“In any given moment, we have two options, to step forward into growth or to step back into safety” - Abraham Maslow

I feel most truly myself when I am exploring, whether it is paddling a canoe in backwoods Algonquin Park, walking a pilgrimage in Japan, or learning how to navigate the landscape of the human mind. I am a firm believer in living life as an adventure, and there is a kind of grace that comes when we take the risk to move out of our comfort zones, confront our fears, and take ownership of the way our story is going to unfold next. It is in moments of profound stillness, deepest emotions and scariest choices that we tap into the expansiveness of our potential. I see therapy as a stepping stone for growth, and self-awareness as an essential component of an adventurous life.

As a career coach for two decades, I inspired my clients to take control of their professional path, whether by seeking a new job, competing for a promotion, or pursuing a radical change. I was motivated to complete my master’s degree in counselling psychology out of a desire to help people find meaning and direction in all areas of their life. Sometimes this involves healing lingering wounds, sometimes it involves finding a path forward through major life transitions, sometimes it is involves getting unstuck from ways of being that are no longer working. My treatment approach is eclectic and integrative, and I see myself as your companion and collaborator in your healing process. I offer you presence, insight and compassion, and the specialized tools such as Internal Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy that help you do the deep work of self discovery. You set the pace, the mile-markers and the direction for your transformation.

“In any given moment, we have two options, to step forward into growth or to step back into safet... Read More

Introducing Dr. Mitra Gholamain, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Registered Psychologist Psychological Assessment Adolescents and Adults

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Mitra Gholamain to the Ottawa River Integrative Mental Health team, where she will be practising primarily from our Old Toronto location at 204 St. George Street. Mitra brings to ORIMH more than two decades of focused expertise in psychological assessment of adolescents and adults — work that, in her hands, becomes the turning point in how a student is supported, how a professional performs, and how a person comes to understand themselves.

For the clients who come to assessment

Some of the most capable minds are also the most misunderstood. A high-school student whose grades have quietly slipped while their inner life has grown more complex. A university student whose accommodations should have been in place years ago. A graduate student who has reached the level of work where strategy alone can no longer compensate for an unrecognised learning profile. A senior professional whose pattern of strengths and struggles has never been formally mapped, and who has been working twice as hard as their peers to produce the same result. These are the clients Mitra has built her career around understanding.

University of Toronto trained, twenty-plus years in assessment

Mitra earned her doctoral degree in psychology from the University of Toronto in 1998. She has practised at the Psychological Assessment Center of Toronto since 2017, where she conducts and supervises clinical, psychoeducational, and disability psychological assessments. Her experience spans the full breadth of comprehensive psychological evaluation — from the cognitive and learning evaluations that change how a student is supported, to the disability assessments that determine how an adult is supported through difficulty, to the broader clinical assessments that help individuals and their care teams understand what is happening and what is needed.

A focused practice in giftedness, learning, and accommodation

Mitra’s practice at ORIMH focuses on the assessment and accommodation needs of two populations that share more in common than is often recognised: gifted adolescents, and the high-achieving adults and professionals they often grow into. The conditions that shape both — exceptional cognitive capacity paired with the specific learning, attention, emotional, or processing patterns that often accompany it — are her area of deepest expertise.

Her assessment work answers the questions that change a life:

Giftedness and cognitive profile assessment for adolescents and adults — including IQ assessment, identification of intellectual strengths and asynchronous development, and the specific patterns common in twice-exceptional (2e) presentations.

Psychoeducational assessment for learning differences, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and the processing-speed and working-memory profiles that explain underperformance relative to ability.

ADHD and executive function assessment — particularly the high-IQ presentations that have been missed for years because grades or career outcomes had masked the difficulty.

Diagnostic clarification for adolescents and adults with complex presentations involving anxiety, mood, attention, learning, or autism spectrum considerations.

Disability assessment for academic accommodations, workplace accommodations, insurance and benefits applications, and long-term planning.

The report is the beginning, not the end

What sets Mitra apart is her conviction that an assessment report is not the end of the work but the beginning. Each comprehensive assessment she conducts produces specific, actionable recommendations for treatment, intervention, and support; documentation suitable for academic accommodations at independent schools, colleges, and universities, including the formal reports required by accessibility offices at the University of Toronto and other Canadian and U.S. institutions; and workplace accommodation documentation for clients seeking formal accommodations from employers under federal and provincial human rights frameworks. With her clients’ consent, she communicates with schools, treatment providers, employers, and family members to ensure assessment findings translate into actual support.

Who Mitra works with

Mitra’s clients include adolescents in Toronto’s independent and gifted school programs; university and graduate students navigating academic accommodation processes; senior professionals — physicians, lawyers, executives, academics — whose lifetime of high performance has finally met its limit and who need to understand why; and individuals whose previous assessments have not produced the answers, the documentation, or the recommendations they needed. She brings to each assessment the steadiness that high-stakes evaluation requires: rigour in the testing, depth in the interpretation, and clarity in the report. Her clients leave with answers — and with a path forward.

What she brings to ORIMH

Mitra joins us as one of the most experienced assessment psychologists practising at ORIMH — a clinician whose careful, comprehensive, defensible reports do what assessments are meant to do: give people the truth about themselves, in language they can use. Practising primarily from our Old Toronto location, she extends ORIMH’s assessment capacity into the heart of Toronto’s professional, academic, and independent-school communities. We are thrilled to have her on the team.

Areas of focus: Giftedness assessment · Psychoeducational assessment · ADHD and executive function assessment · Twice-exceptional (2e) assessment · Disability assessment · Academic and workplace accommodation documentation · Diagnostic clarification

Ages served: Adolescents and adults

Sees clients: ORIMH Old Toronto, 204 St. George Street, Suite 102 · Secure online sessions across Ontario

Introducing Dr. Mitra Gholamain, Ph.D., C.Psych. Registered Psychologist Ps... Read More

I completed my formal education in clinical psychology and gender studies at the universities of McGill (BSc., Ph.D) and Yale (M.A., M.Sc.), and my informal education through traveling, spiritual practice, listening to nature, and navigating relationships.

Background and Experience I became interested in mental health struggles and social injustices at a very young age, but only began my formal training in 1998. I spent approximately 15 years in the academic world, researching and publishing articles and book chapters in the areas of trauma, sexual dysfunction, mood disorders, and eating disorders. I have shared my work and ideas with communities, and at numerous international conferences, and in media interviews. I was appointed Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University in 2014, and have taught and supervised graduate students and other therapists in numerous hospitals and universities across Canada. I left my academic position in 2016 to travel… and I found myself working amongst impoverished communities, including the Mohawk of Kahnewake, Ukrainian and Tibetan refugees, Indian child brides and Nepalese sexual trafficking survivors, and later, Canada’s sex workers. Enlightened by these experiences, my focus shifted to wanting to learn more about actually helping survivors heal and grow from traumatic experiences, especially through somatic work. I started teaching and supervising students in psychotherapy, and while I am no longer in academia, I remain enamored with the scientific study of the impact of hardship on the relationships between mind-body-spirit. In my spare time, I continue to write, educate, and share my ideas with various communities in the public and private sectors. Training and Specializations Over the years, my psychotherapy practice has evolved greatly, just as I have. While I initially approached therapy from a western cultural lens (e.g., thought focused methods), I have continued to diversify to include more eastern, traditional, and spiritual healing practices (e.g., body based methods - yoga, dance, experiential somatic methods). My early training was in empirically-supported psychotherapy methods (CBT/ CPT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic, systems, existential), but since then, I have completed certified trainings in hatha and therapeutic yoga, trauma informed yoga, breath regulation techniques (pranayama), mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). Most recently, I became certified in somatic experiencing (SEP), somatic attachment therapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, internal family systems (IFS), and expressive arts therapies (5 rhythms, authentic movement, ecstatic dance, sound work, and reiki I and II). Each of these methods have been as much a part of my own personal healing journey as they are now part of my professional approach to treatment. As a BIPOC woman and first generation Canadian, I remain passionate about treating difficulties relating to early developmental/ attachment traumas (e.g., physical, sexual, emotional abuse/ neglect, complex grief, intergenerational burdens) and collective traumas (racism, gender inequality, immigration, human commodification, oppression of marginalized groups). I apply a scientific mindset to understanding how these experiences contribute to stuckness or illness in the body, and to harmful mental patterns. My aim is to help people face and overcome these challenges, complete what is unfinished in the past, and move forward in an embodied way, with a stronger connection to one’s own truth, inner power, and integrity. I bring all of this to my work with my clients in a holistic and integrated framework. * I am presently a member of the Canadian Psychological Association, Somatic Experiencing International, the College of Psychologists of Ontario, and the Order of Psychologists of Quebec.

I completed my formal education in clinical psychology and gender studies at the universities of ... Read More

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Hello, I’m Yastika Kamboj — a gentle, compassionate presence dedicated to walking alongside you as you navigate life’s challenges and move toward healing, growth, and greater self-understanding.

I know that reaching out for support takes courage. My intention is to offer a safe, respectful space where you can feel seen, heard, and accepted just as you are — while also being gently supported toward the changes you long for.

My approach to therapy is rooted in evidence-based, compassion-focused practices. I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), weaving these together in a way that honors your unique experiences, values, and goals. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, low mood, self-criticism, body image concerns, relationship difficulties, or life transitions, my focus is on supporting you in building a kinder relationship with yourself and with the world around you.

I also provide psychological assessments to help bring clarity and understanding to the challenges you may be facing.

I hold a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from McGill University and have clinical experience across private practice, college mental health, and university counselling settings. Currently, I am honored to be practicing as a Third Wave Psychology Fellow and Psychologist Supervised Therapist under the mentorship of Dr. Kimberly Sogge, as I complete my registration as a psychological associate with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

If you are ready to begin this journey toward greater ease, self-compassion, and well-being, I would be honored to support you.

Hello, I’m Yastika Kamboj — a gentle, compassionate presence dedicated to walking alongside you a... Read More

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Seavey van Walsum is a Student Intern Psychometrist at Ottawa River Integrative Mental Health, where they work under the supervision of registered psychologists to administer and score psychological assessments for adolescents and adults. Seavey brings a genuine commitment to creating safe, supportive testing experiences — helping clients feel at ease throughout the assessment process so that results truly reflect their strengths and needs.

Seavey holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto (Victoria University), with a double major in Psychology and Literature & Critical Theory, a minor in Critical Equity and Solidarity Studies, and two honour’s theses — graduating with a CGPA of 3.88. They are currently completing a Master of Human-Centred Data Science at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information.

Their clinical and research experience is extensive. At the McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health at CAMH, Seavey leads a cross-sectional study on health outcomes for adults with ADHD and ASD, administering and analyzing both diagnostic and research-focused psychological assessment measures. Previous research at Queen’s University and the University of Toronto explored neurodivergent communities, gender identity, and minority stress — reflecting a deep commitment to equity-informed, person-centred practice.

Seavey has significant hands-on experience supporting people with ADHD, ASD, and complex developmental disabilities across the lifespan. As a Residence Don at Victoria University, they provided front-line crisis support, accessibility coordination, and compassionate care to students navigating difficult transitions — experience that informs their attentive, trauma-aware approach to assessment. Seavey holds certifications in SAFETALK Suicide Prevention Training, First Aid with CPR-C, Wilderness First Responder, and Swiftwater Rescue Technician, and completed over 36 hours of crisis line training as a volunteer with the Distress Centre of Greater Toronto.

Outside of their clinical work, Seavey is an experienced outdoorsperson, researcher, and writer with a passion for making mental health science accessible and meaningful to the communities it serves.

Seavey van Walsum is a Student Intern Psychometrist at Ottawa River Integrative Mental Health, w... Read More

work with adults and immigrants who are seeking something deeper and more meaningful than simply getting by. My motto is: come home to yourself and find your voice through psychotherapy. Together, we explore the underlying patterns shaping your emotional world, helping you feel more grounded in yourself, reconnect with your voice, and move toward greater clarity, freedom, and connection.

I hold a PhD in Clinical Psychology, currently am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and my services are supervised by a senior registered clinical Psychologist. My work is grounded in psychoanalytic thinking. I have completed extensive psychoanalytic training, along with specialized training in couple therapy with Arthur Nielsen, author of A Roadmap for Couple Therapy. I am also a faculty member at the Hamava Institute in Tehran, Iran, and a guest member of the Toronto Psychoanalytic Institute.

I view therapy as a thoughtful, collaborative process that prioritizes understanding your lived experience rather than applying rigid techniques or “fixing” problems. For me, therapy involves developing a genuine therapeutic relationship between two individuals who are willing to reflect, feel, and think together.

I welcome individuals of all identities, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ communities. I value transparency, cultural awareness, and authentic human connection at the core of the therapeutic process.

work with adults and immigrants who are seeking something deeper and more meaningful than simply ... Read More