Social Work Psychotherapist
In the spirit of honesty and playfulness, you will find me to be a warm and engaged psychotherapist.
I can be helpful if you are struggling with:
Depression
Anxiety
Addiction
Intimacy
Relationship Challenges
Post-partum issues
Parenting
Lack of Direction in Life
Attachment Trauma
Other kinds of Trauma
Grief
Chronic pain and illness
Compassion
I offer compassion backed by deep faith in our humanity.
Challenge
I will challenge you based on gentleness, respect and support.
Joy
I offer a playful, grounded approach where even in the challenging moments, we may find joy.
About Lauren
Lauren Nancarrow Clarke
Social Work/Psychotherapist RSW, MSW
(She/Her)
As a registered social worker, I practice both brief and long term psychotherapy. Areas of expertise include Gestalt psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
My personal and professional commitment to you is to deliver the latest and most efficacious treatment which I garner through ongoing educational endeavours (e.g., workshops, conferences and knowledge exchange with allied health practitioners). It is important to me that while working together you experience real changes that support your wellbeing and therapeutic goals. I do this work in the spirit of honesty and playfulness and many individuals find will find me to be warm, present, and engaged.
My personal life informs my practice so I am happy to share that with you. I am a single mother by choice who is actively engaged in ideas around parenting young children. I am a cancer survivor. I am a movement meditator, having engaged for two decades with the 5Rhythms® meditation movement practice. I am bisexual and trans-allied. If you are someone who feels that their unique identities make it difficult to find a therapist who can genuinely engage, I will endeavour to combine my personal experience, professional training and 13 years of practice to meet your individual and unique needs.
I offer clinical supervision to RPs(Q), RPs and social workers in the controlled act of psychotherapy. I am on the faculty of the Gestalt Institute of Toronto and have worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for over a decade. I have extensive experience incorporating evidence based treatments (such as CBT and DBT) within a primarily Gestalt perspective.
Qualifications
- Masters of Social Work, Smith College School of Social Work, 2007
- Clinical Supervisor (CRPO qualified 2018)
- Gestalt Institute of Toronto Faculty Member
- 5Rhythms® Movement Therapy
- Over a decade of working at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with individuals and groups in an outpatient setting who experience mood, anxiety, addiction and personality disorders.
- OASW Member #514
- OCSWSSW Member #814527
About Gestalt
Gestalt at its heart means whole. Instead of cutting parts of ourselves off as unacceptable in some way, we learn to accept more of ourselves.
This is the gift of Gestalt- to befriend your whole self.
In Gestalt, we are invited to explore the polarities of ourselves such as shame/pride, love/hate, grief/joy, free/contained. We are invited to not just be the parts of ourselves that are good or likeable – but to be our whole selves. It is in this wholeness that we are able to move more easily through life as we can say what we think, show up for others, and love fully. This only happens in relationships as we only know who we are in relationship to others and the world. Gestalt is also inherently creative as what emerges in the session, guides the session. We may use art, role-play, and movement to further integrate wholeness and learning.
Services
Individual, Group and Clinical Supervison.
Individual
Individual psychotherapy is a chance to explore and change patterns that are getting in your way. I believe we learn and then relearn how to make ourselves acceptable and safe as children and then carry these patterns into adulthood. As adults, we can also have experiences that shift us – sometimes towards more fear and need for protection and other times towards more of a feeling of security and contentedness.
I am a relational psychotherapist which means we use our interactions and experiences in the session as the ground for exploring patterns, stuck points and freedom. I will support you to gain more awareness of who you are and how your patterns serve or do not serve you.
Group
In group work, we gain the ability to feel ourselves in an ever changing dynamic. Who am I in relation to the others in this group and to the group itself? How can I learn with these particular people in this specific situation? What will arise for me in this space? Being in a group is a particularly valuable way to experience support – as it is so easy to feel excluded in groups – our families, our work, our community. We gain support from the group while simultaneously gaining self-support.
Waitlist for group; please inquire for more information.
Clinical Supervision
I have been providing clinical supervision for over a decade. I invite you to be in touch with me if you want to strengthen your relationship with clients while creating essential support for yourself.
We may be a good fit if you are looking for a supervisor who is heart-focused, somatic-based, and is a Gestalt psychotherapist. In addition, I am very comfortable and experienced with CBT and DBT. I am able to provide clinical supervision to MSWs, RPs, and RP(Q)s.
Contact & Fees
Fees
For psychotherapy and supervision:
Cost per session is $185
You may pay by cash, cheque, or e-transfer (before session).
As a clinical social worker, many insurance companies cover the work we do together. Please check with your insurance provider for details. I am happy to provide you with invoices on a regular basis to support your claims. As well, registered social workers are considered medical practitioners under the Canadian Income Tax Act for claiming medical expense on income tax returns, through the Medical Expense Tax Credit.
Gestalt students seeking therapy – please inquire about rates.
Contact Lauren
Address
258 Dupont St. Third floor.
Toronto, Ontario
By appointment only.
contact@laurenclarke.ca
FAQ
Do you offer free consults?
Yes! When you contact me by email, I will offer you a time for a telephone or online consultation. We will talk for about 15 minutes. We will briefly discuss what is bringing you to therapy and what you are looking for in a therapist. I will share with you my approach to therapy. If it is a good fit, we will talk about fees and next steps.
How do I get started?
Please email me contact@laurenclarke.ca and we will book a free phone consultation. This is an important step to determine if you and I are a good fit. Sometimes what a client is looking for may not be what a therapist can offer based on skills and experience. If that is the case, I would refer you to other resources.
When do you see clients?
What to expect on my first visit?
In your first visit, we will begin to get to know one another. We will begin by going over an agreement together that outlines our work. I will then ask you questions to better understand you, your situation and the challenges you are facing. We will discuss how we will work together and how I may be of support to you.
Crisis services?
I am not able to provide crisis services. If you are in an urgent crisis, please call 911 for emergency support. If you need support, but not the emergency service, please reach out to Canada Suicide Prevention Service by calling toll-free 1 (833) 456 4566 or sending a text to 45645.
Let’s Start a Conversation
Book your free consult.
The nature of this flower is to bloom.
-Alice Walker
Location:
By appointment only.
258 Dupont St. Third floor.
Toronto, Ontario
M5R 1V7
The content of this website is meant for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. If you are experiencing suicidal impulses please contact the Suicide and Crises Hotline (Canada-wide) 1-800-448-3000 for emergency medical treatment. Lauren Nancarrow Clarke does not provide emergency mental health treatment.
