About Careen

Careen Coetzee

I’ve got a youthful mindset – a free spirit. This means I connect well with adolescents and young adults. Nothing shocks me. I’m the type to look out for the “underdog”, to fight for them. I’m creative and passionate about my work. I share my wisdom by mentoring colleagues new to the practice. I believe you are curious about personal healing and growth. My skills are focused on assessment, treatment, and diagnosis of psychological disorders. My areas of specialty include but are not limited to the following: Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Substance Abuse, PTSD.

My Background

I completed my professional training and work experience in South Africa, before moving to Canada. I have served in many different communities and ethnic diversities. I am registered with the Ontario College of Psychologists and the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology as a Registered Psychologist. I provide individual therapy to young adults, adults, and adolescents.

When the ship, Concordia (Class Afloat), sank off the coast of Rio, with a crew of 42 young people who were attending a floating school. Therefore, I went to Halifax as a member of the clinical team that debriefed the adolescents and their families. And I had what it takes to help build the adventure-based therapeutic boarding school programs for at-risk youth at Toronto’s Pine River Institute. This included things like daily schedules, CBT questionnaires, addiction groups, individual counseling, admissions procedures, intervention processes, and parental support.

My Modalities of Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and these are all used in the treatment of depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.

How Do I Work?

I have worked with some of the most challenging and high-risk youth and young adults in Toronto and developed a reputation for having the skill to connect with them easily. Connecting with adolescents and young adults struggling with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, ADHD, and other issues. Passion for working with young people who are creative can feel outcast, or are bullied either directly or online; cyberbullying. The latter is bullying aided by technology therefore it takes place in online chat rooms, social media, email, and so on.

My aim is to empower my clients to identify their own behavior patterns and support them to shift the ones that are creating distress in their lives. Or, showing that some things, like cyberbullying, are not their fault. Also, it’s about stepping back to let the process take the time it needs, be it weeks or years. Change is not easy, but it is a personal choice. Making this decision is certainly a big step and requires courage. My role above all is to be your support and guide.

How Can I Help You?

Expert training, experience, and passion come together to help you push through what’s holding you back in life. Please contact me for an appointment or more information