My mission is to get you out of the trunk and into the driver’s seat.
After experiencing other therapists as lackadaisical and one-sided, individuals seek my services to get engaged, intuitive, and dynamic therapy.
My patients find me non-judgmental, insightful, and caring.
Take a step towards enjoying the inspiration, awareness and relief that can result from our work together by making a free Meet and Greet appointment.
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Optimize your gifts and find meaning in high-level positions
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, reduce 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 your relationships, and get to where you want to get in life without feeling the damage. I can help.
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Build a personalized "driver's manual” to serve your unique needs
When neuro-evolved individuals grow up, we rarely get the right 'manual' that would guide us through life. We can often spend a long time learning how to address our unique needs and ways of being in the world.
Many of us grow up feeling the cognitive dissonance and emotional costs that come from using the wrong instructions.
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.
Highly sensitive people, neuroevolved and gifted folks soar like rockets when we feel good, so get ready to boost your life to another level!
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Safe, affirming space for authentic living.
I provide comprehensive support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in a safe, affirming environment.
Whether you're exploring your identity, navigating coming out, dealing with discrimination, or building authentic relationships, I offer queer-positive, trans-positive, and gender-affirming therapy.
Together, we'll work to break free from limiting societal narratives and help you embrace a life that feels right, aligned, and joyful.
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Navigate immigration challenges with informed support
Immigration is incredibly difficult, but you don't have to navigate it alone. I am here to help you succeed and feel better.
As an immigrant myself with specialized training, I understand the unique stressors you face: workplace discrimination, cultural shock, loss and grief, support system challenges, and cross-generational conflicts.
I provide informed therapy that helps you process these experiences, overcome obstacles, and build the life you came here to create.
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Transform creativity into life mastery and reduced distress
Artists face unique psychological challenges including creative blocks, financial instability, and higher rates of depression. The artist’s way does not have to be bumpy.
As both a practicing artist and therapist with an MFA and years of creative experience, I provide specialized support that understands your artistic journey.
I help artists develop sustainable creative practices, manage industry pressures, and transform your sensitivity into strength.
WHO
DO I HELP?
My psychotherapy and counselling services offer you the insightful, intuitive and experienced support you need.
I am currently seeing Ontario-based patients in-person or online. My office is in downtown Toronto, in Little Italy.
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.
When your job is a bad fit, your boss is a nightmare, or you are performing poorly, don’t let your career take a dive. 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.
START MOVING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
RIGHT NOW
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.
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,
then
prevent it from
happening again.
Take back the power to stop suffering .
Sessions in-person or online.
WHAT
I CAN HELP
YOU WITH…
BURNOUT
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.
For neuroevolved/neurodivergent individuals burnout can result in “autistic meltdowns” and even “shutdowns”, which steal our energy and make it much more difficult to operate in ways that make things better.
Letting go of burnout requires an ability to establish clear priorities, shift your mindset, reduce stress, and deploy strategies to maintain the ability to function. Once you get rid of burnout, it is important to know how to prevent more burnout later.
Together, we will help you protect your career, manage stress, and minimize it’s effects.
We will use the strategy that helps you most.
OVERWHELM
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.
Once you learn ways of calming-down and turning your fear off, you can access the part of the neocortex that thinks clearly and strategically .
Let me help you find peace and the mental space to use your gifts.
IS IT WORRY
or 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.
If what you face is 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.
Liberate yourself from the burden of constant anxiety.
RELATIONSHIPS
Conflict is an inevitable part of human relationships. Conflict, however, can also lead to better relationships, if it is harnessed properly.
Some people find it difficult to face disagreements or differences, which can result in avoidance of conflict and also poor boundaries. Conflict avoidance leads to increased frustration, feelings of stagnation, and festering.
Conflict avoidance can result in poor boundaries, which lets others take advantage of you. Sometimes individuals give up asking for what they need in order to avoid possible conflicts. Eventually their relationship will fall apart.
Together, we will help you find ways to build relationships that work for you, that save you energy, and that get your ideas across without giving up your needs and rights.
Learning how to transform disagreements into better relationships can be very rewarding, too.
We can help you learn ways of advocating for your needs, being more assertive, asking for what you want, and of setting effective boundaries lovingly and ethically, without getting worked up.
PLEASE NOTE:
I often do sessions with partners or family members when the goals are clear and when it is something that will help you in your therapy process,. We can plan this together.
I do not work with couples as the patient.
Navigating a world filled with constant stimulation and sensory overload can be challenging for many highly sensitive persons (HSPs) and neuro-evolved individuals.
Many equate the stress and agitation that results with anxiety. This interpretation often leads to unnecessary worry about an anxiety disorder when, in fact, the underlying issue may simply be an overload of sensory input or cognitive demands.
The good news is that several strategies and resources can prove beneficial to manage these feelings and maintain an optimal level of stimulation.
Learning and using simple strategies, you can cultivate ways of being in the world that promote increased comfort and resilience, facilitating a better response than overstimulation.
OVERLOAD
YOUR LIFE
CAN GET
MUCH
BETTER
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.
WHAT ELSE
I CAN HELP WITH
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.
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 in my family’s tradition of helping those who have been marginalized, and using 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 learned.
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
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:
HOW
DO I WORK?
OUR RELATIONSHIP is KEY
Research shows that the bond between you and your therapist is key to the therapy process, more important than the specific methods used. A strong relationship improves results across all types of therapy.
As your therapist, I am friendly, curious, and fully involved. I work to make our sessions effective, caring, and supportive. Using my skills and insight, I support your efforts to reach your goals.
Patients often say I help and encourage them to make meaningful changes. Above all, I create a safe and accepting space where you can talk about your concerns without fear of judgment. This trust is essential for your progress during therapy.
INTERACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
You probably want an engaged therapist, not silent treatment. No worries! Your willingness to hear different views shows you want to grow and solve problems. You want feedback and thoughtful opinions.
I’ll offer options that help you explore topics more deeply, leading to better discussions and richer sessions. By focusing on being relatable and creating a safe space, I’ll help you express yourself freely and have more meaningful conversations.
Along with being warm and friendly, these skills are key. Good dialogue builds real connections and helps you feel supported.
OFFERING FEED-BACK
I know that most people can benefit from a different point of view from what they bring to the sessions. Offering ideas, observations and alternatives is one way I contribute to our sessions.
I listen very actively and let you know my thoughts, generously and respectfully. It helps you make up your mind about how you may want to face your concerns. It gives you more options and helps you see things clearly.
CLINICAL FLEXIBILITY
Don’t hold back your progress. Studies show most treatments work for only about 65% of people. That’s why I’m trained in many effective therapy methods, so we can find the right fit for you.
Together, we’ll pick from options like Narrative Therapy, CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic therapy, and body or image-based methods to support your growth with my guidance and insight.
*Image-based methods use your mind’s natural healing power when talking doesn’t work or when feelings are hard to explain. Somatic methods use the body’s knowledge to support healing by connecting the mind and body.
EFFECTIVENESS
The goal of therapy is to help you reach your goals quickly. I focus on finding the fastest way to help you understand what you need and improve your life. We will use kind and effective methods that fit your unique needs.
My approach is based on real-life experience, compassion, and clinical knowledge. You’ll find my style gentle and designed to bring positive change.
After all, 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 beneficial to my clients. I stay culturally humble, and 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 with other factors and affects your 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 I may think that 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. Most people find this helpful.
IMAGINATION & HUMOUR
We will laugh together a lot. Therapy can be fun, even if it can also be hard work at times. 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.
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 20 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 after a placement at the Clifford Beers family clinic where I specialized in trauma.
I continued in the Yale New Haven Hospital system as a clinician working with individuals with a combination of serious mental health diagnoses and substance use problems.
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
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.
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 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 also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
I am committed to acting towards reconciliation and to actions that 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.
Start to get unstuck.
No commitment, pressure, or obligation.