Ottawa Assistant Team
We're so grateful to have a dedicated team of Assistants for the Ottawa training who come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, each with their own areas of specialty and expertise. Below you will find biographies for each team member, as well as information about how to connect with them and if they will be offering personal sessions or case consults over the course of the training. Please take a look over this page if you are a current student to familiarize yourself with our team.
As a trauma-informed training program, we strive to have 1 Assistant for every 4 students in the training so that you all feel supported both in your educational and emotional needs. Truly, we could not have this training without their help.
Agnieszka (Aga) Forfa
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Based in Tkaronto/Toronto, Agnieszka (she/her) began in front line work, including harm reduction and street outreach.
Aurela Vangjeli
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
My name is Aurela, Ela for short. I am a registered Social Worker with the OCSWSSW (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers).
Evelyn Plettenberg-Smith
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Evelyn (she/they) is a registered social worker and psychotherapist with a focus on trauma, neurodiversity and addiction.
James Loney
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at Beginning level
I have been a social worker for about seven years and I work at an Indigenous community health center in Toronto as a counsellor.
Karen Hargot
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
I am intrigued by the unique qualities of each person I meet and cherish making space collaboratively for growth to occur. I have a private somatic therapy practice in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, and work with adults on how to heal through (re)embodiment while promoting stability, consistency, courage, safety, and autonomy.
Line Mc Carthy
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at all levels
Offering case consults: Yes, at Beginning Level
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
As a Somatic practitioner, I use different tools, namely Somatic Experiencing®, Transforming Touch® (TEB), yoga, movement, mindfulness and breath depending of the needs of my clients to help them rediscover their life essence and vitality by restoring inner balance and resilience in their body.
Patricia Reilly-King
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) who works in private practice in Ottawa.
Rhonda Miller
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at Beginning and Intermediate levels
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
Rhonda has been practicing Art Psychotherapy since 2011.
Shaiden Keaney
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
Shaiden (xe/xem/xyr) is a seeker of a more just world, of which we all have a role in co-creating.
Cherith King
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Professional Co-Active coach and Somatic Experience Practitioner
Gabrielle Nawratil
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at all levels
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
I’m a registered social worker and equine-facilitated mental health practitioner with a small, part-time somatic psychotherapy practice in Ottawa.
Janis Dahl
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Healing transforms and liberates. It is our birthright to heal in our bodies, in our connections with others.
Kat Nantz
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements:
No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Hi, I’m Kat Nantz (she/her). I’m a queer, disabled Somatic Sex Coach, Trauma Practitioner, and disability advocate residing in Guelph, Ontario (Haudenosaunee territory ).
Marianela Leon
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Marianela initiated her career in the mental health field in her home country Venezuela. She combined her clinical counselling skills with other professional activities: a professor and social researcher of family, community, and education.
Rachel Pfau
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
I am Somatic Experiencing Practitioner®, Massage Therapist, Breathwork Facilitator and Restorative Yoga Teacher.
Rose Matousek
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Rose received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from McGill University and pursued advanced training at McGill Programs in Whole Person Care.
Tracy Montgomery
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at Beginning level
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
tracy is a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, a Somatic Sex Educator and a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner.
Amarylis Serrano Juarez
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
I am a registered psychotherapist and a clinical supervisor at OCISO (Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organisation). I practice with individuals, couples and families in the field of pre and post traumatic experiences.
Christelle Thibault
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Hello! I'm Christelle (they/them) - a queer, non-binary Registered Psychotherapist and SEP. I integrate experiential, somatic/embodied, parts-based and relational approaches to support clients in a collaborative, curious and compassionate way.
Ivana Kolakovic
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Ivana is a seasoned relational, trauma-informed Gestalt psychotherapist and crisis worker.
Joanne Klassen
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
I have been an SEP for about 3 years and do psychotherapy, SE and clinical consultation in my full-time private practice in Winnipeg.
Kimberley Wideman
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Kim is a Certified Child Life Specialist, and has successfully completed the Trauma Certificate program at Wilfrid Laurier University. Kim has also completed her training in Somatic Experiencing® with Dea Parsanishi, MEd, SEP.
Nouha Ali Ahmed
Location: Boucherville, Greater Montreal (Quebec) / Online
Phone: 438-491-9642
Languages: English, French
Nouha is a Certified Yoga Teacher and Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner. Her body-oriented multidisciplinary approach integrates yoga asana, mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing™ and SE™ touch to support the self-regulation of the physiological and emotional responses and build greater Coherence.
Rebecca Minish
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: Yes, at Beginning Level
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
I'm a Registered Social Worker (MSW), Psychotherapist, & SEP in private practice on unceded and unsurrended Algonquin land in Ottawa, ON.
Sara Coyle
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: Yes
Sara Coyle, M.S.W., RSW is a registered Social Worker who has experience working with children, youth, and adults using an attachment and trauma-focused lens.
Yoshie Martinez
Offering personal sessions towards SEP requirements: No
Accepting new clients in private practice: No
Human behavior fascinates me. I have been interested in what makes us happy, angry, sad or anxious.