Rodelyn Wisco MSW, RSW

505 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto Ontario M5N 1B1 TEL: (647) 373-9606
info@rodelynwisco.ca

I recognize the need for more support at this time and am dedicated to the health and safety of all my clients and our greater community.
To help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, I will have sessions over the phone or online.
During this time, please be sure to practice discernment in what and how much media you consume.
There is a lot of misinformation circulating which only adds to stress and overwhelm.
Stay connected with your people, reach out, and check in.
Let's practice physical distance, not social isolation.

Are you overwhelmed by recent changes or loss in your life?
Are you having difficulties in your closest relationships?
Are you experiencing deep sadness and loneliness?
Are you feeling stuck, isolated, confused, or hopeless?

You are not alone. I am here to listen and help.

Sometimes, stress is triggered by present-day circumstances such as job loss, death, divorce, illness, relationship difficulties. Other times, feelings of despair and anger can be traced to painful childhood experiences. Left unresolved, present-day stress or childhood trauma can get in your way of feeling happy, confident, and fulfilled.

Seeking guidance and support to manage life's challenges is a choice you can make for yourself. The healing process begins with acknowledging your pain, moving to tolerance and acceptance, and building personal empowerment. You can give yourself this chance to move forward in life without the suffering and heavy load you've been carrying.

Through our work together, you can:

enhance your ability to handle stress, overwhelm, and uncertainty.
identify underlying causes of your distress and understand what is keeping you from being happy.
improve your relationships, your life, your career.
transform your self-doubt into confidence, courage, and self-worth.
heal the past, acknowledge the present, and look forward to the future.

Your journey of self-discovery, healing, and awakening can begin now.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions or are contemplating psychotherapy as means to make meaningful changes in your life. I offer a free initial telephone consultation. Please call me at 647.373.9606 or email me at info@rodelynwisco.ca

About

I completed my Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University, my Bachelor of Social Work from York University, and my Bachelor of Arts from McGill University. I have advanced training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Therapy (EFMT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapies. I draw upon attachment-informed, trauma-informed, and strengths-based perspectives and frequently incorporate mindfulness practices in my work.

For the first 10 years of my career, I worked in children's mental health. As a Child and Family Therapist, I provided individual, family, and group psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and their parents at the Child Development Institute, Youthdale Treatment Centres, and St. Joseph's Health Centre Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program in Toronto, as well as at the Phoenix Youth Programs in Halifax. In addition, I worked as an Emergency Department Social Worker at St. Joseph's Health Centre. After my years of working in children's mental health, I continued to offer individual, family, and group psychotherapy in in- and out-patient psychiatry programs as well as in primary care settings with the St. Joseph's Urban Family Health Team and the Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team.

I continue to work with individuals, families, and groups in my private practice in Toronto.

Approach

Therapy is a collaborative partnership between you and your therapist, and although I hold a set of expertise, I believe you are the expert in your own life. I engage in open and honest conversations when determining the therapeutic approach that best suits your needs. I start where you are at and honour your strengths and your right to self-determination.

In my role as psychotherapist, I listen, guide, and work from a practical, compassionate and non-judgmental perspective. It is my job to help you connect with your feelings and give language to your experiences. I help with your suffering by acknowledging what causes the distress, and help you to build a sense of empowerment, increase your self-esteem, and boost your confidence. I wish for you to reach your highest potential, make better choices, and take responsibility for what happens in your life.

Services

I offer individual, family, and group psychotherapy.

Individual Therapy

In individual therapy, I will help you to deal with problematic, painful, and vulnerable emotions or issues, and use evidence-based approaches to help you make changes in meaningful and lasting ways. Some of the issues that I help people with include, but are not limited to:

anger
anxiety
- social anxiety
- panic attacks
- work-related stress
- separation anxiety
- fears and phobias
body image issues
caring for a loved one living with mental health issues
depression
enhancing professional and personal effectiveness
existential crises
family conflict
family of origin issues
fertility-related issues
grief
- loss of a loved one through death
- loss of a loved one through separation or divorce
interpersonal conflicts
internalized racism
internalized shame
life satisfaction
life transitions
loneliness
low self-esteem
parenting issues
personal or work stress
postpartum adjustment
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
procrastination or blocks to advancing forward
relationship issues
resolving unfinished business with significant others
self-criticism
trauma
- emotional
- physical
- sexual abuse
- intergenerational family trauma

Family Therapy

In family therapy, I help family members understand and support each other, as well as work through difficult feelings in a safe space. I use family therapy to improve the interactions and communication between family members. Families usually seek family therapy when the family is contributing to a person's difficulties or when one person's problems are impacting other family members.

When I work with families, I invite each member to talk about their hopes, encourage everyone to talk about their experiences and listen to each other, as well as clarify each person's beliefs, values, needs, and assumptions so that everyone understands each other. In family work, I help families stop blaming each other and begin exploring how everyone can work together to make positive changes, help people understand the impact of their words and behaviours on other members of the family, help families talk about the challenges they're facing, and support families as they work through their own goals.

Family therapy can benefit family members of any age who are facing various experiences and challenges, including those who are:

seeking a closer relationship;
facing challenges, such as mental or physical illnesses;
worried about their children's behaviour;
interested in fostering or adopting children;
or getting a divorce or separation.

In many instances in my family therapy, I use Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) to support caregivers to increase their role in their loved ones' recovery from mental health issues. I believe in the healing power of families and that it is most therapeutically worthwhile to empower parents to help their children, regardless of age. I do this by supporting parents and alternate caregivers to increase their involvement in:

becoming their loved one's behavior coach, that is, assisting their loved one in the interruption of symptoms and maladaptive behaviors (anxiety, depression, etc.) as well as in the transition from stressful life events (a divorce, diagnosis of a learning disability, placement into foster care, etc.);
becoming their loved one's emotion coach by supporting their loved one to approach, process and manage stress, emotions and emotional pain. By doing this, their loved one's symptoms no longer serve a purpose and are unnecessary to cope;
facilitating therapeutic apologies in order to help loved ones to let go of the weight of old injuries, and
working through and resolving the fears and obstacles that surface in the caregiver during this challenging and novel journey.

There is no single path when it comes to family therapy. Therapy may last only a few sessions or it may take more time for some families. If it will be helpful, I may meet with family members individually.

Two-Day EFFT Caregiver Workshop

The two-day caregiver workshop is for caregivers who:

have a loved one who suffers from anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns and
struggle with their loved one's behavior and/or emotional distress.

The workshop is inspired by Emotion-Focused Family Therapy and will introduce practical skills to strengthen relationships, increase cooperation and respond to strong emotional reactions, including expressions of worry, anger, hopelessness, even silence. Caregivers will also be supported to identify and work through co-parenting challenges most often encountered along the way.

Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Meditation Group:
An Eight-Week Program

Join this group, if you are interested in learning Emotion-Focused Mindfulness with the support of others.

Emotion-Focused Mindfulness meditation is a way of developing compassion and empathy towards oneself and others through mindfulness of embodied experiencing. Compassion involves feeling moved by and wanting to alleviate suffering. Empathy is the ability to follow feelings and thoughts in oneself and others with kindness and warmth.

Emotion-Focused Mindfulness highlights a mindfulness practice that can help us better navigate emotions in meditation, decreasing suffering, increasing happiness, and empowering us to live more deeply valued lives. Rather than feeling better, the emphasis is on getter better at feeling, so that our feelings help us to better navigate our lives.

In this program, you will learn how to incorporate the pillars of emotion-focused mindfulness, curiousity, tolerance, and compassion into your meditation practice.

Who this group is for:

This group is appropriate for those who are new to mindfulness and would like to begin to practice it regularly, as well as for those who already have a meditation practice and wish to deepen it and get better at feeling whatever arises. Participants' knowledge base will grow and develop from week to week.

Online Video Sessions

Life can be hectic and making time for therapy is sometimes not easy. If you are too busy to get out of the house or office, or you prefer to participate in psychotherapy from the comfort of your home, then online sessions may be a good option for you.

I offer online video counselling through a secure and encrypted video platform service. You will need access to a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone built in as well as an internet connection.

If you are interested in online video sessions, please don't hesitate to contact me at 647.373.9606 or email me at info@rodelynwisco.ca.

Clinical Supervision

I provide clinical supervision for Registered Social Workers, Registered Psychotherapists and Qualifying Registered Psychotherapists. Options for small group and/or individual supervision sessions are available. I completed a 30-hour course and hold a certificate in Clinical Supervision which meets the requirements of the CRPO.

In supervision, I draw upon attachment- and trauma-informed practices that integrate emotion focused therapy (EFT), emotion-focused mindfulness therapy (EFMT), Interpersonal therapy (IPT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

I have 20 years of clinical social work experience and supervised Masters and Bachelors level social workers and students. In the primary care setting, I taught medical clerks and family medicine residents assessment and counselling skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE REFERRAL PROCEDURE?
Self-referrals are welcome and do not require a formal referral from a physician. Referrals are also welcome from other health care professionals such as family physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and naturopaths.

IS IT CONFIDENTIAL?
I respect each person's confidentiality and what is shared in sessions remains private within legal guidelines. As a Registered Social Worker there are limits to confidentiality and I adhere to the guidelines set out by the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. All limits to confidentiality will be reviewed during the first session with you.

ARE THERAPY FEES COVERED BY OHIP?
Social Work services provided by a registered social worker are not covered by OHIP but may be covered by some private extended health insurance plans or workplace benefits. Please consult your individual healthcare insurance plan to determine the extent of coverage provided. Fees that are paid without coverage are tax-deductable as they qualify under the category of medical expenses.

HOW DO I PAY?
Fees are payable following each session by cash, cheque or e-transfers. A receipt is issued when payment is received. Please retain these receipts for your insurance or income tax claims.

WHAT IS THE POLICY FOR CANCELLED OR MISSED APPOINTMENTS?
If you cannot make an appointment, please let me know 48 hours prior to your scheduled time. The full fee will be charged for late cancellations or missed appointments.

Fees

I provide an initial telephone consultation free of charge.

I am happy to provide information regarding fees by phone or email. Please contact me for details.

Contact me!

Rodelyn Wisco, MSW, RSW

505 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 510

Toronto Ontario M5N 1B1

(647) 373-9606

info@rodelynwisco.ca