Denise Alton (She/Her), MSW, RSW

I’m a cisgender, white woman.  I was born and raised in Toronto and have lived across the GTA, from Scarborough to Mississauga, for almost my entire life.

Experience / Areas of Expertise

At times, we all struggle. This is part of being human. When we face challenges, it can be helpful to have a source of support that can bring new perspectives, be a supportive listener and suggest ways of managing we may not have considered. I am a registered social worker and psychotherapist who practices from an anti-oppressive, non-judgmental lens. I truly believe that it is an honour when others share parts of their life story with me and that feeling understood is key to the counselling process. I believe strongly in providing down to earth, practical and compassionate support for all of life’s challenges and hardships. I have extensive experience working with students in educational settings in managing anxiety, depression, procrastination and perfectionism, relationships and stressful family situations amongst many other issues of concern. I know well the pressures and stresses of living life as a student and strongly believe that counselling can ease some of the difficult feelings that arise as a result. I value the impact that culture, race, gender, ability and sexuality have on our perspectives and values and strive to understand what an important role our intersecting identities have on all of our lives.

I have received specific training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Brief and Single Session Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Therapy, Social Skills training as well as integrating Mindfulness techniques into other therapeutic modalities. I have an Honours BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies and a Master’s degree in Social Work.

Things I love 

I value spending time with friends and family and take pride in maintaining connections with people that I care about. I appreciate a good sense of humour and not taking myself too seriously. I love a quiet morning spent drinking coffee and looking out the window!