Hi, I'm Mercedes. Like you, I know what it’s like to feel alone and anxious about the future...
Between wars, the climate crisis, and rent prices that need their own villain origin story, it’s a lot. Some days you’re just keeping your head above water; other days, you’re sinking into a sea of existential dread. In my own therapy, I learned how important it is to have someone dive into the water with you instead of yelling, “Have you tried self-care?” from the shore.
As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), I work with individuals and couples navigating existential dread, relationships, life transitions, and depression, especially adults who are gifted, neurodivergent or twice exceptional (2e), and those who feel mainstream therapy isn’t for them.
(Though I of course welcome clients who have concerns outside of those categories as well!)
Most important for my practice is helping people explore the big “what” and “why” questions of life with authenticity, kindness, and a bit of humour, because healing shouldn’t feel cold or clinical, and no one was meant to tread water alone!
my story
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I experienced what could only be called the “gifted-kid-turned-burnout-rigamarole.” After attending several post-secondary institutions and a gap year teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Japan, I eventually returned to the University of Toronto, where I received my Honours Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and the History of Art. Believing research was the way to go (like all former UofTears students), I dabbled in speech-language pathology research at the Oral Dynamics Lab and The Speech Research Centre, both known for world-class, evidence-based publications.
I continued in speech-language pathology by completing the Ontario College Graduate Certificate program at Georgian College to become a communicative disorders assistant (CDA, also known as a speech-language pathology assistant). Eventually, I combined my research and clinical skills to train CDA students from Durham College and Georgian College as a practicum supervisor and as a clinical coach for a large pediatric therapy group practice.
While my path to becoming a psychotherapist was neither linear nor traditional, together with my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, I bring nearly a decade of research and clinical experience, along with over three decades of experience as a human on this very complex earth. Both of which allow me to engage with clients not just clinically but relationally, as someone who has now been on either side of the therapy couch.
life and likes
Culturally, I am a Canadian-born nonbinary/agender person of Cuban and Filipino descent. When addressed, I prefer the pronouns she/her and they/them – you’re welcome to choose whichever rolls off the tongue best!
While two of my first languages were Spanish and Tagalog, I don’t currently have working proficiency in them. Although I hope to change that in the future, for now, I simply work in English.
I have lived experience with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), material poverty, and identity-based discrimination. I’m also a person with chronic physical health issues, as many have due to the cumulative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I am thankful that my past experiences and ongoing health issues are well managed by some of the best doctors and therapists I could access. So don’t worry – while these inform my practice, they don’t negatively impact it!
When not working, people can catch me seeing friends, trying to lift heavier weights, blasting heavy metal music, café hopping, attending Spanish class, reading, watching sci-fi shows, and playing with my feline assistants Thor and Baldur.
therapy as political
As a person and a psychotherapist, I try my best to stay committed to the principles of freedom, autonomy, anti-capitalism, equitable care, anti-carceral care, and mutual aid.
In practice, this looks like participating in or facilitating mutual aid events, offering sliding-scale rates when it is feasible for me to do so, waiving late cancellation fees during genuine emergencies, accommodating clients with disabilities to the best of my ability, and, when desired by a client, providing an open space to discuss geopolitical events such as the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the impacts of the ongoing climate crisis, and the detrimental implementation of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
That being said, while I believe life and therapy are inherently political, I don’t expect clients to have to share the same beliefs as I do. The space I offer is not one of proselytization, but a space to explore how the physical, personal, social, and spiritual aspects of existence can be greatly impacted by one’s political reality. I believe this not only aligns with our mandate as psychotherapists to “strive to support justice and fairness in professional and personal dealings” and “stand against oppression and discrimination” (CRPO), but also with the main tenets of existential therapy.
Like all people, sometimes I may misinterpret things or make mistakes with clients. I accept this is part of the fallibility of human behaviour and the downside of existing with some level of privilege. However, my acceptance is not an excuse to not engage in change. So, as a psychotherapist, I also try to remind my clients that they can and are welcome to challenge me, because the session is for them and not for me. As such, they deserve to have their story understood as much as possible.
Want to learn more?
Click here to learn about my therapy style and services or read my FAQ.