Leslie Young,
RN, Hons. BScN, Psychotherapist
f
Pain and loss are experienced throughout our lives as part of being human. Losses may be experienced as sudden or expected death (of any living being), relationship difficulties such as conflict, separation or divorce, addiction and mental health diagnoses, a spiritual crisis, loss of identity, and at transitional time points in our lives such as moving away from home, starting a family, retirement or re-invention of ourselves following job loss. The list goes on. Sometimes we soldier on and do not recognize the impact of our losses on our day to day lives, and at other times we can barely breathe under the weight of all our emotions.
Experiencing difficulty with anxiety, sadness, loneliness, grief, guilt, anger or any other overwhelming emotion may be impacting your life and the relationship you have with your family and friends. At times, you may also notice body aches and pains that persist as well. You have tried very hard to manage, however you may continue to feel great stress. If this describes you, you may benefit from therapy.
Therapy will help you work through painful emotions and assist you to live a more peaceful life. It will also provide strength-based tools to calm you, help you ride the waves of emotion, think differently, and challenge you to find parts of yourself that have been forgotten. Gaining insight will help improve relationships and help others better understand you.
As a person with lived experience of multiple losses, I am passionate and grateful to work alongside individuals who are experiencing challenges with any type of loss or overwhelming feeling. I work with individuals that are encountering relationship difficulties, feelings of sadness and anxiety, as well as those experiencing grief and loss.
Together, with you as the expert on you, we will form a partnership to help you navigate the sometimes turbulent waters so that you may breathe again.
I am a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist with over 30 years of supervised clinical practice experience with certification in psychiatric and mental health nursing (CNA). I also hold certification in Concurrent Disorders (substance use and mental health concerns, CAMH) helping individuals and families.
My areas of practice are within inpatient, community and individual practice therapy settings working with older adolescents, adults and seniors. I have comprehensive training in the areas of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and family of origin work. Current areas of focus include grief and loss training and emotion focused therapy (EFT). Trauma-informed care and cultural humility help inform my practice and enhance my learning together with the individual. Complimenting my practice are self-directed learning practices which include mindfulness, self-compassion and neurobiology as supervised by Dr. Nagasawa.
College of Nurses of Ontario
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
Association for Death Education and Counselling