Andrea is a Registered Social Worker with the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers of Ontario and a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Andrea obtained her Master’s in Social Work in 2006 from Wilfred Laurier University with a clinical focus on individual and couples therapy, completing her training at the David Kelly Gay and Lesbian Counselling Program at Family Services Toronto. Andrea also holds a BA in Women’s Studies and Sociology from York University. A believer in life-long learning, Andrea completed post-graduate training in Couple and Family Therapy studies from the University of Guelph as well as Sex Therapy Intensive and Sexual Attitude Reassignment (SAR) training. In 2019, Andrea was certified to practice Sex Therapy with the Board of Examiners on Sex Therapists of Ontario (BESTCO).

Andrea brings an empathic, professional, compassionate, and non-judgmental approach to her work. She is interested in how people share the “narratives” of their lives and assists in co-creating new narratives free from judgement and shame. Andrea’s work is grounded in a sex-positive, anti-oppressive and strengths-based framework and she draws from her feminist, queer, and pro-choice self to provide a therapeutic space that is physically and emotionally safe and comfortable for her patients. She is trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), schema therapy, mindfulness-based practices, narrative therapy, emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT), and sex therapy, and brings an attachment lens to her therapeutic work.

Andrea has over 20 years of experience working with children, youth, and families, and 16 years working with adults and couples in a variety of capacities ranging from hospital-based programs, children’s mental health agencies, women’s reproductive health clinics, community health centres, school boards, and in private practice. Andrea works with intra-familial sexual abuse, adolescent sexual offending and concerning sexual behaviours in children and youth. Andrea also works with families navigating internet child sexual exploitation and adults struggling with their own (or others’) concerns regarding sexual behaviours, pornography use, faith and possible impacts on gender/sexual identities, desire discrepancy in relationships, painful penetrative sex, infidelity, relationship communication, opening up relationships, grief, and trauma.

Andrea is available for virtual sessions on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Please note that our clinicians work with many presenting issues, some of which are not listed in this biography. Please speak to our intake team at intake@ontariosextherapy.ca for more information.