Rebecca McKay

Hi, I’m rebecca!

Relationships can be a challenge for many, for a variety of complex reasons, including uncertainty, fear, or even a sense of inauthenticity. Often, it can be our experiences or past traumas that hold us back, make us doubt ourselves, make it difficult to find our purpose and help us grow. While they can be difficult, I believe that relationships are the backbone of personal growth and wellness.

Before we can grow, we need to feel safe. Therapy is a place to begin building the foundations of relationships in a place of safety and security. As a student therapist, my job is to find a connection between us and help you work towards safety in your life. And from there we can explore! When we explore, I believe you, as the client, are the owner and expert in your story. You know your experience, and I want to learn about it. I can provide insight and connections you may not have seen before, but I will walk alongside you as we discover together. I believe we have the ability to heal ourselves, and my job as a therapist is to help facilitate that growth and change.

My approach to therapy is client-focused, trauma-informed, and attachment-based. I use an eclectic approach and draw on multiple modalities and techniques. I help us connect to, and understand, our emotions through Emotional Focused Therapy, bring us safety through Dialectical Behaviour Therapy techniques, and inquire through a psychodynamic lens.

Before my education in Psychotherapy, I had a successful career as a professional classical singer with a thriving teaching studio and an active performance schedule. I have an undergraduate degree in Music Education, specializing in Voice and Choral Conducting, and a Master’s of Arts in Community Music. I pivoted away from music into frontline acute mental health, homelessness, and addictions. There, I gained incredible insight and experience working in crises and learning from a harm reduction approach. I learned the value of building relationships and connections for individual and collective healing. I also have extensive knowledge and experience in sexual and gendered violence, trauma recovery, and personality disorders.

When I am at the office, I am always looking for ways to grow and learn. I am a self-learner and love listening to educational podcasts and reading about history and psychology. I am still actively making music: teaching, and singing in choirs in southern Ontario. My self-care is running, hitting around 40km a week, and racing through the summer. I live for my animals, a retired therapy dog, and my two precocious cats.