Susan Kay
MSc., RP, RMFT
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
Registered Psychotherapist Registered Marriage & Family Therapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 1
Susan welcomes the opportunity to work with individuals, couples and families as they seek to face the challenges that life can bring, and enhance their individual, family and relational experience. She is excited to celebrate the journey and growth of those she has the privilege to work with. Susan has had a long-standing passion to facilitate awareness, understanding, and healing in the lives of people.
She returned to school as an adult to pursue this passion and completed her Honours degree in Psychology at the University of Waterloo. She received her Master of Science degree at the University of Guelph in the Couple and Family Therapy Program. This program is recognized in Canada in its uniqueness as it educates and trains therapists by integrating contemporary theory with strength-based perspectives that respect the diverse experiences and communities of clients.
Susan is particularly skilled in her ability to develop strong therapeutic relationships that are grounded in respect, a non-judgmental stance, and genuineness. As a person, she is warm, empathetic, sensitive, patient, flexible and committed to celebrating the uniqueness of each individual situation. She is also dedicated to her own lifelong learning through clinical advancement for her personal journey and for the benefit of those who share their lives with her. Her life experience, coupled with the intense and sophisticated training she has obtained contributes to her ability to be a highly effective therapist with individuals, couples and families.
Susan is an actively involved mother of three adult children (plus mother in law to one in the bonus round!) who are well on their way to become independent and thriving adults, she is also cherishing her role as 'Grandma'. She enjoys time spent with family, great friends, fabulous food and she loves to travel. Susan is an avid gardener and finds time spent outdoors to be therapeutic and relaxing.
Sandy Broad
MPS, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Spiritual Care Practitioner, Certified
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 6
Sandy had the privilege and determination to return to school after working in the not-for-profit sector for many years. Her own sensitivities and experience with grief and bereavement were a catalyst for her interest in personal suffering and trying to find meaning in the midst of life’s challenges. She completed a Master of Pastoral Studies, specializing in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from the University of Toronto.
Sandy is a Spiritual Care Practitioner certified with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care. Spiritual Care emphasizes wholeness as the individual works towards healing spiritually, emotionally and relationally. Sandy is also a Registered Psychotherapist in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and utilizes both spiritual care and psychotherapy when working with individuals and families.
Much of Sandy’s time is spent supporting the spiritual and psycho-social well-being of individuals and families in both a residential and community hospice in Toronto. Many of her clients are those who are facing the end of their own life, grieving the loss of loved ones, or providing support to caregivers.
Sandy has engaged in her own development towards self-understanding, acceptance and a deep personal spirituality in individual psychotherapy, as well as reflection, education and training. She has gained significant insight and has a passion for working with individuals who are committed to asking the tough questions and learning to live in the reality of their circumstances. Sandy honours the individual’s decision to choose their own path and respects the uniqueness and diversity that her private practice clients bring to their own journey.
Sandy is a warm, genuine and empathic person, and brings these qualities to her work in psychotherapy. She deeply appreciates the journey of discovery, insight and growth that occurs as she and her clients work together in a collaborative process.
Sandy and her husband of over 35 years have raised two children and are now experiencing a family of 10. She enjoys a variety of creative outlets including singing, watercolour painting and quilting, all of which replenish her in ways that are helpful personally and professionally.
Jeff Dienesch
MA, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 9
Jeff Dienesch is a registered psychotherapist providing individual, couples and family therapy. Jeff holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, a Bachelor of Religious Education from Emmanuel Bible College and a MA in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. He is a member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Counsellors, Consultants, Psychometrists and Psychologists and is a registered member with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Jeff also has a background in business including customer service, sales and franchise ownership.
Jeff draws from vast experiences and training in different modalities including CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy), EFT (emotion-focused therapy) and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). Jeff’s deep compassion and love for people is powerfully motivating for him. Specific areas of focus include anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, anger management, grief and loss, couple conflict and communication, parenting and family conflict resolution.
Jeff and his wife Cathy have been married for 35 years and love the time they get to spend with their kids and grandchildren.
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys sports, especially golf, and finding time to read a good book. He and his family also love to travel, attend concerts and view sporting events together.
Colleen Kennedy
BCC, MA, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 8
When life feels out of control and you feel stuck in unhealthy patterns, Colleen’s passion is to restore hope that change is possible. As a registered psychotherapist (RP), Colleen supports her clients to find a new zeal for life through developing a strengthened sense of self and healthy relationships. Working from an integrative counselling perspective to best meet her client’s needs, she is foundationally emotion-focused in her counselling approach. She sees relational connection through the lens of attachment and enjoys supporting her clients to understand their attachment style and how it plays out in their relationship dynamics everyday. She treats clients who are suffering from a variety of issues, and specifically with traumatic stress, with empirically validated approaches to treatment, such as cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), internal family systems therapy (IFS), and polyvagal techniques. She further uses eye-movement, desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and the creative, non-verbal approach of sandtray therapy, allowing her clients to experience relief and hope again in their life and relationships. Deeply committed to her client’s healing and growth, she has a compassionate style of counselling, and provides support and treatment for adult individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, Colleen has helped individuals and couples in the areas of anxiety and depression, relationships and marriage, parenting, self-esteem and shame, abuse and trauma, sexuality, stage of life adjustments, grieving and loss, emotional awareness and regulation, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues and life stressors. Seeing treatment as a holistic journey, and as a therapist who is a Christian, she also has a passion for supporting clients who would like to explore matters of faith and incorporate it into counselling, with a focus on relationship with God and spiritual growth.
Colleen has a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counselling (MA, Liberty University), and is a registered psychotherapist in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). She further has a 3-year diploma in Bible and theology, and a bachelor’s degree in Christian counselling (BCC, Canada Christian College). Other professional qualifications include certificates and training in EMDR, mindfulness, sexual relationship issues, sandtray therapy, child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT), and emotion-focused therapy (EFT). She is a member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP).
Further, Colleen has been married for over 40 years, and as a mother of three adult children and a grandmother, has much practical experience in raising children from infancy to adulthood. Reading a good book, listening to music, photography, gardening, hiking and canoeing, and spending time with her family, are all things Colleen enjoys in her spare time.
Tara Lalonde
PhD, (Cert) OAMHP
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 7
Tara brings a wealth of experience from her almost 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist. Over these years she has worked extensively with individual adults and couples dealing with a wide variety of emotional, behavioural, and relational issues, helping them find hope, insight, perspective, and real change. Her deep compassion and heart for hurting people help her to connect with her clients and provide them with hope and grace.
Now she is shifting her focus to specialize in trauma recovery.
This includes clients who suspect or recognize that their current struggles may be rooted in unresolved events, traumas, or limiting beliefs inherited from their past. This can manifest in different ways, such as: past memories or trauma continuing resurface, being easily irritated, experiencing persistent overwhelming shame or guilt, debilitating fears or insecurities, and unhealthy or codependent relationships.
Tara’s approach is very client-centred and she creatively uses a variety of therapeutic modalities to help clients reach their goals. These include: focusing oriented psychotherapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), sand-tray therapy, mindfulness, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), integrated marital intensive therapy (IMIT), and Christian spiritual growth strategies.
Tara also has a special passion for helping clients who are interested in integrating Christian faith and growth into their therapeutic journey. Having completed both of her degrees in Christian institutions, she brings a wealth of wisdom and insight from her theological studies. She particularly enjoys helping clients see connections between their faith and the way science is proving what Scripture reveals as God’s design.
Tara holds a PhD in professional counselling from Liberty University and has theological training through her Master’s of Divinity in professional counselling from Tyndale Seminary. She is a Registered Psychotherapist in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), and is a certified member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP). Tara’s respectful accepting approach balanced with gentle but firm truths provides a warm and comfortable environment for those clients she supports.
In addition to her professional counselling focus, Tara is also a published author of An Unexpected Freedom and a public speaker. She has been married for over 15 years and enjoys reading, puzzling, travelling, hiking, quiet retreats, and spending time with family and friends.
You can schedule an initial consultation or book an appointment with Tara at https://taralalonde.janeapp.com
Leslie Mountjoy
Melanie Moses
RN, BScN
Registered Psychotherapist
(Qualifying)
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 2
Melanie is both a Registered Psychotherapist (qualifying) and a Registered Nurse working for the last 13 years in the field of Public Health supporting, promoting, protecting and teaching about parenting, mental health, smoking cessation, healthy living and injury prevention.
From her own experiences and the experiences of some of those closest to her, she believes that mental health exists on a continuum and that what impacts a person’s mental health is a unique and subjective experience. Melanie believes that while every person will have their mental health affected at some point in their life, some at multiple points, every person can achieve mental health.
Melanie believes that for counselling to be successful, treatment should be centered on learning from and with each client, respecting and valuing their unique experiences, and learning what is important to them.
Melanie has specialized training working with women during the perinatal period and also really enjoys supporting people with self-esteem, shame, trauma and anxiety.
From her own experiences and the experiences of some of those closest to her, she believes that mental health exists on a continuum and that what impacts a person’s mental health is a unique and subjective experience. Melanie believes that while every person will have their mental health affected at some point in their life, some at multiple points, every person is able to achieve mental health.
She believes that for counselling to be successful, treatment should be centered on learning from and with each person, respecting and valuing their unique experiences, and learning what is important to them. She is passionate about taking a holistic approach, coming alongside others, infusing hope, and tailoring her support to assist each person in realizing their innate strengths and, together, overcoming barriers, reaching goals, sparking joy, and attaining peace.
Melanie desires to support and sustain change. The kind of change that will ignite joy, hope, peace, and excitement in life. Change that embodies and recognizes the unique gifts that exist in each person.
Melanie is passionate about taking a holistic approach, coming alongside others, and tailoring her support to assist each person in realizing their innate strengths and, together, overcoming barriers, reaching uniquely identified goals, and attaining peace. She believes that there is no one-size-fits-all and therefore stays abreast of new tools and techniques and brings authenticity into the room, working with each client to determine the best fit.
Melanie has been married for 10 years and is the mother of three young children and two fur babies, a dog, and a lion-head bunny. She can be described as warm, caring, compassionate, authentic, sincere, non-judgmental, and empathic. Her passions include spending time with family, the outdoors, hiking, reading, and travelling.
Darlene Peel
MDiv, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 4
Darlene's work with individuals and families began over twenty-five years ago. She has a Master of Divinity degree from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, where she majored in Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy. In addition to being a therapist, she is also a certified teacher in Ontario with a focus in Special Education. She has a wealth of experience working with children, youth, and families.
As a professional counsellor Darlene has helped clients with: loss and grief, couple conflict and communication, stress management, addictions, mood and anxiety disorders, parenting, family dynamics, trauma and abuse, life transitions, and self-esteem. An area of particular interest for Darlene is working with families who have children, teens, and young adults with developmental differences.
Darlene's own story of healing and personal growth has instilled within her a deep compassion for those who are struggling. She uses a non-judgmental and goal-oriented approach, combined with empathy and a sense of humour, which offers her clients a refreshing perspective on difficult issues. Darlene's extensive knowledge of health and wellness supports and community resources provides her clients with an integrative approach to growth and change. It is her sincere desire to see every person living to their full potential.
Together with her husband of over 30 years, Darlene has experienced both the joys and challenges of marriage and raising a family. She has two daughters and a son-in-law and two grandsons. Darlene takes time to unwind and refresh by being outdoors, reading, listening to music and spending time with family and friends.
Leslie Mountjoy
BRE, MDiv
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 3
Leslie is a Registered Psychotherapist working under the supervision of Susan Kay, MSc., RP, RMFT. Leslie recognizes that life is a process, a journey of sorts, full of highs and lows. It is her goal to come alongside each client with compassion and respect to help them meet their goals, accentuate their strengths, and find freedom.
For years, Leslie has felt therapy was her true calling. She began her journey by completing a Social Service Worker program in 2007, then spent some time raising children and working part-time. The calling to therapy never relented, and finally, Leslie enrolled in school, completing her Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) program in 2020, and started her Master of Divinity in Clinical Counselling right after. Having just completed her education, Leslie is now excited to begin her career at Evergreen Counselling Centre.
Leslie has learned the latest strategies and ideas to bring the best support to her clients. She is eager to support clients to process their challenges and find new sources of strength and wisdom from within themselves. She recognizes that therapy is a collaborative experience between the client and therapist, and she is excited to help her clients pursue and meet their goals. Having overcome various struggles in her own life, Leslie appreciates the delicate position clients are in when they come to therapy and is very empathetic to all people. She can be described as sensitive to changing emotions, non-judgmental and encouraging.
Leslie’s philosophy about therapy comes from a family systems perspective. She recognizes that the individual worldview of each person is created from their family of origin dynamics, social identity, experiences, and core beliefs. During her education, Leslie focused on topics including marriage, grief, anxiety, depression, life stages, and family transitions. She feels ready to work with clients of all ages and stages to help to facilitate the growth and change that they are hoping for.
In her personal time, Leslie enjoys spending time with her husband, and their four children. She loves camping, travelling, sipping coffee on her back deck with a good book, photography and trying new recipes.
You can schedule an initial consultation or book an appointment with Leslie at https://alongthewaycounselling.janeapp.com/
Ethan Stender
MDiv, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Tel: (905) 240-4600 ext. 5
Ethan is deeply committed to his client's growth and transformation. His goal is to meet clients where they are and create a tailored experience that meets their individual needs. He considers himself a collaborative therapist, walking alongside clients to identify their strengths, passions, and goals. This strength-based and person-centred approach draws from various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Family Systems Therapy (FST), Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Play Therapy, and aspects of Internal Family Systems (IFS).
As a psychotherapist, Ethan has helped clients of all ages with grief and loss, depression, anxiety, PTSD, Adjustment Disorder, trauma, and other concerns. Ethan particularly enjoys helping children and adolescents use their imagination and creativity in the therapy room to process their emotions when verbal communication is difficult.
Ethan’s respectful and validating approach balanced with his sense of humour and relatability provides a comfortable and safe environment for the clients he supports.
Ethan holds a Master of Divinity, Major in Clinical Counselling, from Tyndale University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree in Psychology from the University of Ottawa. He is a Registered Psychotherapist in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
Mark J. Veenstra
MA, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
Mark has a passion for people. Their well being is what motivates him in the work that he does. He is excited to collaborate with his clients around their strengths and explore life’s challenges in to opportunities for growth.
Mark is gifted in his work with adolescents and young adults, which has played out in his career. In 2002, Mark started his career in a Children's Mental Health in the public sector as a therapist to youth and their families. In 2007, he started working with at-risk youth involved in Youth Justice sector who also struggle with mental health concerns.
Mark is able to capitalize on childhood and adolescent struggles, supporting the youth in their journey to adulthood. He excels at helping parents redefine their relationship with the adolescent and young adult children.
Mark received his Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo. He continued his studies at Tyndale for a year in the M.Div Pastoral Counselling program. Mark’s educational journey then took him to Freson California where he completed his M.A. in Marriage, Family and Child Counselling. Mark has continued to learn and grow, having extensive training in a variety of interventions including extensive training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and in the assessment and treatment of adolescents that engage in sexually harmful behaviour.
Mark is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario (CRPO) and a Clinical Associate Member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).
Mark is proud of his family and enjoys spending as much time with his wife and 4 kids as he can. Having grown up in Clarington, he is happy to have his children grow up in this community and is excited to help those in the community to grow.