About Me

Professional Background

Linda has extensive experience working with people dealing with depression and anxiety, as well as other mental health issues. She has worked in both community and employee assistance programs, and has provided psychotherapy herself, as well as supervising other social workers and psychotherapists. She has worked with persons with a wide range of issues, ages, and cultures.

More recently, Linda has been specializing in end-of-life issues related to illness, dying, and death.. She volunteered at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Kensington Hospice for persons in their final weeks and months of life. She completed the yearlong Foundations of Contemplative Care training with the New York Zen Centre for Contemplative Care. She completed studies in Thanatology and is certified in Palliative Care. She provided home hospice care for people dying at home. She taught the 30 hour HPCO (Hospice Palliative Care Ontario) training course in York Region. She worked for 2 years as a residential social worker at Bethell Hospice helping individuals and their families face the final 21 days of life. She presents regularly at Hospice Palliative Care conferences and symposiums throughout North America. She hosts Death Cafes (www.deathcafe.com) and encourages everyone to talk more openly about their inevitable deaths.

Linda is a Buddhist Lay Chaplain as well as a registered social worker, and has been teaching Buddhist meditation to students for more than 25 years. She is the co-founder and leader of the Awaken in Toronto Vajrayana Buddhist Sangha, and leads meditation classes, discussions, and retreats that are open to beginners and advanced students alike.

Beginning in 2023, she has begun offering Ecotherapy in individual and group practices. She also encourages all clients to use nature as a coping strategy towards health, connection, and general well-being.

She currently works full time in private practice, offering sessions Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in person at the Village Healing Centre in Roncesvalles Village, as well as online sessions Thursdays and Fridays.

Her in person practice is full and she is not accepting any new clients for in person session. She has limited openings online for issues related to illness, dying, and death, as well as support for caregivers and. grief.

Social Work and Psychotherapy

Linda earned a Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto in 1993. She is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and her registration number is #807353. She is also a member and has liability insurance with the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW). She abides by all policies and standards pertaining to social workers in the province of Ontario.

Specifically, Linda follows the principles of confidentiality with clients, and only breaches confidentiality if she is concerned that someone is at risk of harm to themselves or to someone else. She respects the neutrality of the therapeutic relationship, and does not get involved with third party requests for diagnoses or prognoses. She adheres to PIPEDA legislation and follows all guidelines for respecting privacy of clinical notes and client personal information.

Policies

Linda provides a confidential cellphone number and email address to clients to be used for booking appointments. She encourages clients to book appointments at the session, and she is available to reschedule between sessions.

Each session is generally 50 minutes for psychotherapy, A session begins at the time of the booked appointment, not when the client arrives, in case of lateness. Payment of fees and scheduling the next appointment occurs briefly immediately after this.

Hourly fee for all psychotherapy services, including Ecotherapy Walk-n-Talks, is $160 (no HST) for each 50 minute session.

She allows for cancelling of sessions, without penalty, provided more than 24 hours notice is provided. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice require full payment.

There are numerous accepted forms of payment: Cash, Cheque, Visa, Mastercard, and Etransfer. Etransfer is the preferred method. Full payment must be paid within 24 hours of the session. A receipt is provided following payment.

Note: Many insurance plans cover these services under psychological services with a registered social worker. It is the individual’s responsibility to check with their company (Human Resources Department) to determine whether these services are covered for them or not.