Shirley Katz,PhD, Registered Psychotherapist, CCC

Shirley Katz,PhD, Registered Psychotherapist, CCC

Telehealth Available
Professions: Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Marriage & Family Therapist
License Status: I'm a licensed professional.
Primary Credential: Registered Psychotherapist - 0003295
Billing and Insurance:

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Free Initial Consultation
Evening Availability

Offices

156 Sheppard Avenue West, Unit 3
North York, Ontario M2N1M8

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My Approach to Helping

I believe in a direct, genuine and honest approach to helping my clients and supervisees. I am a deeply caring human being with the courage and faith to be real while helping you with your concerns. If you choose to work with me, the process of change will be collaborative and respectful. I want to help you in a way that will strengthen the skills you will need to navigate other struggles you may face in the future. I am highly aware of issues around trauma and am careful to not stir up bad feelings and leave you feeling vulnerable and unsafe in an initial call nor in sessions.

I believe we should decide together not just what the "problem" might be, but what your goals are. Because I am clear on what my role is in helping you reach those goals, you are likely to feel safe and supported in therapy, moving towards change. I work from a feedback informed process, meaning I use assessments and verbal feedback to make sure you are getting what you need and making progress. Whether you are a client or a supervisee I want to know how you feel about the work we are doing. We are both on a journey together.

As a former university counselling instructor and current supervisor, I'm well aware of the research on what is effective in psychotherapy, regardless of a therapists' style. I know what facilitates real change and I make effective use of your therapy time. Everyone grows and changes. We all face struggles in our lives. In order to help you develop to your full potential and to get through tricky times, I will draw on a wide range of traditional and creative methods to help. I am aware of ethical and effective use of self, which is when the therapist shares personal stories to help build hope and resilience.

You will find me open minded and easy to talk to. My background has been colorful and my path a winding one. I've grown to understand and accept people from all walks of life. I connect really well with people who feel they have been often misunderstood, especially creative and gifted people.. My clients, regardless of their issue or their background, usually find it really easy to talk to me and appreciate the combination of genuine caring and results-oriented approach. I am easy to trust and feel safe with as I do not hide my emotions or play the passive therapist role. I am not afraid to be myself in front of you so I can help you be your best self in front of me and become your best self in your world. If this resonates with you and you need my help or support, please reach out today. I work with a group of therapists and can matchrefer you to someone if I am not a fit.

More Info About My Practice

Services are covered by extended health plans if you are covered for a Registered Psychotherapist. Please inquire with your provider. We offer phone counselling and video conferencing which is also covered by insurance if applicable. There are several associates in this practice who are amazing and we have some low rate services are available through ongoing training provided for Masters' level interns. That service may be covered as well, since the supervisor's license is also on the receipts. Our associates are all mature people who had previous careers before becoming therapists. We understand difficult transitions. We have experienced immigration or other life challenges, understanding anxiety, avoidance, unresolved grief, fear, relationship struggles, loneliness, distractibility, compulsive behavior, poor coping etc. We believe in a good fit and how can you judge if one of us is a good fit, if we are ingenuine? You will find us open, honest, and real. We are happy to fit you with the right person. We offer a free consult to determine fit, and if that therapist is not the right fit, you can talk to another. Give us a call or email and let us know how we can help.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

I see a lot of clients struggling with anxiety because of being highly intelligent or creative and feeling misunderstood elsewhere. I have helped many get through education programs when they lost their mojo. This was the basis of my research in university. Relationship issues and couples are also something I am trained in. I also have specialties in working with eating and body image concerns and clients who come from the LGBTQ community. Many of my clients are in higher education as grad students or professors or executives. I see a lot of therapists as well who need support. Many of my continuing education trainings have been about trauma, working with first responders, cultural issues, gender and sexuality. I run supervision groups and groups for supervisors. Reach out!

How Psychotherapy Can Help

Depending on the issue you are dealing with, an experienced psychotherapist should be able to do an assessment of how the issues are impacting your functioning or wellbeing. Things like work or school performance, relationship stability can sometimes be obvious areas where issues show their impact, but for some people, achievement and striving can mask their internal struggles. We work at understanding how the issues you bring to therapy are impacting your life space so that we can help you make a more safe, meaningful and expansive emotional life. The way you cope with issues and feelings may have helped you get to where you are today, good and bad - but there may be better ways to deal with what you have to face today and tomorrow. We will look at history, symptoms, functioning and goals so we can measure how you are benefitting from therapy. At our clinic we pride ourselves on being clear about what we are doing and hold ourselves (and you) accountable for making efforts so therapy benefits you.

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Ages I Work With

  • Children
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Elders

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi/Urdu
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish

Groups I Work With

    Disordered Eating, Anxiety, LGBT2SQ++ issues in individual and couples, Parent-Child relationships, Newcomers to Canada, Inter-Cultural Relationships, Creative People, Executives. My associates speak Portugese, Spanish, Hebrew, Hindi, Urdu and others. Please ask.

Industries & Communities Served

  • BIPOC
  • Education
  • Entertainment Industry
  • First Responder/Medical Professionals
  • LGBTQ+
  • Military/Law Enforcement
  • Professional Sports
  • Self-Employed and Freelance Professionals

Client Concerns I Treat

  • Abandonment
  • Abortion / Post Abortion Issues
  • Abuse / Abuse Survivor Issues
  • Academic Concerns
  • Addictions and Compulsions
  • Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
  • Adoption / Reunion Issues
  • Aging and Geriatric Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment Issues
  • Batterer Intervention
  • Blended Family Issues
  • Body Image
  • Cancer
  • Career Choice
  • Caregiver Issues / Stress
  • Child and/or Adolescent Issues
  • Chronic Pain
  • Codependency / Dependency
  • Communication Problems
  • Compulsive Spending / Shopping
  • Control Issues
  • Creative Blocks
  • Depression
  • Divorce / Divorce Adjustment
  • Domestic Violence
  • Drug and Alcohol Addiction
  • Eating and Food Issues
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Emotional Overwhelm
  • Emptiness
  • Family of Origin Issues
  • Family Problems
  • Fear
  • Fertility Issues
  • Gambling Addiction
  • Grief, Loss, and Bereavement
  • Habits
  • Health / Illness / Medical Issues
  • Helplessness / Victimhood
  • HIV / AIDS
  • Identity Issues
  • Inadequacy
  • Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity (ADHD)
  • Infidelity / Affair Recovery
  • Irritability
  • Isolation
  • Learning Difficulties
  • LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Issues
  • Life Purpose / Meaning / Inner-Guidance
  • Men's Issues
  • Midlife Crisis / Midlife Transition
  • Mood Swings / Mood Disturbance
  • Multicultural Concerns
  • Obsessions and Compulsions (OCD)
  • Panic
  • Parenting
  • Physical Abuse
  • Post Partum Depression
  • Pregnancy and Birthing
  • Prejudice / Discrimination
  • Self-Care
  • Self-Confidence
  • Self-Criticism
  • Self-Doubt
  • Self-Esteem
  • Self-Love
  • Sensitivity to Criticism
  • Sexual Assault / Abuse
  • Shame
  • Social Anxiety / Phobia
  • Stress
  • Trust Issues
  • Values Clarification
  • Women's Issues
  • Workplace Issues
  • Worry
  • Worthlessness

Types of Therapy


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