Stephanie Torres Molinar (she/her)

Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling and community work, which centers people as the experts in their own lives. In narrative therapy, there is an emphasis on the stories that you develop and carry with you through your life. As you experience events and interactions, you give meaning to those experiences and they, in turn, influence how you see yourself and the world.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. It is a structured therapy that encourages the client to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements). It is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a psychotherapy that emphasizes acceptance to deal with negative thoughts, feelings, or symptoms and encourages increased commitment to healthy, constructive activities that uphold your values or goals. The goal of ACT is not to reduce the frequency or severity of unpleasant thoughts or emotions. Rather, the goal is to reduce your struggle to control or eliminate these experiences while increasing your involvement in meaningful life activities.

I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, and mood disorders in adults and adolescents. I blend acceptance and commitment therapy techniques and mindfulness practices with an exploration of the underlying causes of distress while working to find coping tools and ways of increasing your involvement in meaningful life activities.

I specialize in working with those who may not feel as comfortable in all treatment spaces: undocumented and immigrant individuals, monolingual Spanish-speakers, people of color and members of marginalized groups, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, and more. I remain aware that therapy happens within a social and cultural context, and make a place for discussing issues related to oppression, intersectionality, and privilege and identifying how these also affect our mental health.

I prioritize creating safe spaces where survivors of trauma and loss can access their natural resilience to promote healing. I have extensive experience working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and I am also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) which is a specific, evidenced-based trauma therapy treatment.