Vanessa Spinarsky
Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker
Client Focus: Adults, Teens (16+), Athletes, Entrepreneurs
Modalities: EMDR, CBT, DBT, Parts/Ego State, Narrative Therapy, Trauma-Informed, Mindful Self-Compassion, Somatic Integration and Processing, Embodiment/Somatic approaches, Polyvagal
Common Concerns: Anxiety, Excessive Worry, Stress and Burnout, Depression, Low Confidence, Personal Development, Emotional Regulation, Trauma/PTSD, Low Self-esteem,
Areas of Practice: Trauma/PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Emotional Disturbance, Mental Performance
I provide practical and insightful tools, practices and frameworks that offer both regulation and ease to become more fuller, truer expressions of self in the world. Wherever you are on your journey and whatever brought you to seek therapy, my hope is to provide you with a wise, soft, and welcoming space to land where you will feel understood, seen and guided while working together.
What I have to offer comes sincerely from my darkest, challenging and most difficult times. Stress became my normal, the baseline of my nervous system, embedded into my mind and body leaving me with a visceral imprint. Muscle tension, fatigue, aches and pains, anxiousness, unease, gastrointestinal and stomach issues were a daily experience. My busy, fast paced, get it done lifestyle would attract me into work environments that were pressurized and objectifying. It was the perfect storm to exasperate my symptoms and continue to negatively impact my physical and mental health, well-being, professional and personal performance, and relationships. I began to recognize the stress I was experiencing was not just the result of what was happening now, but the accumulation and unprocessed stress and trauma dating back decades.
It is a noble endeavor to find ways to enhance and better our performance in our personal, professional, and recreational lives as it supports our feelings of self-worth, connection, confidence, and joy. In my practice, I use a combination of approaches that encourage self-reflection, inquiry, self-connection, and transformation. The journey of therapy is unique to each individual and healing has many aspects so we will work together in seeking ways to think in a more adaptive/healthy way, tapping into inner strengths, and clearing the blocks and obstacles that prevent you from being your best. If you are someone who strives to improve their performance and set higher goals from themselves or want to feel more confident in any areas of life and reduce anxiety, I would be excited to work with you.
Performance Interests: I love to get my body moving in diverse ways. I enjoy strength and endurance training. In 2015 I prepped, trained, and competed in the Canadian Physique Alliance. I also enjoy mobility work, Pilates and yoga.
Learn More About Vanessa’s Work