Serene Da Silva, MSW, RSW

Serene holds a Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Toronto and is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

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Often there is shame, stigma, and systemic barriers to accessing professional support for your mental health. I see therapy as a brave undertaking, and it is important to me that the plan that we co-create is as unique as each person’s mind, culture, and lived experiences. Therefore, I take an intentionally eclectic, collaborative, and non-pathologizing approach that is rooted in self-compassion. I draw upon various evidence-based therapeutic modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Trauma-Focused approaches.

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I emphasize the value of taking a strength-based approach while recognizing the ways systemic oppression affects mental health. I have worked in both private practice and hospital-based outpatient clinical settings for the past five years, where I have had the privilege of holding therapeutic space for diverse individuals living with chronic illness. In these settings, I have worked with clients overcoming loss and/or change, navigating new responsibilities like parenting or career transitions, exploring new meaning in their relationships and sexuality, and facing and processing trauma.

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I see therapy as a tool for individuals wanting to reclaim their agency in healing, gain hope, and gain access to their own internal resources. As I support individuals who are navigating this increasingly complex and challenging world, I feel inspired by the resilience that I see every day.