Michelle Farmer is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who believes healing happens through genuine human connection. She is passionate about supporting individuals navigating addiction, concurrent disorders, trauma, and life's many challenges with warmth, authenticity, and evidence-based care. Michelle believes recovery is about more than achieving sobriety; it is about reconnecting with yourself, your values, relationships, and a life that feels meaningful.
Michelle’s journey into psychotherapy began with a passion for holistic health and wellness before discovering a deep fascination with the complexity of the human brain and behaviour. Through her professional experiences in both community and private mental health settings, as well as her own journey of personal growth, she has developed a deep appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit. Michelle believes that healing begins through connection: when individuals feel seen, understood, and accepted without judgment. She strives to create a space where clients can explore their experiences with compassion, safety, and authenticity.
Michelle approaches recovery from a compassionate, trauma-informed perspective, recognizing that addictive behaviours often develop as attempts to cope with emotional pain, overwhelming experiences, unmet needs, or disconnection. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with you?” She invites individuals to explore, “What happened to you?” and “How have these strategies helped you survive?” She does not believe people need to be “fixed”; rather, she supports individuals in understanding themselves, making sense of their experiences, and discovering that the strategies that once helped them survive do not have to define their future. She meets clients wherever they are in their journey, approaching progress and setbacks with curiosity, compassion, and hope.
Michelle practices from a trauma-informed, attachment-based perspective, integrating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and psychodynamic principles. Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). She is also finalizing registration in British Columbia, allowing her to support clients across both provinces.
You come as you are, and we’ll work from there.
