Heather Sutherland

Accepting new virtual and in-person clients.

Language: English

Pronouns: She/Her

Rate: $100, Sliding scale and probono therapy available upon request.

My path to becoming a therapist began in healthcare. As a registered nurse, I spent many years supporting people through illness, injury, grief, and major life changes. Those experiences taught me how powerful it can be when someone feels truly seen, heard, and supported during difficult moments.

After surviving cancer myself, my relationship with helping work began to shift. The experience affected how I coped with stress and eventually led to burnout and PTSD related to my work in healthcare. During my own long process of healing, I discovered a deep appreciation for slower, more reflective helping relationships. I realized that my work as a nurse was shaped by the skills of empathy, presence, curiosity, and respect, and that these were the same qualities that drew me toward psychotherapy.

Along the way, I completed a Certificate in Human Relations and Spirituality at St. Paul University, which helped me reconnect with meaning-making and the joy of being a student again. I am now completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University and feel grateful to be combining my nursing background with my passion for therapy.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and responsive to each client’s unique needs. I tend to draw on humanistic and experiential approaches that focus on understanding emotions, relationships, and how our nervous systems respond to stress and connection. Together, we will work at a pace that feels safe and supportive while exploring patterns and creating space for meaningful change.

I work with individuals, couples, and families ages 12 and up. As a queer therapist, I am especially passionate about supporting 2SLGBTQ+ clients who may be exploring identity, navigating relationships, or coping with the challenges of living in an increasingly polarized world. My hope is to create a space where people feel safe being themselves, exploring their experiences with curiosity and compassion, and moving toward the lives they want to live.