Maria Callender

− About me −

Maria

I’m Maria Callender, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), providing psychotherapy for adults, couples, and groups across Ontario in English and Russian.

  • My passion for understanding the human mind and my professional journey in mental health began long before I moved to Canada. Over the years, that curiosity has only grown.
  • I believe that the challenges we face as adults rarely develop without a reason. Trauma can take many forms. Sometimes it comes from a single overwhelming event, and sometimes from painful experiences that accumulate over time, including those from childhood such as abuse, emotional neglect, rejection, constant criticism, or growing up without a consistent sense of safety and support. Anxiety, panic, emotional eating, perfectionism, self-criticism, relationship problems, and many other concerns can have roots in these experiences and in the ways we learned to cope with them. These patterns can stay with us and continue to affect how we feel, think, behave, and relate to others, even years later.
  • I specialize in psychological trauma, including childhood trauma, attachment trauma, developmental trauma, complex trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). I also work with anxiety disorders, panic attacks, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), emotional dysregulation, addictions, eating disorders, grief, relationship difficulties, and other emotional and psychological challenges.
  • My approach to psychotherapy is integrative. I look at how early relationships, attachment patterns, unconscious processes, beliefs, emotions, behaviour, and bodily responses are connected and how they influence what is happening in the present.

− Education −
  • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
    Yorkville University, Canada
  • Psychological Counselling
    RUDN University (Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia)
  • Family Psychology
    RUDN University (Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia)

Professional Memberships

  • College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
  • EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)
  • European Association for Transactional Analysis (EATA)
  • International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA)

Advanced Professional Training

  • Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT)
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Existential Therapy
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Personality Focused Treatment (PFT®)
  • Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Approaches
  • Redecision Therapy
  • Relational Life Therapy (RLT)
  • Schema Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
  • Structural Family Therapy
  • Systemic Family Therapy
  • Transactional Analysis (TA)
  • Trauma Resolution Energy Therapy (TRET®)

My Professional Philosophy

I believe that psychotherapy begins with the relationship between therapist and client. We need to feel safe enough to be honest, curious about ourselves, and open to exploring things that may be difficult to understand or face.

I see therapy as a place where we can make sense of our experiences and explore what gives our lives meaning, value, and direction.

− I work with −

Injuries

Trauma

  • Childhood Trauma
  • Attachment Trauma
  • Developmental Trauma
  • Complex Trauma
  • Intergenerational Trauma
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Physical Abuse
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Domestic Violence
  • Medical Trauma
  • Grief & Traumatic Loss
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Mental health

Anxiety & Mental Health

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Panic Attacks
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • ADHD
  • Depression
  • Burnout
  • Chronic Stress
  • Emotional Dysregulation
  • Psychosomatic Symptoms
Relationship

Relationships

  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Relationship Issues
  • Trust Issues
  • Attachment Issues
  • Codependency
  • Communication Issues
  • Divorce
Addiction

Eating, Body Image & Addictions

  • Emotional Eating
  • Binge Eating
  • Disordered Eating
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Image Concerns
  • Substance Use & Addictions
  • Behavioural Addictions
Personal crisis

Personal Growth

  • Low Self-Esteem
  • Imposter Syndrome
  • Perfectionism
  • Chronic Self-Criticism
  • Boundary Difficulties
  • Life Transitions
  • Identity Development
  • Repetitive Relationship Patterns
Coaching

Group Therapy

  • Process Groups
  • Psychoeducational Groups
  • Supportive Therapy Groups
  • Trauma & Recovery Groups
  • Interpersonal Groups
  • Personal Growth Groups
  • Women’s Groups

− Services −

Initial
Consultation

 

  • A free 15-minute consultation gives us an opportunity to briefly discuss what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you may have, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.

Free of charge

 

 

Group
Therapy

• 50 minutes •

  • Groups focused on trauma, anxiety, emotional eating, and relationships
  • A supportive space to share experiences and feel less alone
  • Recognizing patterns through interactions with others
  • Exploring different perspectives and ways of relating
  • Developing greater awareness of yourself in relationships

60 CAD*

A free 15-minute initial consultation is required before joining the group.

* Services are covered by most Canadian insurance companies

Individual
Therapy

• 50 minutes •

  • Understanding recurring emotional and behavioural patterns
  • Exploring the roots of anxiety, trauma, and emotional distress
  • Working with core beliefs, self-criticism, and internal conflicts
  • Processing difficult or traumatic experiences
  • Developing healthier ways of relating to yourself and others

180 CAD*

 

* Services are covered by most Canadian insurance companies

Couples
Therapy

• 50 minutes •

  • Understanding recurring patterns of conflict and disconnection
  • Exploring what each partner brings into the relationship
  • Addressing communication, trust, intimacy, and attachment difficulties
  • Working through unresolved hurts, resentment, and relationship crises
  • Building more honest, connected, and respectful ways of relating

230 CAD*

 

* Services are covered by most Canadian insurance companies

Work Regulations
  • The duration of one session is no more than 50 minutes in online format.
  • The session starts from the agreed time of the meeting, not from the actual time of the call. If we agreed on 11:00 and you only show up at 11:15, the session end time is still 11:50.
  • If I am late, I will extend the session for the duration of the delay, or reschedule it to a time that is convenient for you, if you wish.
  • A necessary condition for a successful session is distraction-free engagement. In other words, we commit to focusing solely on the work for the duration of the session. Distractions by phone calls are strongly discouraged.
  • The presence of outsiders and parallel activities are unacceptable. If this clause is violated, the work may be terminated immediately and unilaterally by both you and me.
  • A necessary technical requirement for remote work is that you have a stable internet connection and a microphone capable of transmitting clear speech. It is highly desirable to have a camera, although there are no specific requirements for it. You will also need a pen and paper.
  • Attendance of a session under the influence of alcohol or drugs is unacceptable.
  • All information provided by you during psychological work is considered confidential and cannot be disclosed to third parties without maintaining your anonymity.
Cancellation Policy
  • An online appointment may be rescheduled no later than 1 hour before the arranged time.
  • Your in-person appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapist's day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require 24 hours' notice for any cancellations or changes to your in-person appointments.
  • The time and date of the new appointment are agreed upon separately.
  • Patients who provide less than 24 hours' notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged the full appointment fee.

− Energy-Based Trauma Therapy −

TRET® & AIT

As part of my integrative work with trauma, I offer Trauma Resolution Energy Therapy (TRET®), developed by clinical psychologist Dr. Vann Joines, and Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT), developed by psychologist Dr. Asha Clinton.

I particularly value these approaches because they allow us to work beyond simply understanding our experiences intellectually. They bring together psychotherapy, the body, and energy work to address the different levels at which unresolved trauma can continue to affect us.



Trauma, Patterns & Core Beliefs

Trauma is not limited to catastrophic events. It can result from a single overwhelming experience or develop through experiences that occur repeatedly over time.

Trauma can involve both what happened to us and what we did not receive, including the absence of protection, emotional connection, comfort, validation, or reliable care. Some trauma begins so early that we may have no words or clear memories for what happened.

Experiences that happened years apart may be connected by the same underlying theme, such as abandonment, rejection, betrayal, humiliation, danger, powerlessness, or inadequacy. Together, these experiences can form a traumatic pattern.

Trauma can also shape our core beliefs, deeply held beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the world:

  • Something is wrong with me.
  • I am not good enough.
  • I will be rejected.
  • My needs do not matter.
  • I cannot trust other people.

Core beliefs are not simply thoughts. They become connected with our emotions, physical responses, expectations, relationships, and behaviour. We may understand intellectually where a problem comes from and still continue to feel or react in the same way.



How Energy-Based Trauma Therapy Works

TRET® and AIT work with both the psychological and energetic aspects of trauma. Within these approaches, unresolved trauma is understood to affect the body’s subtle energy system as well as our thoughts, emotions, and physical responses.

Energy-based methods, including work with the body’s energy meridians, are used as part of the trauma-processing work.

Both approaches also include a kinesiological component: muscle testing. Muscle testing is used to help access information outside immediate conscious awareness and identify material connected with the problem being addressed.

We begin with what is troubling us now and explore the experiences that may be connected to it. The work can then address traumatic material together with the emotions, beliefs, physical responses, and energetic components associated with it.

TRET® and AIT bring together perspectives from psychodynamic psychotherapy, Transactional Analysis, attachment and trauma theory, cognitive-behavioural approaches, Jungian and transpersonal psychology, body-centred psychotherapy, and energy psychology.

The goal is to resolve the effects of traumatic experiences and repetitive traumatic patterns so that they no longer continue to shape our present in the same way.

− Contacts −

I rarely manage to answer phone calls. Therefore, it would be more convenient and productive if you write to me on WhatsApp, Telegram, or via email, indicating:

  • What is troubling you
  • What you expect from working with me

This way, I can assess how helpful I can be for you and coordinate a convenient day and time for consultation.

Feel free to message me at any time, and I will respond within 24 hours.

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