Sarah Wood, MSW, RSW

My approach isn’t about determining right or wrong; it is about finding new ways of interacting with self and others to deepen the connection and create more fulfilling relationships.

Hello, my name is Sarah Wood, and I am one of the Registered Social Workers here at Counselling & Co. I am so glad you found your way here. As a therapist, my energy is grounding and genuine, which I hope invites you to feel at ease and safe. I practice from an inclusive, anti-oppressive and harm reductionist approach. My top priority is meeting you where you are as you start this journey and value you being the expert in your own life. I promise to always honour your strengths and look for your resilience as we work together towards your therapeutic goals.

As a queer identified therapist, I call on my own lived experience and training when working with LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and couples. I have engaged in both individual and couples therapy myself, which has afforded me the opportunity to learn from the inside out. I get that it can be hard to show different parts of ourselves even in therapy, parts that we may not like very much or may feel shame about. I want you to know that on the other side, it can also be freeing to feel more confident in expressing who you are and your desires for love and healthy relationships. We will work together to foster a connection based on emotional safety, providing you a space where you can feel at ease so that we may explore your challenging experiences and emotions.

I practice Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which is a leading evidence-based approach for relational and couple work. I help individuals and couples become aware of their emotional and behavioural patterns so that we may understand their origins and assess if these patterns are continuing to serve you. In our work together, we will privilege emotion. I will help you to slow down, get clearer with your emotional signals, so you can respond and be responded to in the ways you or your loved one need. Together, we will identify your triggers, bring emotion to life in the “room” and make meaning of these experiences in the present moment, so that you will feel better equipped to try these new ways of being and relating out in your day-today life.

Why Work With Me

You can rest assured that you will not experience criticism or be shamed throughout our time together, as I believe we all have good reasons for the ways we feel, think and behave. My personal strengths include building genuine connections and fostering emotional safety.

• Deepen emotional connection and intimacy

• Find conflict resolution and improve communication

• Explore intersecting identities

• Feel confident in your differing parenting styles and parent with more cohesion

• Dismantle gender roles

• Process minority stress

• Dig deep into experienced criticism, shame, and oppression

• Explore non-monogamy and all relationship structures

• Feel embraced and accepted exactly as you are

• Understand your relationship with substances and the impact on relationships

Professional Background

I am a Registered Social Worker with 14 years of social work experience at the community level. I earned my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto, specializing in Children & Families with a focus on couples and relationships. I hold an honours degree in Social Work from York University, and a degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.