Annie DeRuyte

I am a queer, witchy human, who loves all manner of flora and fauna. I am a settler on the land of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Hatiwendaronk, Chonnonton, Mississauga and Wendat peoples. I believe in the value of nurturing self-understanding, building community, and changing your life on your own terms. My work is inspired by lessons from people, plants, and animals who help us to move through times of disconnection. Counselling can help to release emotions, inspire empowerment, and nurture parts of yourself that need your attention. Connection and community inspired me to become a social worker, to exist in new ways with deeper parts of ourselves that are often forgotten.

When I'm not working you can find me in the garden (quite literally touching grass)! I love to exist in space with nature, and am often out there connecting with some type of lovely animal or plant. They have many lessons to teach us! I also love self-expression through tarot, art, baking, and singing. I am a major musical theatre nerd (I will likely get that obscure musical reference). I am deeply connected to my witchcraft and social-action communities, and love to intertwine the two to resist systems of oppression. Part of my journey of understanding the colonization of this land is the way in which Social Work and Therapy are complicit in upholding ideals of white supremacy. Colonized traditions of therapy enforce a medical hierarchy, where there is a power-imbalance between those who pay for, and those who are paid for mental health services. I commit to greater learning to further politicize my mental health lens, to resist against colonial ways of thinking and medical structures that harm people.

Every human is unique and brilliant; your therapy approach should look the same! I like to ask: What would make this experience more attuned to you? What would YOU like this space to be for? There can be multiple answers to these questions! The insight I give below is a small part of what I bring to therapy, and as we meet we can discuss in specific how to make this therapy space your own.

My therapy approach focuses on increasing your self-compassion, recognizing your strengths, and sitting with your struggles. I connect with people through experience, and our sessions can often be experiential in nature. This can mean a focus on parts work, somatic work, breath work, internal visualization or narrative therapy. My approach to therapy invites you to sit with me in the unknown or the uncomfortable, to build your sense of self-empowerment and discovery. I will witness all expressions of human emotion without judgment (hurt, anger, sadness, love and joy). I acknowledge the dark parts of life and human experience. Your therapy will not be limited to “live, laugh, love”-- for here we can embrace all parts of your experience and give them time to be authentically felt. I will co-resist with you against systems of oppression; there is always space for big feelings here.

Through parts work, relational healing, and radical dismantling, our work together can help to centre your autonomy again in your own life. If you are looking to go beyond knowing and into understanding, I invite you to meet me in space together.

Named modalities I practise include:

Functional Multiplicity
IFS/Parts work
Relational Therapy
Virtual EMDR

For those looking to work with me for dissociative identity or plural experiences, I work to centre my approach to be plurality affirming, This could look like helping to build inner-system relationships, increase awareness and self-understanding, or discussing strategies for navigating plurality day-to-day. With system-focused care, you are welcome to come as you are to sessions.

Wednesday through Saturday

I have afternoon availability a few times a week, depending on your province. I have limited evening availability to meet the needs of the folks I work with across the country. Saturday appointments typically end around noon PST (3pm EST).

Book a free consultation online here, and if you have any further questions, you can email our Client Care Coordinator, Nicole.

Masters of Social Work (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Bachelor of Social Work (University of Waterloo)

Bachelor of Arts in social development studies (University of Waterloo)

Social Service Worker Diploma (Niagara College)

Internal Family Systems Level One (IFS institute)

EMDR Training Therapy Program

Fundamentals of Somatic Therapy

Treating Trauma related Dissociation