Katarina Guillen-Spencer

My goal is to help you find workable solutions to challenges in your life, and to develop new ways of relating to yourself and others. My approach is grounded in connecting with and understanding why the strategies you are currently using are there and what their purpose and function is. I focus on understanding the self-protective nature or intention of the existing approaches you use, and promoting self-compassionate understanding of their origins. Building on your existing strengths and knowledge of yourself throughout this process, we can then shift to learning new strategies aimed at getting you closer to where you’d like to be and living a life more aligned with your values and needs.

My goal is to guide a process of self-exploration and experimentation with ways of thinking, communicating, emotional processing, and taking action that are informed by the difference between where you are now and where you’d like to be. At all times, my therapeutic approach is values and strengths based, focused on practicing new strategies, and promoting your own self-knowledge and autonomy in the change process.

Our lived experiences shape us into who we are today and impact the way we interact with ourselves and within our relationships. I believe understanding our past, as well as how it is influencing our present, can support desired change and growth. I value showing up in session with openness, authenticity, and grounded in the reality of human experience. I am deeply committed to creating a supportive, compassionate, and highly collaborative environment in which you feel comfortable to experiment with new ways of being.

Whether you’re experiencing communication or relationship difficulties, anxiety, self-criticism, lack of intimacy and connection, stress related to parenting or family dynamics, or difficulties with emotional insight or expression – I'd like to support you in identifying and taking action towards what you need. I provide support for parents to respond to their kids’ behavioural or emotional challenges as well as relational strain related to parenting, for partners to improve their communication and connection or heal from strain and rupture, for families to collaborate, and for adults/teens that are self-critical, anxious, burned out, or struggling with their self-esteem or self-worth.

I am here to provide guidance and support if you would like to strengthen your relationship with yourself and others, or identify and overcome barriers that you’re encountering. Ultimately, I want to help you find and create meaningful change in your life. I welcome you to book a free consultation to explore whether I may be a good fit for you!

Credentials and Professional Registration:

- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology – Western University 2022

- Bachelors of Arts (Hons., Dist.) in Psychology, minor in Cognitive Science – Waterloo University

- Intensive Sex Therapy Training Program – University of Guelph

- Registered Psychotherapist – College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Professional Development

- Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship Training, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

- Motivational Interviewing Foundational course, (MI) Psychwire

- Motivational Interviewing for Addiction course, (MI) Psychwire

- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy Core Skills Training, (EFFT) Mental Health Foundations

- Emotionally Focused Family Advanced Skills Training, (EFFT) Mental Health Foundations

- Advanced Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training by Lou Lasprugato, MFT, (ACT) Praxis

- Trauma Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy course, Psychwire

- InterACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) with couples training by Lou Lasprugato, MFT, (ACT) Praxis

- Compassion Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course, Psychwire

- Compassion Focused Therapy Chairwork training, The Compassionate Mind Foundation

- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Mindfulness training, (CBTm) University of Manitoba

- Indigenous Canada Course, University of Alberta

- The Canadian Association for Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT) conference 2025 “Evolving Systems: Empowering Relationships in a diverse world”

- Association for Contextual Behavioural Science Virtual World Conference, ACBS

- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Attachment Trauma Transforming Psychological Wounds for Adult Clients Traumatized as Children Webinar by Dr. Sue Johnson, EdD, Pesi

Area of Focus:

- Parenting/Caregiving, Co-parenting, relational therapy for parents/caregivers

- Self-criticism, Burnout, and Stress

- Self-esteem, Self-worth, and Self-compassion

- Relationship Issues and Communication

- Infidelity, Separation, and Divorce

- Sex and Intimacy

- Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM), Open relationships, Polyamory

- Anxiety and Depression

- Grief and Loss

- Boundary Setting and Assertive Communication

- Family Conflict

- Behavioural, School, and Peer Issues

I am influenced by a variety of approaches, all of which will encourage us to explore what is contributing to your experience and understand what is getting in the way of getting closer to a life that you want to live. I would describe my work as collaborative, focused on creating meaningful change, and finding what is 'workable for your life'. I value open, authentic, and honest communication in my own life and within sessions, and I am deeply committed to creating a supportive and compassionate environment in which my clients can experiment with new ways of relating to themselves and others.

My approach to therapy is collaborative and holistic. I believe that you are the expert in your own life, and I value co-creating therapeutic goals based on your existing strengths. I also value emphasizing the mind-body connection and using the knowledge we gain to inform our work together. I also work to recognize the impact that others, as well as the systems my clients are a part of, have on their well-being and therapeutic journey.

Types of Therapy

- Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

- Attachment-based

- Compassion Focused

- Dialectical Behaviour (DBT)

- Emotionally Focused

- Family / Marital

- Family Systems

- Gottman Method

- Integrative

- Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)

- Motivational Interviewing

- Person-Centred

- Relational

- Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)

- Strengths based, Culturally sensitive