Jessica MacDonald

Registered Social Worker

MSW, RSW

Starting therapy can feel overwhelming. People come to therapy for different reasons – facing life transitions, parenting stress, family tension, workplace conflict, relationship breakdown, feeling unlike yourself or simply lost.

Our health and wellbeing is greatly impacted by our sense of stress, emotions, thoughts and behaviours. I practice from an integrated and holistic approach that incorporates the mind-body connection, thought patterns, experiences and our social environment. In our time together we’ll address your specific symptoms and concerns as we shift old patterns of being and strive for balance and wellness in your life.

Speaking openly about emotions and challenging experiences can be uncomfortable. My goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment to guide you through the experience of reconnecting with your needs and yourself.

Experience:

Jessica is a Registered Social Worker with the OCSWSSW and a University of Toronto graduate with a Master’s degree in Social Work specializing in Health and Mental Health. She has EMDR Training and is working towards becoming an EMDR Certified Therapist. Over the past seven years, she has been in private practice working with people experiencing stress and overwhelm trying to find balance in everyday life, guiding parents through the challenging phases of parenthood, as well as supporting first responders and healthcare professionals following traumatic experiences. She completed her graduate internship training in Adolescent Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and with the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry team at The Hospital for Sick Children. Jessica has also volunteered at the Toronto Distress Centre providing support and crisis intervention for clients in distress.

Client Focus: individuals, children, youth & teens. Parents, couples, & families.

Types of therapy:

  • EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

  • MBSR (Mindfulness-based stress reduction)

  • IPNB (Interpersonal Neurobiology)

  • EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy)

  • SFBT (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy)

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy

  • Attachment-based therapy

  • Narrative Therapy

  • Family Systems

  • Trauma-Based Therapies

Issues:

  • Stress management

  • Self-esteem

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Trauma

  • Interpersonal / relationship concerns

  • Family & life transitions

  • Parent-child conflict

  • Childhood trauma

  • First responders & healthcare professionals