Karen McKenna-Quayle, MA, RP (Qualifying)

I work with people carrying stories that feel too heavy to tell out loud — moms who thought they’d feel bonded and instead feel broken, survivors trying to reclaim a sense of safety, adults sorting through ADHD chaos, guilt, and exhaustion.

Some of my clients come to therapy after a crisis, like realizing that what should have been a loving moment with their baby instead brought up panic, despair, or thoughts they didn’t think they were supposed to have. Others are untangling trauma that was brushed aside or minimized, trying to make peace with the anger, shame, and grief that followed them into adulthood.

If you’re someone who’s done therapy before and still feel like there’s more underneath, or you’re ready to stop pretending everything’s fine — that’s the work I do best.

I bring my experience as a therapist, teacher, mom, and person with ADHD into the room — so I get that focus isn’t always easy and that life rarely goes as planned. I don’t expect you to be perfect here. We’ll meet where you’re at, even if that’s messy, tired, or full of “shoulds.”

My style is conversational and collaborative. I’ll ask questions, help you connect the dots, and bring things back to what really matters when life or ADHD tangents take us off track. Sometimes that means humour; sometimes that means getting uncomfortable together in a way that helps things shift.

You’ll always have space to talk about what’s hard — motherhood, trauma, body stuff, identity — without worrying you’ll be judged or told to “just be positive.” Therapy with me isn’t about pretending everything’s fine; it’s about finding what actually helps when it’s not.

Some areas of support:

• ADHD and executive functioning
• Maternal mental health and postpartum challenges
• Chronic illness and pain
• Burnout and self-criticism
• Perfectionism and overwhelm
• Parenting and family dynamics
• Trauma and identity
• Neurodivergent adults and teens

Education & Training:

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology – Yorkville University
• Bachelor of Education – University of Toronto
• Bachelor of Arts in Disability Studies, Minor in Family Support and Community Practice – Toronto Metropolitan University (Ryerson)
• Polyvagal Theory Training – Deb Dana
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
• Ontario College of Teachers – Special Education Specialist, Guidance, Equity, Health & Phys. Ed.
• College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
• ADHD-Clinical Services Provider Training (PESI)
• C.G. Jung, WB. Yeats, and the Anima Mundi (CCPA)
• CCPA Conference (3 Day); Winner of 2025 CCPA Student Representative Award
• 2024 CCPA Annual Conference – Navigating Trauma, Finding Connection (3 Day)
• The Embodied Therapist: Polyvagal Informed Somatic Techniques in Action (CCPA)
• BodyBrave Eating Disorder Sensitive-Body Peace Collaborative
• Unlocking the Mystery of Chronic Pain: A Collaborative Approach to Understand Managing Chronic Pain (CCPA)
• ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
• Non-Violent Crisis Prevention and Intervention
• Clinical Applications of Emotional Freedom Techniques for Anxiety-Dr. Peta Stapleton (Mental Health Academy)
• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Sessions 1-5-Dr. Shea Dunham (Mental Health Academy)
• Sex Therapy: Core Skills for Clinicians- Anisa Varasteh (Mental Health Academy)
• Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry in Action: An Experiential Course for the Healing of Deep Traumatic Wounds (PESI)

Methods & Modalities:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Compassion-Focused Therapy
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBCT)
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
• Somatic, Integrative, and Strength-Based Approaches
• Trauma-Focused Therapy