Our group leaders and facilitators work in health and mental health fields such as social work, counselling, psychology, art therapy and education. They come to Sheena’s Place to run their groups once or twice a week. Below is a list of facilitators who are currently facilitating groups at Sheena’s Place, listed in alphabetical order by first name.

Please note: Our facilitators are contracted seasonally to run their groups and are not staff members of Sheena’s Place. As such, they do not work for Sheena’s Place outside of group hours and we are unable to provide their contact information to group participants. If you have questions for your facilitators, we encourage you to raise them during your group, if possible. Our staff team is also more than happy to support you and to answer questions. Please get in touch with our Registrars, Steve and Aglaia – their contact information can be found here.

Aglaia is sitting on a white couch and wearing grey. She's looking into the camera.

Aglaia Tudor (she/her)

CYT, MACP (In-Progress), RP (Qualifying)

We all have a story, a story that is dynamic and resilient in nature as it undeniably follows us through the lifelong journey of self-actualization. The complexities, dilemmas and challenges of the human experience are opportunities to find our truth and purpose. I have a strong interest in Emotionally Focused Therapy and believe that our emotions offer us a map to our deepest needs and fears. As a facilitator, I aim to offer an honest, compassionate and authentic approach honouring that group members are the authors of their own story. I have a strong background in visual art and dance and have completed training as a yoga instructor. I hold a BSc (Honours) in Psychology at U of T and am currently completing my MA in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. I am honoured to be a part of Sheena’s Place and am committed to bringing my professional skills and personal dedication to best support our community.

 

Alexandra Hanania (she/her)

MA, DTATI, RP

I’m a psychotherapist and art therapist and have been running groups at Sheena’s Place since 2018. You might find me in the mindfulness and textile-based art groups or co-facilitating the BIPOC support group. As the first generation of my family to be born in Canada, I have also been inspired to work with newcomers and refugees at non-profits around the Toronto area. I take a person-centred, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed approach to my therapeutic work. I believe in practising cultural humility, and so I try to create a space that welcomes the unique experiences of all people.

 

Ary is looking at the camera. He is wearing a blue shirt.

Ary Maharaj (he/him)

M.Ed., RP (Qualifying)

Through compassion, non-judgment, respect, and honesty, I work to create a group environment that gives you some breathing room to think about your important life transitions, explore your intersecting identities, navigate your relationship with your body, and hold space for the many emotions we all experience. There is much we have in common, and we are all unique. In facilitating the BIPOC Support group, we try not to generalize or compare our perspectives with that of others, but instead, work to acknowledge each person’s experience and how systemic, social factors — like racism and other systems of oppression — can impact our health and our everyday experiences. I strive to create spaces that allow us to feel a sense of safety, so that instead of using time to defend ourselves, we can use that time to define ourselves.

 

Ashley is wearing a blue shirt and smiling into the camera

Ashley Seaman (she/her)

I am a certificated Educator holding membership in Good Standing with The Ontario College of Teachers, and I am an Educational Partner of the Toronto District School Board.  My background in the Theatre Arts as a teacher, program developer, performer, producer, and department head has shaped my passion for emphasizing the role of the Arts in a happy, healthy, well-rounded and balanced life.  My goal as a facilitator is to use some of the pillars of Improv Comedy to invite participants to explore the healing process with a deeper sense of acceptance, humour, presence and connection. Oh, and also to have fun for no reason, other than fun is fun!

 

Christine is looking at the camera and smiling. They are wearing a hat and a black shirt.

Christine Hsu (they/them/she/her)

Ontario College of Teachers Certificate (OCT), Adult Education Certificate (St.Fx), Personal Training Specialist (Canfitpro), Inclusion Training (Variety Village),  Bachelor of Physical & Health Education, Bachelor of Education, Certified Training & Development Professional (pending)

I am a queer, nonbinary, genderfluid, woman of colour and work in a variety of different communities wearing different hats. These hats include being a healing-centred movement coach with a body liberation approach, and an anti-racism/anti-oppression trainer and diversity & inclusion consultant. My very being and work centres on minimizing harm in the world/relationships, honoring courage, radical vulnerability, and radical acceptance, and being active both in body movements and sports, and in dismantling white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy. You’ll most likely find me cycling around in the city and squealing over seeing cute puppies all year round.

 

Christine is outside and wearing a toque and sweater. She is smiling into the camera.

Christine McPhail (she/her)

RD, RP

Christine holds the identities of white, queer, straight-sized, cis-woman with lived experience of mental health struggles. Her practice is grounded in principles of inclusivity, anti-oppression, trauma-informed care, and weight inclusivity. Christine works as both a dietitian and a therapist. Christine practices an integrative approach to therapy using the humanistic approach as a foundation, combined with cognitive and behavioural/third-wave approaches, narrative and feminist approaches. As a dietitian, Christine uses anti-diet and weight-inclusive approaches.When Christine isn’t actively fighting diet culture, she enjoys dancing (ballet in particular), practicing yoga/meditation, writing, reading, painting, colouring, watching TV and movies, hiking, and exploring the local food, event and art scenes.

 

Cindy is wearing a collared shirt and is smiling into the camera

Cindy Kwong (she/her)

MSW, RSW, EXAT

I am a racialized settler working as an Expressive Arts Therapist and a Registered Social Worker. In my life and work, I am guided by wisdom, traditions, and lived experiences of near and far kinfolk as well as schools of thought from narrative therapy, expressive arts therapy, and sensorimotor psychotherapy. I deeply appreciate the restorative capacity of play and the arts, the generative insight through embodied ways of knowing, the systemic influences on one’s wellbeing, and the power of collective, reciprocal, and relational care. As a group facilitator, I consider it one of my key responsibilities to collaboratively hold and shape a communal space for compassionate, curious, and honest explorations.

 

Cynthia Shea (she/her)

MSW, RSW

I connect with clients at Sheena’s Place to teach Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Skills – focusing especially on using them to support your eating disorder recovery. I work to make DBT understandable and relatable so that you can then consider how to use DBT skills to support your own recovery.

 

Emma is looking at the camera, smiling. She is wearing glasses and a red shirt and she is standing in front of a red brick wall.

Emma Baril (she/her)

RYT 400

I have been practicing yoga since 2005 and formally studying yoga since 2013. My teaching uses gentle movement to explore showing up with curiosity and compassion.

 

Evegenia is wearing a white sweater and looking into the camera

Evgenia Khilov (she/her)

Art Therapist, DTATI, RP

Throughout my career, I assisted clients from all walks of life, using art not only as a therapeutic modality but as a way of facilitating profound communication and connection with others and with self. For me, art therapy combines the creative process with self-exploration which stimulates healing and mental well-being. I strongly believe that engaging in art therapy has the ability to set someone on a course of one degree of change, and that one degree will produce a greater effect over time, as it builds on itself. Thus, even a small shift in an art therapy session, in the long run, can shift the perception of the Self and be pivotal to the relationship with Self and others.

 

JDP is wearing glasses and a black shirt, and is looking into the camera

JDP (they/them)

JDP has been doing fat activism, workshops, and peer counselling for over 10 years.

 

Josée Sovinsky (she/they)

RP, RD

Through a trauma-informed and weight-inclusive approach, I support folks as they heal from disordered eating, reduce anxiety and guilt with food, and work towards body acceptance. I help people take up space and share their stories with vulnerability and authenticity. I strive to be an ally in people’s journey by creating an environment where they feel empowered, respected, and heard.

 

Kaitlyn is wearing a white shirt and smiling into the camera

Kaitlyn Axelrod (she/her)

MSW, RSW

I am a white, cisgender woman and settler, and I am currently the Manager of Community Outreach & Education at Sheena’s Place. As a community mental health social worker, I have experience supporting youth and adults affected by diverse mental health challenges in individual and group settings. I see disordered eating behaviours as logical ways to cope with difficult or oppressive situations and experiences, and I aim to hold space for these diverse experiences in group. My practice is informed by Harm Reduction and Health at Every Size® frameworks.

 

Kaley is wearing glasses and a blue blazer. She is smiling into the camera.

Kaley Roosen (she/her)

Ph.D. C.Psych

I am a clinical and health psychologist who has been working with folks with eating disorders for the past 10+ years. As a disabled woman, I am passionate about offering disability-affirming, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed support and therapy to folks with mental health challenges, complex trauma histories, eating distress and chronic illness/disability. My practice and scholarly work combines psychology theory with critical understandings of disability and illness. I have worked in hospital settings and am currently working in private practice while continuing my ongoing commitment as an advocate and ally in disability justice work. I am also aligned with body liberation work and understanding eating disorders as social justice issues.

 

Kelsey Gatta (she/her)

MSW, RSW

I am a registered social worker with an educational background in nutrition and psychology. As a result, I address eating disorders from a holistic perspective — whereby I aim to merge psychotherapeutic theories with behavioural and nutritional sciences, while providing social and familial contexts. I understand that there is always a sound reason as to why individuals engage with disordered eating and subsequently experience difficulties with recovery. Because of this, I am guided by a client-entered approach, in that I believe people are often the best experts of their own stories. I apply a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive lens in working with individuals and seek to operate from a non-judgemental, compassionate stance. I am so happy to continue as a facilitator with Sheena’s Place.

 

Kelsey is wearing glasses and a blue shirt, and is smiling into the camera

Kelsey Johnston (she/her)

MSW, RSW

I have had the privilege of being a part of the Sheena’s Place community since 2016. I love group work and believe that there is so much potential in group-based settings to support well-being! My perspective is that group members are the experts of their own experience and that we all can benefit from community and connection during challenging times. As a facilitator, I try to foster a comfortable and welcoming space where participants can benefit from mutual support, drawing on the wisdom and experience of the collective. I aim to bring an inclusive, authentic, and non-judgemental approach to this work, and am grateful to be a part of this community.

 

Kyle is wearing a button up shirt and is looking into the camera

Kyle T. Ganson (he/him)

PhD, MSW, RSW

I am an assistant professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto where I teach clinical social work courses and conduct research on eating disorders, specifically among boys and men. I have over 8 years of clinical social work practice experience, the majority of which I have dedicated to eating disorders recovery. I’m always excited to use the group format to foster a sense of mutual aid and support for group members to navigate eating disorder recovery.

 

Laura is outside in the snow, wearing a black coat and colourful hat. She is smiling into the camera.

Laura Hartley (she/her)

BA, MES

I’m a queer, feminist, facilitator, educator, activist and community builder. I have been honoured to be a part of the Sheena’s Place community as a facilitator for the past 7 years. I believe in the power of group programs and the arts to create spaces for personal growth, healing and transformation. I bring an empathic approach and aim to create warm, inviting and inclusive spaces where everyone feels comfortable and inspired to step into their own creativity and power.

 

Lauren Drouchard (she/her)

MSW, RSW

I am a registered social worker with so much gratitude to have been involved with Sheena’s Place since my practicum placement in 2013. Through these walls, I have seen the awesome power of group spaces to create supportive community, and have deep respect for all who put themselves out there to show up and be a part of it. As a facilitator coming into the space, I try to be down to earth, warm, compassionate, respectful, non-judgmental, and accountable; always working from a baseline understanding that life can be hard and we’re all doing our best. My hope is that our group together can feel like a safe and comfortable place to tap into our power, learn from one another, about ourselves, and about therapeutic approaches to eating disorder care, maybe even while sharing a gentle laugh along the way!

 

Magdalin is outside; she is looking over her shoulder and is smiling into the camera

Magdalin Livingston (she/her)

MT, TATI Student

I am currently a student at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute with a background in Education. My work with a community theatre program as well as my time in Toronto District School Board classrooms have informed my love of wellness-focused creative practice. I strongly believe in the power of the creative process to sit with self-exploration, to self-express and empower. I am interested in the ways in which intersectionality is in relation to experiences of mental health, and how art therapy can support this relationship.

 

Margaret is looking at the camera and smiling. She is wearing glasses and a white shirt. There is a brick wall with vines behind her.

Margaret Powell

BScOT, Reg(ON), MEd(Psych), BCN

Since 1997, I have had the privilege to facilitate many groups at Sheena’s Place. It is my perspective that eating disorders, disordered eating and body image disorders are both biologically and circumstantially derived, and thus I strive endlessly to stay as abreast of current knowledge re the neuro/enteric/developmental factors as well as listening for the influences of individual and societal challenges/experiences when working with people to understand where they are at re their recovery. As a facilitator, my goal is to contribute my clinical experiences and to collaborate with group members to find ways to move towards lives less enchained by the tyranny of eating disorders.

 

Maureen Mahan (she/her)

RN, MEd

I have had the privilege of facilitating support, skill building, and art-based groups at Sheena’s Place for over 20 years. As a facilitator, the importance of listening to and understanding what it has meant for group members to be living with eating related concerns, is essential. The groups I facilitate focus on sharing coping strategies and promoting mutual support and encouragement on the journey to individual wellness. My background is in nursing with an MEd from OISE which included studies in counselling psychology.

 

Minna Frederick (she/her)

MSW, RSW

Photo and bio coming soon!

 

Miranda is standing outside, wearing a black jacket and scarf. She is smiling into the camera.

Miranda Pecoraro (she/her)

MSW, RSW

If you are new here, I’d like to welcome you to the very warm and supportive community at Sheena’s Place! I am a social worker and eating disorders therapist. I completed my masters-level practicum at Sheena’s Place, where I developed a passion for working at the intersection of trauma, social injustice, and eating disorders. It is my belief that eating disorders serve an important function in the absence of other coping strategies, and for this reason, people often feel “stuck” in their journeys to recovery. I came to the mental health field with a background in the arts, which inspires my work.

Monique is wearing a black dress and grey cardigan. She is looking into the camera and there are leaves above her in the foreground.

Monique Yang (she/her)

BA, TATI Student

I am an art therapy student at Toronto Art Therapy Institute. Having a background in art and design, I want to help facilitate a supportive environment for everyone on their journey to healing, using a client-centred, eclectic approach.

 

Nicole is smiling into the camera

Nicole D’Souza (she/her)

MSW, RSW, TCTSY-F, Certified Yoga Teacher

I am a Trauma-Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator and a Social Worker. I recognize that trauma can make it challenging to connect to one’s body and breath and through this group I hope to offer choices and invitational language that can support you in your journey. We will also explore through conversation some of these techniques that will be used, to create an understanding of the five core principles of TCTSY.

 

Sara is sitting outside with her dog. She is wearing a grey jacket and she is smiling into the camera.

Sara Desroches (she/her)

MSW, RSW

After losing my brother while completing my Master’s degree in Social Work, I became passionate about grief therapy and group-based grief support. I work to de-stigmatize grief and loss, ensure folks are empowered to live a life worth living even during bereavement, and provide a safe space for folks to tell their grief story. In my work as the Program Director of Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka in Barrie, ON, I believe in marrying evidence-based therapeutic modalities with the authentic belief that each person is their own expert, while acknowledging the systemic forces that can make each experience unique. I have had the privilege of facilitating groups with Sheena’s Place since 2017. I work from a trauma-informed, evidence-based, client-centred lens.

 

Sezgi is looking at the camera, smiling. She is wearing a red shirt.

Sezgi Ozel (she/her)

MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

I am a Toronto-based Occupational Therapist with a keen interest in mental health. I have been facilitating groups at Sheena’s Place since 2017. My groups focus on skill-building and use of strategies to promote wellness, and I like to facilitate discussion amongst members to draw on member experiences. I have facilitated groups on self-care, self-compassion, assertive communication, and navigating recovery.

 

Sookie Bardwell (she/they)

MA, OCT

 

Sophie is wearing a donut-print shirt and brown cardigan, and is smiling into the camera

Sophie Raniere (she/her)

Registered Psychotherapist

I am a white, cis, queer woman with lived experience of mental health challenges. I work from a feminist perspective that is collaborative and non-pathologizing, rooted in the belief that clients are doing their best within often oppressive social structures. I have a particular affinity for working with fellow fat folks looking to divest from diet culture and internalized fatphobia.

 

Veronika is wearing glasses and a blue sweater. They are smiling into the camera.

Veronika Davy (they/them)

B. Mus. Ed., A.R.C.T. (Performance and Pedagogy), Expressive Arts Therapist

I believe deeply in the power of the arts to hold and transform experience, create space and possibility, and resource a balanced and fully embodied life. I am a queer, white, settler, musician, artist, arts educator, and arts facilitator. My work is informed by ongoing learning and a deepening understanding of anti-oppression, anti-racism, intersectionality, body politics, indigenous solidarity, and decolonization. The work that I facilitate through the arts is experiential, trauma-informed, and resource-oriented; it combines body-based approaches that support nervous system regulation and safely embodied expression, with reflective practices that facilitate integration, understanding, and self-compassion. These arts-based processes unfold at the intersection of individual and collective experience and center the importance of relationships and community in healing.

 

Yasmin is crouching down on a rocks, in front of a body of water and is smiling into the camera

Yasmin Dadollahi (she/her)

RD

As a dietitian working in the community setting, I am passionate about supporting people in fostering a healthy relationship with food and their body. I have worked with many clients and facilitated group programs regarding eating disorders or disordered eating patterns. Using a compassionate, weight-inclusive, and anti-diet framework, I support people in exploring their eating patterns and learning how to shift their thinking and reject the diet mentality, honour their body and health, and feel empowered in their eating choices.

 

Black & white image of Zac who is smiling into the camera

Zac Grant (they/them)

MSW, RSW

I am a white, queer, nonbinary, settler, activist, and lifelong learner. I approach both my work and personal life from a variety of perspectives that prioritize person centred approaches with anti-oppressive and decolonial practices, trauma informed care, and grief healing. I have over 10+ years of experience working in addiction and mental health, homelessness and housing, grief and loss, community development, creative healing modalities, and LGBTQ2S+ communities. I believe we are all experts of our own lives and that there are many ways to work towards wellness and reaching our personal life goals.