Janaina Spady
Registered Provisional Psychologist

My 12yr career as a registered nurse specializing in labour and delivery allowed me to witness the cycles of joy and trauma that accompany big moments and major life changes, and I have a unique understanding for these deeply personal and intimate moments.

Experiences with infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and loss can stir up a range of feelings, including anger, pain, isolation, hopelessness, and overwhelm. I support individuals and couples navigating these challenges using methods to help process trauma, holding space for their grief and learning new tools to take into the next phase of life.

I know firsthand the intensity and demands of a career in the medical field and how challenging it can be to compartmentalize and separate your professional self from your personal self. Taking care of ourselves feels so foreign when our career is centered around taking care of others, often resulting in neglecting our family life, our social life, and ourselves.

My own lived experience as a medical professional has guided my training and my approach to clients navigating relationships, self-esteem, stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, and trauma. I support folks in the medical field by helping them process traumatic work-related experiences and reconnecting with the people, hobbies and interests that remind you who you are beyond your work.

I also support young adults to navigate the confusion and difficulties of both the present and what the future may hold. Some of these life transitions may include moving from school to the work force, working a first full time job, changing friend groups and healthy family relationships.

In my practice, I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Existential Therapy, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. In my couples work, I draw on my training in Gottman Level 1. My practice is informed by feminist and multicultural perspectives, recognizing the many factors that shape us as individuals, including these wealth of professional and life experience I gained during my nursing career in a variety of rural and urban settings across Canada and around the world.

I know how difficult it can be to share with someone, and my hope is that you feel heard and seen throughout our work together. Your life and experiences are yours alone; I don’t consider myself an expert on your life. I am honoured to walk alongside you in your therapeutic journey and to learn both about you and from you in our sessions.