Angelica Rao

Welcome! I am a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist with experience in hospital and community settings. I work with youth and adults with mood disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, self-harm behaviours and suicidality. The through line for these experiences is an expertise in supporting clients who have experienced complex trauma and developmental trauma, and who, as a result, struggle with low self-esteem, attachment wounds, unprocessed grief and loss, interpersonal conflict and behaviours challenges. 

 

I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of Toronto, and am trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Trauma Assessment, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-focused therapies. I am also a Registered Yoga Teacher who can integrate movement and breath practices that promote grounding, safety, and nervous system regulation into sessions.

 

I work collaboratively with you, moving between mindfulness-based, narrative, body-oriented, emotion-focused, trauma-focused, and cognitive therapies, to meet your needs. I create a space where we will care for your safety, learn about you and how you have come to be who you are, and explore how your patterns are impacting your life and relationships. Together, we will discover new lenses and develop skills to enhance life. My approach is client-centred, strength-based, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed, moving beyond the personal and recognizing that the political and social have an undeniable impact on our emotional and psychological development.

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I am committed to lifelong learning and continue to evolve personally and professionally. I participate in regular clinical supervision and ongoing training and am a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) as well as the Ontario Association of Social Worker (OASW).