Lara MacPherson

Accepting virtual and in-person clients (ages 8+)

Language – English

Pronouns: They/Them

Rate: $180

Sliding scale available upon request.

It can be exhausting to navigate a world that demands you camouflage or conform your natural way of being, often leading to a profound disconnection from your body, your community, and your environment. You may be carrying the weight of masking, rejection, or isolation, or finding it difficult to trust after experiencing violence or systemic harm. You deserve support that acknowledges these realities and their impact on you, rather than pressuring you to internalize blame. I invite you to a therapeutic space where we can process the shame you may have been taught to carry, moving toward empowerment and a restorative path back to yourself.

I offer a practice woven from the intersections of my identity as a white settler, non-binary, queer, mad, and autistic artist-activist, alongside my lived experience as a spoonie and trauma survivor. I bring a dedicated systems approach to our work, ensuring we view your experiences through a social justice lens. I work alongside children (8+), youth, adults, and seniors across the 2SLGBTQIAP+, neurodivergent, and disability spectrum communities. Depending on your unique needs, I can offer support in navigating neurodivergence and unmasking (Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, or burnout), 2SLGBTQIAP+ identity and gender exploration, trauma and systemic wounds, chronic illness and “spoonie” experiences, anxiety and perfectionism through nervous system regulation, self-compassion and confidence, boundaries in relationships, and the complexities of grief or life transitions.

In our sessions, we are co-collaborators. I believe you are the expert on your own life. I work eclectically, inviting Art Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Person-Centered, Compassion Focused, Narrative, Relational, Somatic, Transpersonal, and Eco-psychotherapy frameworks, drawing on techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). I offer these tools to help you gently reclaim parts of yourself that may have been suppressed. This might involve meeting emotions in the here and now, building grounding skills, or integrating creative tools when words feel limited. No artistic skill is ever needed to use creativity as a tool for growth.

I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO (#20945), practicing under the clinical supervision of Terri Roberton (CRPO #006027). I hold a Master’s level dual diploma in Art Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy from WHEAT Institute and am a Professional Member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA), the Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association (OEATA), and the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA). I offer services in English, providing both online and in-person options at Grounded Psychology in both the East end (Gloucester) and West end (Nepean) of Ottawa.

You are worthy of a sanctuary where you can practice softening the need to perform, empowering you to rebuild self-trust and explore who you are when you feel safe enough to just be. If my approach resonates with you, I welcome you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. Together, we can work toward a wellness that is uniquely yours!