Valeria Matei, Hon.BSc, MA, RP(Q)
Valeria is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and a Yorkville University graduate with a master’s degree in counselling psychology. She also holds a post-secondary diploma in The Total-Self Program from the Transformational Arts College which emphasizes personal and spiritual development encompassing a psychospiritual approach combining contemporary psychology, emotional healing and esoteric principles.
Client Focus: Adult, Teen, Couples, Families
Interventions Offered: Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Adlerian, Gestalt, CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Existential, Person-Centered, Narrative, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy
Mental health therapy is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. As such, I like to take a comprehensive approach to therapy and tailor each treatment to the unique needs of each client. I am drawn to person-centered therapy, also known as client-centered therapy, which is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy because it emphasizes the importance of the client’s subjective experience. This type of therapy centers around empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness in the client-therapist interaction.
My hope is to create a supportive and non-judgmental environment in which the client can explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. I have an innate ability to understand people’s experiences from their own perspective and accept each person as a unique individual without judgment. I believe this is conducive to creating a trusting therapeutic relationship and a healing environment for each and every client.
I believe that using spirituality as an adjunct to psychotherapy is crucial to the process of healing. By encouraging mindfulness and self-reflection through routines such as journaling, prayer, and meditation, spirituality fosters a feeling of community and promotes forgiving and compassionate behavior toward oneself and others. Spirituality can give people a sense of purpose and meaning in life, which can help them cope with difficult situations and find a sense of fulfillment. This can be particularly beneficial for people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions that can make it difficult to find joy or meaning in everyday life.
My favourite quote.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
