Two Mountains Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fostering psychological flexibility through presence, curiosity, and compassion

Providing virtual sessions to clients in Hamilton and across Ontario

Meet Maria

  • Hi, I’m Maria.  I’m a registered social worker (MSW, RSW) based in Hamilton, Ontario, and I provide psychotherapy services virtually across Ontario for individuals ages 16+.  I also provide training for other mental health professionals, primarily on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and self-compassion.

    I have worked with a wide variety of concerns in my career, and have developed particular interest and expertise in addressing anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).  I’m trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is currently the gold standard treatment for OCD, and provide this from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and self-compassion focused orientation.  I’m also connected with a professional network of other OCD and anxiety specialists with whom I continue to learn, consult, and grow my knowledge and expertise. 

    I am fascinated by how we work as human beings, and am committed to ongoing personal and professional growth and learning. You can find more information on my education and training below.

    Therapy can be tough work, AND you are stronger than you think, AND I will bring warmth, encouragement, humour, and compassion to our work together.

    If you think we might be a good fit, please get in touch to set up a free consultation video call.  I’d be honoured to work with you and cheer you on along the way.

  • I am a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

    Education:

    • Master of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University

    • Bachelor of Social Work (Honours), University of Waterloo

    • Bachelor of Arts - International Development Studies, Calvin University

  • I am fascinated by how we work as human beings, and dedicated to ongoing learning and growing in this field. Below are some of the trainings I’ve completed:

    • ACT for Depression and Anxiety Disorders (Dr. Russ Harris, Psychwire)

    • Anxiety Certification Course: Integrate CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention for Treatment of GAD, Panic Disorder, OCD, Social Anxiety, & Phobias (PESI)

    • 4-Day Intensive Workshop: Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy for OCD (Cognitive Behavior Institute)

    • Trauma-Focused ACT (Dr. Russ Harris, hosted in Toronto by Institut de Psychologie Contextuelle)

    • Bringing the Process-Based Future of Intervention Science into Today’s Practice (in-person workshop with Dr. Steven Hayes)

    • Chairwork: Beyond the Basics — Three-day Intensive Training (Matthew Pugh & Tobyn Bell, Chairwork UK)

    • Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples and Families (Gail Palmer)

    • Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 (The Gottman Institute)

    • Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) (The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion)

    • 3-Day Intensive Training: EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and the Neuroscience, Diagnosis, and Best Practices for Successful Trauma Treatment (Linda A. Curran, Integrative Trauma Treatment, LLC)

    • Refugee Mental Health: Focus on Syrian Refugees (CAMH Refugee Mental Health Project)

    • Working with Refugees and Survivors of War (Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Social Work)

    • Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Betrayal Trauma (Dr. Kevin Skinner, the Addo Network)

    • ACT for Beginners (Dr. Russ Harris, Psychwire)

    • A Family Systems Approach to Intergenerational Trauma (Ruth Linnen and Eileen Kilbride, Trauma Services of Southwestern Ontario)

    • Linda Thai’s Advanced Somatic Trauma Treatment Method: Practical Tools for Clinicians (PESI)

    • Janina Fisher's Trauma Treatment Certification Training (CCTP): The Latest Advances and Proven Techniques to Resolve Deeply Held Trauma (PESI)

    • Psychological Flexibility for a Traumatizing World: How to Foster the Most Important Skill in All of Psychotherapy (Steven Hayes, PhD, PESI)

    • Registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW)

    • Member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW)

    • Member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)

Approach

My primary orientation as a therapist is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (or ACT, said as the word "act"). ACT is about cultivating an ability to be present, opening to the fullness of our experience, and living in line with what matters most deeply to us.

Why “Two Mountains”?

The name "Two Mountains" comes from a metaphor in ACT, and speaks to the common humanity between us all.  We’re all climbing our own mountain of life -- you’re climbing yours, and I’m also climbing mine.  I'm not sitting at the top of any mountain looking down problem-free with life all figured out -- no one is. Rather, from where I am on my own mountain, I may be able to look across at you as you're climbing yours, and offer a different perspective (just as someone else could look across at me on my mountain and do the same). Counselling/psychotherapy is a space where we can learn to climb more effectively.  It may involve learning climbing skills; discovering our own unique needs and strengths as climbers; working through how to navigate particularly tough parts of the climb; learning how to enjoy, embrace, and connect with a sense of vitality on the climb; looking back on the journey so far; mapping out a direction for the climb yet ahead...  From one mountain climber to another, I'd be honoured to accompany, encourage, and support you on your journey.

Compass

Services

  • Individual Therapy

  • Training

    Training for professionals in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Groups

    Coming Soon!

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

— Viktor E. Frankl

I look forward to meeting you.

Book a free consultation