Find your calm, inspiration and joy.
NOTE: I am currently seeing patients in-person in my Little Italy office in Toronto or online over encrypted video. You can do one or both depending on how you feel.
My mission is to get you out of the trunk and into the driver’s seat.
WHO DO I HELP?
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I help individuals in high-level positions to endow your life with meaning and optimize your gifts.
For those who managed to “get there,” I help you avoid stagnation, frustration, clarify values, and set new positive and rewarding goals.
This sometimes requires to overcome burnout, improve boundaries, balance life and work, manage stress effectively, redefine relationships, and get to where you want to get in life without feeling the damage.
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When HSPs grow up, we rarely get the right “manual” we need to live with high sensitivity. We often spend a long time learning how to address our unique needs and ways of being in the world. Many grow-up feeling the cognitive dissonance that comes from using the wrong instructions. We can end that together!
In my practice we work together to build you a personalized “driver’s manual” , customized to your particular situation, and we help you manage your gifts so they remain a gift and not a liability.
This can optimize your personal life, relationships, family, career and general well-being. Since highly sensitive people soar like rockets when we feel good, get ready to boost your life to another level!
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I provide 2SLGBTQIA+ positive, queer-positive, trans-positive, gender affirming, and sex-positive services in a safe and welcoming space.
Patriarchal, Heterosexist and Cis-normative societies try to brainwash you to believe that living outside the options they offer leads to ugly, painful, broken and forlorn lives.
For many of us, life as a hetero- and cis-normative person is just plain wrong. The menu of options is incomplete. It does not do anything for us and does not answer to our needs.
The truth is that living outside of the prescribed roles and stereotypes can open the door to a life that feels right, aligned and joyful.
Our sessions will help you transcend the belief system that patriarchy, heteronormativity and cis-normativity are the only keys to happiness. We will help you see the cracks in the system, and you will get a toaster (that is an old joke).
Once you open the door in your mind, you can use your zest for living and the collective wisdom of other 2SLGBTQIA++ who have done it before you, to invite the magic of your wholeness in.
All you need is love.
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Let’s face it: immigration is incredibly difficult. Psychotherapy that is informed about the complexities of immigration can help you feel better and assist you in navigating the transition into Canada with more chances of success.
If you are an immigrant already in Canada, it is likely that you have been facing stressors in a variety of areas. The first one is the dissonance between the positive messages about immigration to Canada and the actual reality on the ground. Adding to this, losses of language, legal status, socio-economic status, financial stability, family and friends make things rather difficult.
In every day life, discrimination, problems of access to resources, lack of a community, yearning for family and home country, cultural dissonance, and possible traumatic experiences before, during, and after migration add a third layer of complexity.
I have the lived experience plus ample training to help you. We will help you overcome these conditions so you can free your mind to re-focus on your dreams and achieve the goals that brought you here. No need to doubt this is possible!
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Artists, as a group, face more intense moods and have a higher incidence of depression than the rest of the population. It is no surprise, since we face careers where the path is not predefined and we face living as an artist with extra effort and navigation difficulties.
Having lived as an artist, and having taught creativity across disciplines, I have enough shared experience to be able to provide informed services that help you live with less distress and more effectiveness.
Let’s direct that imagination and creativity of yours towards making your life a work of art that inspires you and others!
My psychotherapy and counselling services offer you the insightful, intuitive and experienced support you need.
I am currently seeing patients in-person in my Little Italy office in Toronto or online over encrypted video. You can do one or both depending on how you feel.
Individuals usually seek my services to get engaged, intuitive, and dynamic therapy after experiencing other therapists as lackadaisical and one-sided.
My patients find me non-judgmental, insightful, and caring.
To take the first step towards enjoying the relief, inspiration, awareness and direction that can result from our work together, please book a free Meet and Greet appointment using any of the buttons on this website, or send me a message using the contact me tab.
WHEN TO SEEK MY HELP
When you need to overcome obstacles to your goals such as feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stressed, you do not have to do it alone.
I will help you optimize your life and move on.
When you need support to get rid of pesky bad moods, navigate life transitions, fix relationships or feel like yourself again, you do not need to go at it alone.
I will stand by you until you feel better.
Don’t let your career take a dive when your job is a bad fit, your boss is a nightmare, or you are performing poorly. My engaged and dynamic services are here to help you get back on your feet.
I will help you re-start your engines.
When you hope to gain insight into your life, I offer support, guidance and insight specifically and imaginatively targeted to help with your particular situation.
I will help you find your way.
When systems of oppression and privilege get you down, lets figure-out ways to reduce their impact and work around the problems you face.
I will be next to you
dismantling oppression.
I invite you to a 50 minute free Meet and Greet session to meet each other, relax, and ask any questions you may have. No obligation.
I am currently seeing patients in-person in my downtown Toronto office. or over encrypted video.
START MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW
WHY SEEK HELP
People who use my services are highly functional individuals who usually manage to juggle all of life’s challenges rather well.
Then…life happens and things fall apart…or they need to make more sense of things.
It can happen to anyone.
The reason to seek my help is strategic: I specialize in helping you optimize your mental state, find balance and get you back on track.
I have helped a great number of individuals like you recover your sense of direction, meaning and inner strength.
Let’s get you feeling better, firstly, and prevent it from happening again.
When we aspire to better fitness, we go to a fitness coach.
When we want our physical health to get better, we go to a doctor or naturopath..
When we want things to stop being overwhelming, we can go to a psychotherapist to get help.
Take back the power to stop suffering .
I am currently seeing patients in-person in my downtown Toronto office. or over encrypted video.
Many successful professionals experience burn-out without realizing it.
Burnout expresses itself in conditions like poor sleep, low levels of energy, depressed mood, some anxiety, indifference, mistakes at work, exhaustion, and existential doubts. Sounds familiar?
Burnout results from exposure to excessive levels of stress for extended periods of time. It can do a lot of damage to one’s career, and it can damage your health.
We will help you protect your career, manage stress, and minimize it’s effects.
We will use the specific strategy that helps you most.
BURNOUT
OVERWHELMEDNESS
It is possible to get overwhelmed with a lot of things on your mind and make the wrong choices.
Venting with a therapist helps feel relief right away. Even better, you can learn to harness the ability to think ahead, instead of suffering for it.
The part of the brain that thinks clearly and strategically can get on board once you learn ways of calming-down and turning your fear off.
Let me help you find peace and the mental space to use your gifts.
WORRY or ANXIETY
If folks feel overstimulated or overloaded, they think “anxiety”. Worrying about real circumstances is normal “worry”, not anxiety! Anxiety results from building situations in your mind that have not yet happened and never may. It can paralyze you.
Liberate yourself from the burden of constant anxiety.
We will show you how to stay calm, and de-escalate emotions when they get you worked-up.
Once the anxiety is vanquished, we will use the energy you saved to free you from the problems you face.
RELATIONSHIPS
Conflict is an inevitable part of human relationships. Conflict can lead to better relationships, if it is harnessed properly, or it can destroy them.
Some people find it difficult to face disagreements or differences, which can result in avoiding conflict. Conflict avoidance leads to increasing frustration, feelings of stagnation, and festering wounds.
Together, we will help you find ways to build relationships that work for you, that save you energy, and get your ideas across without giving up your needs and rights.
Learning how to transform disagreements into better relationships can be very rewarding.
We can help you learn new ways of advocating for your needs, for being more assertive without getting worked up, for asking for what you want, and for setting effective boundaries, lovingly and ethically.
PLEASE NOTE:
I do not work with couples, in general. If it is something that will help your therapy, I do sessions with partners or family members when the goals are clear.
It can get much better…
and you know it!
I invite you to a 50 minute free Meet and Greet session to meet each other, relax, and ask any questions you may have.
There is no obligation. It works for both of us.
I am currently seeing patients in-person in my downtown Toronto office. or over encrypted video.
WHAT I HELP WITH #2
CAREER+WORK ISSUES
Recover from burnout. (It is much more common than you think, see above)
Manage transitions and career moves.
Balance your work and the rest of your life (or get more out of work).
Learn to be more focused, productive, and less stressed.
Manage positive ADD/ADHD traits for a rewarding and effective career.
RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS
Learn to love yourself and others.
Enjoy rewarding relationships.
Develop boundary-setting skills
Learn strategies for interpersonal effectiveness and assertiveness.
Enjoy more love & intimacy.
Overcome loneliness and get rid of social-life issues.
Stop judging and start loving.
ADULTING
Become a viable adult.
Get help now where you didn’t in the past.
Get the instructions you need.
Enjoy the adventure of making your way.
Express your gifts by showing what you got.
Identify where you got stuck.
Let the past be. Focus on the now.
Unload the old baggage.
Finish growing-up with better self-regard.
Start enjoying your mastery of life.
LIVING AS A SENSITIVE PERSON
Maximize the gifts of strategic thinking, creativity and depth of processing
Minimizing overload and burn-out.
Develop strategies for life, love & work that help high sensitivity persons bloom.
Get a balanced understanding of this personality trait.
NAVIGATING TRANSITIONS
Get unstuck from patterns you want to leave behind.
Make the best of transitions and make-overs.
Find your life’s meaning by living the way you are “called” to live.
Figure out the life you want after you transition.
Create conditions for success.
Recover your creativity to stay “in flow.”
IMMIGRATION
Accept that immigration is hellish and that you do not make it so.
Start to make “you” happen, despite obstacles.
Make peace with choices. Move forward.
Maximize opportunities.
Process grief, losses and guilt. They are normal for immigrants.
Understand the effects of bias on you and your goals. Liberate your mind.
Learn to overcome cross-cultural road-blocks that you may not see.
EMOTIONS THAT GET IN THE WAY
Emotions can be intense, but you can regulate them. Learn how to!
Free yourself from depression.
Overcome and dismantle anxiety, fear & panic.
Deal effectively with traumatic events & experiences that get in the way.
Live inspired, calm and with joy.
STRUCTURAL “-ISMS”
Overcome the toxic effects of racism, patriarchy, cis-sexism and heterosexism in your life.
Prevent the emotional fallout that results from oppression.
Avoid self-hate and internalized negativity from eating you up.
Understand how intersectionality affects your agency.
Advocate for yourself and others.
Learn to work around systems of privilege.
CHRONIC MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
Get out of the trunk and into the driver’s seat.
Don’t let whatever it is interfere with your goals and life. There are ways around it.
Gain a balanced understanding of the condition. Then get your life in order.
Learn to manage it. Harness your power.
Get well and stay well.
Live the life you were meant to live.
GET OUT OF THE TRUNK,
AND INTO THE DRIVER’S SEAT.
I invite you to a generous, free, and no obligation MEET & GREET session to give you a chance to relax, have time to ask questions, and experience how it feels to be with me in a session. No obligation. Try it!
Take the next step. Find out more.
I am currently seeing patients in-person in my downtown Toronto office. or over encrypted video.
THE WALK
I continue my family’s tradition of helping those who have been marginalized, and using our privilege to build equity for those who do not have it.
Following the path of at least four generations of activists, I have advocated for peace, for human rights, and for LGBTQ2S+++ rights.
I have contributed to society with my work as an artist, teacher, and psychotherapist. Every day, I work to reduce suffering in the world and to make it a better place.
I wake up happy, and I go to sleep in peace.
Would you like to learn how? Let’s talk…I love to share what I know.
To read more about my work with the effects of structural oppression based on racialization, heteronormativity, patriarchy, capitalism, transphobia and other social constructs…CLICK HERE
HOW DO I WORK?
Do you want help to feel more effective, calmer and joyful?
Psychotherapy can help liberate your imagination to create the life of freedom and self-fulfillment you always wanted.
Here is some information into how you can expect it to happen:
THE RELATIONSHIP
Research shows that the relationship you have with your therapist is the most powerful element in the process, no matter what modality we choose to work with in sessions. You will find me approachable, inquisitive, engaged, and effective.
My skills as a facilitator and catalyst are meant to stimulate and support you in the change you seek. It is about using my expertise and intuition to support your efforts and help you achieve your goals.
INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
You may need engaged dialogue, not a silent treatment. No worries! My engaged listening and authentic connection with you is important because it helps you feel heard and validated. This may be my most important skill after being relatable and making you feel safe and welcome. I will share my natural interest and curiosity generously.
OFFERING FEED-BACK
I know that most people can benefit from a different point of view about what they bring to the sessions. Offering ideas and observations is a way I contribute to our sessions. I listen very actively and then let you know my thoughts. It helps you make up your mind about how you want to face your concerns, have more options and see things clearly.
CLINICAL FLEXIBILITY
No need to limit your progress. Research shows that most therapeutic modalities are only effective for about 65% of the population. I am well-trained in the best current modalities to help with different needs.
Together, with my advice, we can choose from a wide menu of Narrative Therapies, CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic therapies, somatic and image-based modalities.
We will choose the best modality to support your progress with my dynamic engagement, intuition, and effectiveness.
Image-based modalities use your psyche's own ability to heal when talk is not effective or you have “pre-verbal” concerns that are difficult to find words for. Somatic modalities use the body’s wisdom therapeutically, and tap into the mind-body connection to help you move along.
EFFECTIVENESS
The goal of therapy has to be to get you moving towards your goals. I pride myself for finding the most expedient way to help you see what you need to improve your life. You will find that I am no slouch in this regard.
We will use compassionate, direct and effective interventions. The gentle interventions I use are based on my knack for understanding how fellow humans experience their lives, and on my lived and clinical experience.
My goal is to get you out of the trunk and into the driver’s seat.
CULTURAL HUMILITY & LITERACY
In the cultural diversity of Toronto, my inter-cultural experience can be very beneficial to my clients. I stay culturally humble, but engaged. I use my expertise with patients from a wide range of cultures and identities and my hard-earned cultural literacy skills to point out cultural crossings and biases when they affect your concerns, and where cultural background intersects and affects people’s life experience.
INTERSECTIONALITY
Sometimes it can be a wonderful source of relief to understand how systemic issues impact the problems you face and your agency. Societal forces such as racism, gender bias, ageism, heteronormativity, cis-normativity, and other “isms” may contribute to obstacles and stress.
When appropriate, I will share with you my awareness of how your experience of agency and empowerment is affected by your identities, intersectionality and location in relation to agency in each situation you bring to our sessions.
IMAGINATION & HUMOUR
Therapy can be fun, even if it can be hard work sometimes. It does not have to be a bummer. I skillfully apply the best techniques I have with humour when it is called for. I am known for my imagination, intuition, warmth, and effectiveness.
We will laugh together a lot.
Read more about my way of working in: Philosophy
Ariel Blau (He/Him)
SHORT BIO
I have a formidable passion for helping my clients energize a joyful, loving and creative life. More than 20 years of experience helping people bloom as a psychotherapist, catalyst and teacher will be at your service.
My formal education includes a Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University, a Master’s in Fine Arts from Brandeis University, and a great number of workshops, certificates and seminars that keep me at the forefront of the profession.
My passion for helping others is matched by my enormous drive for continuous learning. I constantly take new courses and engage in professional development. For more than 15 years I have engaged in the practice of mindfulness and loving-kindness, which I use to help others.
I am able to work with a wide range of concerns, and with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
I completed my clinical training at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and at a trauma clinic. I continued at the Yale New Haven system as a clinician. Later, I served as Lead Clinician at the Jewish Family Services of Greater New Haven, before going into private practice.
I practice psychotherapy in Ontario as a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
For a more detailed bio… click here.
LAND & RECONCILIATION ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I respectfully acknowledge that the land where we are meeting is the traditional and ancestral land of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.
This land continues to be home to many individuals from diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Toronto is the meeting place and home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island.
I recognize that the territory where we meet is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy) and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
I am committed to acting towards reconciliation and to respect these agreements.
Walking the Walk: If you are a member of one of the first nations, or Métis, and you are suffering from economic hardship, please be so kind to ask me about my Solidarity Sessions so I can offer you services on a sliding scale or at no cost.
This beautiful Haudenosaunee Wampum belt is a reminder of the One Bowl with One Spoon Covenant and the philosophy of co-existence and mutual respect behind it.
Start to get unstuck.
No commitment, pressure, or obligation.