Stephanie Chimienti, MA

While we work together you can expect a warm and safe place to be curious, discover, express vulnerability.

Hello, I am Stephanie one of the therapists here at Counselling & Co. I am incredibly passionate about this work and supporting people across the developmental lifespan - children, youth and adults. I have a pretty infectious laugh and always try to see the light and love in other people. I do come to this work with my own experiences of burnout and trauma, which have humbled me and allowed me to empathize deeply with other experiences. I am a believer in the healing potential of relationships and community.

My training and background as a Child and Youth Care Worker has laid the foundation of my therapeutic work. I have spent much of my career building relationships to support children, youth, couples and families going through crisis, challenge and change. It has also helped me focus on working with women who are pregnant and transitioning into early parenthood, as we know the importance of the development of a healthy securely attached relationship between parent and baby but also how difficult this can be for moms experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety.

One of my areas of focus is working with those exploring their neurodivergence, living with ADHD and co-morbid issues including depression, anxiety and learning difficulties. If you notice that ADHD is making it difficult to manage the details of life and has you lacking self-confidence, the ability to regulate your emotions or interact with the others, then please reach out. I would love the opportunity to work with you to help you feel more motivated, focused, organized, and performing closer to your true potential. Together, we will use a combination of practical interventions and emotional regulations strategies to have you feeling more grounded and confident living with ADHD or a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. I also work with partners and parents of neurodivergent individuals.

Why Work With Me

I do understand that there is discomfort in being vulnerable, but I have also witnessed the gifts of closeness and comfort it brings, when done in a safe therapeutic space. I hope you will feel inspired to open up, explore yourself and your relationships past and present, through our work together.

• Feel inspired to open up and explore who you are amidst the challenges you face

• Learn how to identify triggers and regulate emotional distress

• Better manage stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness

• Identify and explore self-doubt

• Explore the challenges of adolescence and emerging adulthood

• Increase your coping mechanisms and grounding techniques

• Process and cope with a breakup, loss and work through grief

• Engage in therapeutic play

• Highlight your strengths

• Look at patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving in relationships

Professional Background

I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. I have a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care from Humber College which has afforded me the knowledge and skills required for in-depth work with children, youth and families.

Things I Bet You Didn't Know About Me

• I have volunteered with a therapeutic arts program for young individuals with autism. Art is a passion of mine and I always carry around markers and art supplies

• I am obsessed with my dog

• I am trained in Brainspotting which helps to locate, focus, process and release unprocessed trauma in the brain and helps harness the body's natural self-healing ability