Hi, I'm Angeline.

Angeline Boswell, MA, Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Canadian Counsellor

First, let me tell you a little bit about myself and why I do this.

I wasn't always going to be a therapist. But during a time of difficulty in my life, a lot of people showed me a lot of love and support, and I realized how much brighter the world could be once I knew how to look for the light in it (PS: I now strongly believe that people, like plants, know how to grow and have all they need inside them to grow, as long as they know where to find the light). I took a pause from studies, and worked on a permaculture farm in Eastern Europe (where my roots are) where I was surrounded by nature, interconnection, and community; there I asked myself what I really needed in order to be fulfilled. It turns out, contributing to a sense of connection in this world, and working towards a holistic sense of wellbeing in myself and others, is what makes my heart tick.

Sharing that journey with others, like yourself, is an honour. I love to know what people are passionate about. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes you happy you're alive? What are your values and goals, and when do you feel most grounded and connected? Most importantly - what messages (whether personal or societal) can we work to unlearn in order to follow that lightness and peace within us?

Education:

MA in Counselling and Spirituality, Saint Paul University
- Degree Included: Internship at the Saint Paul Counselling Centre, and External Placement at a private Sex Therapy practice.
- My degree was centred around incorporating the client's own worldview, beliefs, and values into session instead of imposing my own. This is a central value to me and a core component of person-centred therapy.
Intensive Sex Therapy Training Program, Guelph University
- Program included intensive training on: understanding individual sexuality/sexual experience; treatment methods for a wide range of sexual concerns; diverse perspectives on relationship structures, sexuality, identity, kink-positive practice, and more; increasing client experiences of pleasure and self-acceptance; and exploring the relational, cultural, emotional, psychological, and physical aspects of sexual experience.
BSc in Anthropology, University of Ottawa
- Degree Included: Specialized coursework on death and cultural perspectives; and fieldwork done on what "meaningful living for the soul" means to those in back-to-the-land movements in Eastern Europe.

Licenses & Memberships:

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), License #11651, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Certified Canadian Counsellor, #10009424, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

Training & Certificates:

Dr. Sue Johnson, Emotion Focused Therapy: Attachment Science in Practice Certificate
- Training by an innovator of EFT, Dr. Sue Johnson, to explore how focusing on client emotional experience leads to an expression of internal and attachment needs, and provides an avenue for growth.
The Buehler Institute, Sex Therapy Certificate
- Covering the essentials of working in the field of sex therapy, according to the necessary areas of study and experience recognized by AASECT. This was a precursor to my intensive sex therapy training program through Guelph University.
Body Peace Collaborative, Eating Disorder Sensitive Certificate
- Building sensitivity to eating disorder experiences through attention to language used, approaches recommended, and more; to build a more inclusive space for anyone with difficult relationships to food. Introduction to different routes of intervention.
Nutrition Therapy for Mental Health Program, MAK Nutrition
- Resisting weight-centric care, healing food and body relationships, and looking at moving toward intuitive and gentle nutrition from a trauma and eating-disorder informed lens.
Breaking the Binge Eating Cycle, Simple Practice Learning with Dr. Danielle Keenan-Miller
- A focus on the role of shame, stigma, and negative emotional cycles fueling binge eating behaviours as well as often fueling barriers to clients bringing their experiences forward in therapy. Training explored creating a positive atmosphere and tackling binge eating at the level of emotions/shame through acceptance.

Get to know me...

For me, everything comes back to nature. That's where I feel most grounded, most myself, and most motivated. When I say nature, I mean the natural interconnection of all living systems, which I feel we are a part of and can tune into no matter where we are. I live in the country, where I see the peace of this ecosystem and its cycles of life unfold around me.

Since I get to do my sessions where I love to be, I will always encourage my clients to bring their laptop somewhere that brings them joy. If you have an animal, include them! If you have a mindful hobby, like drawing or knitting, bring that in too. Let's make a warm cup of tea together and make our sessions as comfy as possible.

Gardening and taking care of animals is how I spend every moment I can. I run a donation garden which feeds some local food access hubs, helping people in need access fresh produce, and volunteer in different capacities for the welfare of animals. When I'm not in session, you'll find me at the garden, at an animal rescue sanctuary, or (in the colder months) spending time in Greece where my family is from. I love art: I once made a graphic novel about my family's immigration experience, and I paint often; I love community-building: some of my favourite memories so far are of a cooking-with-food-waste-from-grocery-stores community I helped run in a campus kitchen to increase access to free food and decrease unnecessary waste, helping out in an art program at a community centre, and being an ESL teaching assistant in a newcomers to Canada community.

But don't let all of this fool you: I also love free time and doing absolutely nothing except listening to what my body/mind/soul need in the moment - in fact, I think we all need a whole lot more of it.

My co-therapist on the window ledge...

I like to be transparent about who I am, because at the end of the day we are two individuals navigating our paths and hoping our paths meet in a way that is healing for you; and since I like to see you as a whole person, I like to also show up as a whole person so we can connect at a deeper level and build a nourishing relationship.

Being a therapist matters very much to me, and is a great source of meaning in my life. To share this healing space with you is truly an honour. Everything I have chosen to specialize in and work with comes from an internal passion and resonance in my own life.

My favourite quote, and a philosophy that guides me, is from the book Tuesday's With Morrie:

“The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air-until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. "My God, this is terrible," the wave says. "Look what's going to happen to me!"

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, "Why do you look so sad?" The first wave says, "You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?"

The second wave says, "No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.”

I strongly believe that we are a part of one another and this earth, and tending to those spaces we interconnect is meaningful.

CRPO License #11651; CCPA Certification #10009424