Specializing in: Psychodynamically informed supportive therapy and
issues of shame, anxiety, panic attacks, spirituality

Other issues: gender-related issues, dissociative disorders, addictions, loss/grief

Special interests: Integration of Buddhism and psychotherapy, as well as cross-cultural issues

Reasons for starting therapy are many: shame, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, feelings of emptiness or overwhelming feelings that make you feel you might go crazy. Sometimes it's simply feeling unsafe in the world. Even everyday struggles may be enough for someone to decide they'd like a shoulder to lean on.

Simply talking can be a powerful experience and having a therapist listen without judgement or an agenda can be transformative. Therapy as a unique conversation between two people can aid our growth in many ways. It facilitates our ability to reflect on the self, deepens our relationship to our internal and external realities to better cope with positive and negative feelings, quiets our internal critic, increases our spontaneity, and provides hope that our lives can change.

I am particularly interested in the issue of shame, the sense that our very core is defective. Shame makes us fear exposing this vulnerable, hidden part of ourselves. I believe shame underlies much of our suffering, and due to its very nature, we are adverse to talking about it. Shame, of course, helps teach us how to fit into society but far too often it casts a deep shadow, constricting the expression of who we truly are and limiting our enjoyment of life. Therapy can release the bonds of shame and allow spontaneity to arise.

My work is most informed by the theories of self and intersubjective psychologists, as well as attachment theory. Therapy is a unique space where a therapist and client, with their own particular past and present experiences, enter into a dialogue in which the therapist commits to appreciating, understanding and valuing the reality of the client. This process is not the same as two friends who get together to chat. The therapist listens more than talks, is present solely for the client and not for his or her own issues, and pays attention to the patterns and distorted beliefs that influence the client but are unseen by the client. Therapy can change these patterns and help us lead happier lives with a greater ease of being.

The therapist cannot be an objective observer. Who the therapist is, with their own past experiences, affects the conversation. To reduce the chances that one's personal biases and limited views restrict the client's ability to talk freely, ongoing or long-term therapy for the therapist is essential. I have had years of intensive personal and group psychotherapy. I also attend supervision sessions with colleagues to keep my perspective as clear as possible. A therapist's not being completely objective, however, does not mean that the therapist cannot understand someone who has had a very different life. Empathy is an important quality in a therapist, and I have cultivated my listening and empathic skills throughout my years of training and in group therapy.

Rapport is a very important aspect of therapy. If you do not feel comfortable with me during our first session - or at any time in the future if you decide to continue working with me - please say so. You will not hurt my feelings. It is crucial that you feel you can trust me enough to speak freely, and that you feel I understand and can be empathetic to your struggles.

Robert Kegan's model of self-development has also contributed to my work. His explanation of the "family religion" (the profound impact that our parents' values and ideals have on our growth and belief systems, both conscious and unconscious) is a powerful metaphor in my work with clients.

Who am I?

I have had a life-long interest in spirituality and psychology. I studied comparative religion at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and received my diploma from the Centre for Training in Psychotherapy in Toronto. I have been seeing clients since 1998. I have a specific interest in Buddhism, meditation, integral spirituality, integral theory (as defined by Ken Wilber), self psychology, intersubjective psychology and attachment theory. I am very interested in the integration of Buddhism and psychotherapy: I use Buddhist ideas with clients who are interested in this. In this regard I also find Wilber's model of levels and lines to be valuable in understanding why spiritual growth and enlightenment do not necessarily lead to emotional growth and change. I would be happy to talk with prospective clients about why I believe this to be the case. For information and links to writings by Wilber, please see www.kenwilber.com/professional/writings/index.html.

I enjoy working with clients who have multicultural backgrounds and have experience with clients of of Indian, Italian, Slavic, and Chinese descent.

I hope you will contact me (diana.powell@utoronto.ca) so that we may begin a life-changing journey together.

Office: 316 Dupont Street, Toronto (just west of Spadina)
(sorry, no wheelchair access)
OHIP does not cover psychotherapists