Registered Psychotherapist
RP, CTP Dipl
Starting psychotherapy takes courage. What can I tell you that might make this step easier?
Be assured that anything you need to work through will be acceptable for discussion and analysis. The work of therapy may frequently be difficult, but the outcome is often a new-found joy and freedom. And I can assure you that “the talking cure” can bring about deep and lasting change in your life.
I practice from a psychodynamic framework. I believe none of us is just one person, but rather a dynamic mix of all the life experiences that have brought us this far. Sometimes those different histories conflict with each other and slow our progress through life. For instance, rationally we may know that we are capable of a more advanced job but the remnant of a browbeaten child within finds it difficult to stand up for the recognition we deserve. Or maybe we possess a great love inside but a lonely core makes us feel unworthy of an intimate relationship.
As we grow up, we must make compromises with our family, our friends, and our community. Especially the compromises made in early childhood can lead to beliefs about ourselves that alienate us from our true selves. Almost every one of us comes to adulthood believing we are a very different person than the true version of ourselves that will bring us peace and liveliness.
Through our weekly therapy sessions together, I will support you as you work to understand these inner selves and discern which compromises you have made that may be holding you back from a more satisfying life. At times, it may feel like you are toiling blindly, working to challenge life-long assumptions of your own true character built upon compromises made in early childhood.
I have selected the M.C. Escher lithograph “Drawing Hands” as a visual metaphor for my practice. In psychotherapy, we are both the tool for change and the object being worked upon. Only after we have “drawn” in ourselves a new awareness, might we be able to understand what the next stage will be. “Ah, now I see.”
I am a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, have completed the CTP program for training in psychotherapy, and have graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. I have also worked for over twenty years as a social worker in the community, addressing issues of addiction, mental health, homelessness, and poverty.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment to see me in my office in Toronto, you can contact me directly:
Phone or Text: (416) 988-5833
Email: davidcollinsrp@gmail.com
Website: www.davidcollinsrp.ca
Address: 203 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Ontario M6J 3G6
Office is located in separate Coach House building accessible through alleyway off of Dovercourt Road. Detailed map will be sent to new clients before your first session.
Initial consultation: We can arrange a first appointment in person, or discuss your interests on the phone ahead of your first appointment.
Fees: $150/session
If you are interested in exploring therapy with me as your therapist, feel free to contact me through email: davidcollinsrp@gmail.com . Or you could call phone. Because I am in sessions all day, often my phone is on mute. It is likely more effective to text. Phone: 416 988-5833
We could schedule a brief phone chat to see how compatible we are and the work you hope to accomplish while in therapy.
Or we could go directly to scheduling a first session. Currently all my sessions are in-person. My office is located in the downtown area: Queen West and Dovercourt Road.
203 Lisgar Street, Toronto, ON, M6J 3G6