impact our work together, and strive to have unconditional positive regard for my clients. My goal is to help you reduce the judgement so many of us already have of ourselves - not add to it!
Accountable
You deserve to work with a therapist that makes you feel heard, supported, and as safe as possible. I welcome communication and feedback about how I can best support you, and will always hold myself accountable if I unintentionally cause harm. Every client has different needs, and an effective approach with one person may not work for another. I aim to foster open communication in session to ensure your therapeutic needs are being met.
Modalities and Approaches
Every person is different, and I don’t believe that therapy sessions should be one-size-fits-all. I provide integrative therapy that draws from multiple approaches based on the needs of each client.
At the start of our work together, we will discuss what you’re looking to get out of our sessions, and explore what needs are present for you. Then, I use a variety of modalities and approaches to help you work toward your therapeutic goals. Not all of my approaches may resonate with you, so as you browse the list below please know that they don’t all have to be present in our work together.
My therapeutic approaches include:
Narrative Therapy
Somatic experiencing
Internal Family Systems Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Attachment-based Therapy
Use of systems theory, feminist theory, and structural social work
Use of body positivity/body neutrality and Health At Every Size principles
Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (used on a limited basis)
Strength-based and client centered
Non-pathologizing
