Drop-In Counselling for Black and Racialized Students

Carla is a therapist intern from the Master of Psychotherapy program at the University of Guelph’s Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy. She is honoured to be doing an externship placement with Counselling Services.

Carla is an intercultural, multi-racial, Guyanese-British-Canadian, whose perspective is rooted in the layers of her multi-ethnic and bi-racial identity.

Carla holds a master's degree in social justice education from OISE at the University of Toronto and has spent the last 10 years working as a racial justice and community mental health clinician and educator. Carla works with individuals, couples, and groups through a justice-centered, collaborative and strengths-based therapeutic lens. She focuses primarily on narrative and solution-focused therapy and incorporates somatic, body-based, and land-based practices into sessions. Carla practices with a trauma-responsive, culturally-intentional lens, and prioritizes creating a spaces of belonging for all individuals.

Neil is a therapist intern and a current student of the Master of Psychotherapy graduate program at the University of Guelph. Prior to his aspiration of becoming a psychotherapist, Neil served as both a paramedic and a medic in the Canadian Armed Forces – experiences that deepened his compassion for those that are navigating stress, trauma, and life transitions. Neil approaches counselling through a systemic, collaborative, person-centred lens that is grounded in narrative and solution-focused therapy. At the Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology, Neil has learned to work alongside individuals, couples, and families to uncover strengths, re-author stories, and move toward meaningful change.

Adria is a Registered Social Worker and Alumna of the University of Guelph with over 10 years of experience working in university and community-based organizations. As a multi-racial Black woman with Trinidadian and Italian heritage, who also identifies as bisexual, her lived experiences inform her work, and she strives to work from an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, decolonial, trauma-informed, intersectional, person-centered approach. Adria has expertise in supporting individuals and groups in their healing from sexual and gender-based violence, racial and intergenerational trauma, and relationship challenges. Adria draws from a variety of modalities, including somatics (body-based), Internal Family Systems (IFS), expressive arts, narrative, self-compassion, and mindfulness-based therapies.

Stella is a professional Counsellor / Therapist with a master’s degree in Social Work. She has worked extensively with Individuals, couples, families, groups on a variety of issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, separation /divorce, domestic violence, and grief/loss. As an eclectic social worker, Stella works from a strength-based perspective using diverse interventions such as narrative, solution-focused, and cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT.) She is a registered social worker and a registered marriage and family therapists.

Varsha Ramkumar is a Registered Psychotherapist with over seven years of experience in the field of mental health. As an immigrant and person of color, she deeply understands the cultural nuances embedded in traditional practices and integrates this awareness into her work. She specializes in supporting individuals and couples through a range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, and grief.

Her therapeutic approach is eclectic, drawing from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Somatic-based techniques. She provides care within a trauma-informed, relational framework, ensuring a compassionate and culturally responsive space for healing and growth. Languages: English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil & Malayalam