About Me
Hi, I’m Alex.
My name is short for Alexandra and I use the pronouns she/her. I am a social worker in Toronto offering counselling and psychotherapy services. To view my credentials, click here.
My dog Gracie (pictured) reminds me to live in the moment and to find the joy in little things.
Please keep scrolling to learn more about me. I hope that what I have written below gives you a sense of the journey that led me to where I am today and the kind of person that I am.
I believe that our shared vulnerability in being human is where meaningful connection is rooted. If we can acknowledge that we are all imperfect and that there is no right way to be, it gives us permission to be ourselves and to let go of the belief that we have to be a certain way to be accepted and loved. But, this is easier said than done. It takes courage to acknowledge the imperfections we perceive in ourselves. Sometimes the vulnerability it brings feels like it will crush us.
What if no one loves the real me? What if something is wrong with me?
What if I will be unsafe when someone finds out who I really am?
What if I don’t really belong?
Often, these fears drive us back to the ‘safe’ road of living the way we think we should, protecting our true selves from rejection. Unfortunately, this also reinforces our inner critic telling us we are not good enough. Getting caught in this space where we feel we can’t truly show up in our lives is one of the ways that we can get stuck.
I am what is known as “highly sensitive” - a self-aware, deep-feeling human. For much of my life these traits led me to feel overwhelmed, exhausted and immobilized. I could never turn down the volume in my body and mind. I felt different. Like many people, I did my best to appear ‘normal,’ living how I thought I should live, and masking my true emotions. This resulted in mounting feelings of isolation, loneliness, shame, anxiety, and depression. I learned the hard way that I was on a shortcut to burnout.
What I didn’t know then is that we can change the way we think and feel - but not by force.
There is so much power that can be gained from telling our story wholeheartedly to someone we trust. The more we work to keep certain parts of ourselves hidden, the more burdensome these parts become. Although it may not always feel like it, our nervous systems and our emotions are actually here to help us. If we can make space to listen, we can get clarity around what we need. We can learn to understand how our past experiences have shaped us and become aware of what we might be holding on to that is no longer serving us. This is something we are all capable of, no matter how out of reach it may feel.
Often, the willingness to be vulnerable is the cost of admission to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
We are not defined by our past and can choose how to write the next chapter. Having vulnerability met with compassion is transformative. It is a healing, corrective experience that we are all worthy of.
Therapy does not have to be an intimidating, clinical or sterile experience. Through real conversations, therapy can give us an opportunity to feel seen, heard, and valued for who we are, laying the foundation for meaningful personal growth work. We are not meant to be anyone other than who we are, and who we are is good enough!
If you would like to connect and learn more about my style or the work we could do together, please reach out. I look forward to hearing from you!
