resources & support

• Alcoholics Anonymous (GTA) 416 487 5591
• Narcotics Anonymous 416 236 8956

• National Eating Disorder Information Centre 416 340 4156
• Sheena’s Place 416 927 8900

• LGBTQ Drug Rehab 844 359 0114
• The 519 416 392 6874
• Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line — Friendly Crisis Lines 416 962 9688
• Toronto PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) – 416-406-6378

– Bereaved Families of Ontario 

– NY Zen Centre Grief & Bereavement Support

– NY Zen Centre Grief & Bereavement Support Groups

• Children’s Aid Society 416 924 4640
• Catholic Children’s Aid Society 416 395 1500
• Children’s Mental Health Centres
• Family Service Toronto 415 585 9151
• Hospital for Sick Children 416 813 81500
• Jewish Family & Child 416 638 7800
• Native Child and Family Services 416 969 8510
• Muslim Family and Child Services of Ontario 416 910 1253

Here are a few sources that I found thoughtful and particularly helpful :

• My Grandmother’s Hands – Resmaa Menakem, trauma-sensitive psychotherapist
• How To Be An Anti-Racist – Ibram X. Kendi (audiobook highly recommended)
• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood – Trevor Noah (audiobook highly recommended)
• The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power – (Torontonian) Desmond Cole
• Do Better & Spiritual Activist 101 – Rachel Ricketts
• The Myth of Race, Debunked (YouTube)
• White Fragility (excerpt from audiobook via YouTube)
• Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (YouTube)
• 103 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice (article)
• When Feminism Is White Supremacy in Heels – Rachel Cargle (article)
• Why You Need To Stop Saying All Lives Matter – Rachel Cargle (article)
• Dear White Women; How To Be An Ally – Rachel Cargle (article)

– Anishnawbe Health Toronto 416 657 0379

– Canadian Association for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (CAPT) 416 652 2186

– Hospice Toronto 416 364 1666

– Ontario Legal Aid

– Smokers Helpline

– Women’s Health in Women’s Hands 416 593 7655 ext 7

– Youth Employment Services Lighthouse Project (YES)  416 504 5516

Here are some thinkers who that have helped shape my thoughts, feelings, and perceptions re: the art of living.

Self-Compassion & Emotional Healing

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse – Charlie Macksey
• The Book of Forgiving – Archbishop Desmond Tutu & his daughter, Mpho Tutu
• The Gifts of Imperfection (book) and The Power of Vulnerability (audio lecture series) – Dr. Brené Brown
• I’m Working On It in Therapy –  Gary Trosclair

Mindfulness, Spirituality, & Neuroscience

• When Things Fall Apart – Pema Chödröon
• Living Beautifully – Pema Chödrön
• The Four Agreements – Don Michael Ruiz
• The Buddha’s Brain – Dr. Rick Hanson
• Resilient – Dr. Rick Hanson
• Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful – Dr. Susan Alberts
• Books, lectures, meditations, and podcast – Michael Stone
• Heart-Minded Meditations – Sarah Blondin

Grief & Loss

• The Wild Edge of Sorrow – Francis Weller

Relationships & Attachment

• Emotional Inheritance – Galit Atlast
• Attached – Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
• Wired for Love – Dr. Stan Tatkin
• Mating in Captivity – Esther Perel
• Transformation Through Intimacy – Robert Augustus Masters

Identity & Inner Life

• Quiet & Bittersweet – Susan Cain
• Spiritual Bypassing – Robert Augustus Masters

Eating & Embodiment

• Eating in the Light of the Moon– Dr. Anita Johnston
• Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful – Dr. Susan Alberts

If you are are curious about the science behind this work, here are some concise and accessible evidence based research sources:

• Does Analysis Work? – a conversation with Jonathan Shedler + Jungian Analysts (podcast)

• The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy by Jonathan Shedler (journal article)

• Articles & Books on the effectiveness and evidence supporting psychodynamic psychotherapy gathered by the Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy