Dr. Sarah Thompson, C. Psych.
Sarah launched her part-time private practice in 2017 after thirteen years of full-time practice at the Centre for Student Development and Counselling at Ryerson University. She has a deep interest in utilizing evidence-informed practice to assist individuals and couples in overcoming emotional and relational challenges. Sarah works with clients to transform repetitive or stuck emotion and relationship patterns into the healthy and adaptive responses needed to support individual mental well-being and healthy and satisfying connections with loved ones. The cornerstones of her practice include respect for each client’s lived experience, a focus on the intersecting identities that each person brings to their successes and challenges, acknowledgement and respect for the impact of systemic oppression on personal development and lived experience, and knowledge that, once safe environments have been reached, neuroplasticity and supportive relationships allow us to heal from past hurts. Sarah practices Emotion-Focused Therapy from a trauma-informed perspective. She draws upon her training in experiential, relational psychodynamic, and cognitive behavioural therapies to tailor her treatment to each client.
Sarah earned her doctorate in psychology at the University of Toronto (2006) and is a member of The College of Psychologists of Ontario (Registration #4417).
Ms. Naomi Weir
Naomi Weir is our Administrative Assistant at Transforming Emotions. She strives to be approachable to all clients and wants you to feel welcomed at our practice. Her goal is to understand your needs and to work with Dr. Thompson in pairing you with the best fit on our team.
Naomi brings a diverse background with her to Transforming Emotions. This includes an education in Medical Administration and a former career as a Paramedic. She currently volunteers at a local food bank. Her clinical and personal experiences give her the ability to provide you with a professional and supportive experience.
Emily Thomas, M.A., Clinician
Emily is committed to working collaboratively with clients to identify, explore and transform painful emotions. She strives to foster a safe environment where clients can move from feeling stuck or overwhelmed by difficult emotions to feeling more fulfilled in their own lives and within close relationships . Emily’s practice is grounded in empathy and warmth as she helps clients with a range of issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, and identity exploration. Emily primarily practices Emotion-Focused Therapy with a trauma-informed lens, and also draws on her training in other evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches to best suit clients' individual needs.
Emily has completed clinical training in both hospital and counselling settings including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine, and the Centre for Student Development and Counselling at Ryerson University. She is a senior doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Ryerson University. Emily’s work at Transforming Emotions is supervised by Dr. Sarah Thompson, C.Psych.
Esztella Vezer, M.A., Clinician
Esztella recognizes the importance of the relationship between client and therapist, and strives to ensure that her clients feel understood, accepted and valued regardless of the nature of the problem. She also strives to build a genuine connection and foster a level of trust that allows her clients to share difficult emotions, thoughts and experiences, sometimes for the first time in their lives.
Esztella's primary therapeutic approach is Emotion-Focused Therapy, which she uses to help clients understand, tolerate and alter their emotions, a process that she believes is both transformative and empowering. Esztella's additional training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness-based interventions means she is able to incorporate a number of evidence-based strategies as needed.
Esztella is a senior doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Ryerson University and has trained in a number of settings, including a hospital-based clinic, university counselling centre, private practice and in clinical trials. In these settings she has worked with individuals and couples experiencing anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, trauma, psychosocial stressors and a number of other difficulties. At Transforming Emotions, Esztella is supervised by Dr. Sarah Thompson, C.Psych.
Natania Marcus, M.A., Clinician
Natania uses the emotions that her clients experience in session as entry points for exploration and change. Creating a safe, warm, and playful therapeutic environment, Natania helps clients to become aware of and harness their own internal wisdom to facilitate healing.
Natania has extensive training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and tailors her interventions to match her clients’ needs. Using a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive framework, Natania works with a variety of presenting issues including self-criticism, depression, anxiety, insomnia, interpersonal issues, symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress, and support for struggles related to the impacts of systemic oppression. Natania works extensively with members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Natania is a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical and Counselling Psychology at the University of Toronto. She completed her pre-doctoral residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and trained at Ryerson’s Centre for Student Development and Counselling, Toronto Western Hospital, and the 519 Community Centre. At Transforming Emotions, her work is supervised by Dr. Sarah Thompson.
Julia McArthur, Ph.D., Clinician
Julia brings a genuine, compassionate, and collaborative approach to the therapeutic environment, believing in the importance of a supportive and attuned environment when navigating change. Working primarily from an Emotion-Focused approach, she is passionate about helping her clients explore, understand, and shift problematic and painful emotions, reconnect with their basic needs, and experience greater satisfaction in their lives and relationships. When tailoring her treatment to each client, Julia also draws on her training in relational psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches, and at times the use of humour. She has extensive experience working with clients who have felt or experienced intense worry, low mood, interpersonal difficulties, self-criticism, challenges with adjustment, trauma, and emotion regulation difficulties.
Julia received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Guelph and has worked within the Thames Valley and Hamilton-Wentworth District School boards, the Child and Youth Mental Health Program at Hamilton Health Sciences, and the Centre for Psychological Services at the University of Guelph. Julia completed her clinical residency at the SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health and is now working towards her registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Her work at Transforming Emotions is supervised by Dr. Sarah Thompson, C. Psych.