Hi, I'm Bonny — and I'm glad you're here.
If you're the person everyone else relies on — the one who holds it together, sees the pattern before anyone else names it, and still ends up wondering why you feel so alone in your own life — you're in the right place.
I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and the Clinical Director of Théla Psychotherapy Clinic. I work with adults navigating complex trauma, borderline personality disorder and other personality patterns, ADHD and neurodivergence, and the long aftermath of relationships — romantic, family, or otherwise — with people who were emotionally immature, controlling, or narcissistic. A lot of my clients have already done real work elsewhere. They know CBT. They've learned DBT skills. They can explain their patterns fluently. And it still hurts. That's usually exactly where we begin.
Therapy with me is collaborative, not directive. You bring your lived experience; I bring my clinical training. With your permission, I'll sometimes offer a different read on something — "here's what I'm noticing, what do you think?" — but nothing gets handed down as fact, and nothing requires you to perform insight you don't actually feel yet.
I see clients virtually across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, and in person at our Markham office, serving the GTA — in English, Mandarin (普通话), and Cantonese (廣東話).
Areas of Focus
Complex Trauma & C-PTSD
Complex trauma rarely comes from one event. More often it's the accumulation — chronic instability, emotional neglect, invalidation, or relational harm over years — without a single incident that explains everything. It can show up as difficulty trusting, chronic hypervigilance, dissociation, or a sense of self that never quite feels solid. I work with this using EMDR, somatic and nervous-system-informed approaches, and IFS, at a pace built around what your system can actually hold.
BPD, Personality Patterns & Emotional Dysregulation
Intense emotions. Fear of abandonment. A sense of self that shifts depending on who you're with. Relationships that swing between closeness and distance faster than you can explain to anyone else. I combine DBT skills with General Psychiatric Management (GPM) — a Harvard-developed model built specifically around the interpersonal patterns at the core of BPD — so treatment addresses both the tools you need in the moment and the relational patterns underneath them.
Narcissistic Abuse, Attachment Trauma & Emotionally Immature Parents
Whether it was a partner, a parent, or another close relationship, being close to someone emotionally immature, controlling, or narcissistic leaves a specific mark: chronic self-doubt, guilt around having needs at all, difficulty trusting your own read on a situation, and a nervous system still braced for conflict that technically ended years ago. This work is about rebuilding trust in your own perception and understanding what a secure relationship — with others, and with yourself — can actually feel like. You don't have to cut someone off to do this work, and you don't have to be certain they meet criteria for a diagnosis for the pattern to be real.
Identity & Self-Worth
"I don't know who I am outside of other people." "I become whoever I'm with." "I need approval to feel okay." If any of that sounds familiar, this work is about building a sense of self that holds steady — separate from performance, other people's expectations, or the roles you learned to play to stay safe.
Couples & Relationship Therapy
Couples work draws on the Gottman Method (Levels 1 & 2) and Emotionally Focused Therapy. Whether you're in recurring conflict, rebuilding after betrayal, or just feel more like roommates than partners, the work is understanding the emotional patterns underneath the surface conflict and building something more secure on top of them.
ADHD & Neurodivergent Support
I've worked with ADHD for over fourteen years — long before it was a mainstream conversation — and hold the ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) designation alongside training in Autism Spectrum support (ASDCS). Neurodivergent-affirming care here starts from one premise: your brain isn't broken. The work is understanding your nervous system, building structures that actually hold, and untangling the shame that tends to pile up after a lifetime of feeling like you should function differently than you do.
Infertility & Reproductive Mental Health
I also support clients through infertility and reproductive mental health, major life and cultural transitions, and general anxiety, depression, and OCD — often alongside the areas above, since these rarely show up in isolation. If you're not sure where your experience fits, that's exactly what the free consultation is for.
How I Work: Therapeutic Approaches & Modalities: I work integratively — drawing from multiple evidence-based frameworks depending on what you actually need, not a fixed protocol applied the same way to everyone.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Somatic & Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
Canine-Assisted Therapy
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
General Psychiatric Management (GPM)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Levels 1 & 2)
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
CBT for Psychosis (CBTp)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Narrative Therapy & Sand Tray
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
What Makes Working With Me Different
Integrated Expertise
Lived Experience
Neurodivergent-Affirming by Default
Therapy on Your Timeline
Therapeutic Companions
Trilingual & Culturally Grounded
A Space That's Actually Yours
Who I Work Best With
- You're the one everyone relies on, but you don't know how to let anyone take care of you — parentification, over-responsibility, boundary difficulties, and the exhaustion underneath hyper-independence.
- You don't know who you are outside of other people — identity work for people shaped for years by others' expectations, approval, or control.
- A relationship has left you doubting your own perception — recovery from narcissistic or emotionally abusive dynamics, including parents you still love but can't be around without feeling twelve years old again.
- You're navigating BPD, or emotions that feel too big to manage — DBT and GPM-informed treatment for dysregulation, fear of abandonment, and an unstable sense of self.
- You've experienced trauma and talk therapy alone hasn't moved it — EMDR for childhood experiences, assault, medical trauma, or accidents.
- You're parenting a neurodivergent child — ADHD assessments, autism family support, and strategies that fit your actual family, not a generic template.
- You want therapy in Mandarin or Cantonese — some experiences only have words in your first language, and cultural nuance matters in the room.
- Your relationship is in crisis — Gottman-based couples work for communication breakdown, infidelity recovery, or emotional disconnection.
Beyond the Therapy Room
My commitment to mental health doesn't begin or end in session.
I sit on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, contributing to governance and advocacy for accessible, ethical care — a reminder that good therapy can't exist in isolation from the systems shaping people's lives. I teach at George Brown College, where I mentor emerging therapists, paralegals, and lawyers on both technical competence and the ethical grounding that sustains a career in this field. As a trained mediator, I work with high-conflict family dynamics — work that sits directly at the intersection of my legal background and clinical training, particularly where the legal and emotional dimensions of a family conflict are genuinely inseparable.
As a former CALSPO member, I contributed to advocacy protecting public health, safety, and interest. I serve as an abstract reviewer for the Canadian Psychological Association, and I'm currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education (EdD), with research interests at the intersection of trauma, neurodivergence, and systemic care.
None of this sits apart from the clinical work — it's the same conviction applied at different scales: good mental health care has to be accessible, rigorously practiced, and honest about the systems it operates within.
Let's Talk About Whether We're a Good Fit
I offer a free 15-minute consultation — not as a formality, but because I genuinely believe the therapeutic relationship is the most important variable in whether therapy works. I'd rather we both know early whether this is the right fit.
Théla is located at 3 Centre Street, Suite 202 in Markham, Ontario, with secure virtual appointments available across Ontario. Evening availability offered.
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy with Bonny
Yes, I can bill directly to most major insurance providers. Contact the clinic to confirm your specific coverage.
Yes. I see clients virtually across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, alongside in-person sessions at the Markham office.
Yes. I provide therapy in English, Mandarin (普通话), and Cantonese (廣東話).
No. Many clients start therapy with a pattern they can describe but no formal diagnosis, or a diagnosis they're unsure fits. Clarifying what's actually going on can be part of the work itself.
Yes — neurodivergent-affirming care is core to how I work, not an add-on. I have over fourteen years of experience working with ADHD and hold clinical designations in both ADHD and autism spectrum support.
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for trauma that works with the brain's natural processing system. It is particularly effective for PTSD, complex trauma, and experiences that feel "stuck" despite other forms of therapy. Whether it's right for you is something we'd explore together in an initial consultation.
Emma and Evee are available for in-person Markham sessions by prior agreement. Sessions without them are always available.
Both are regulated mental health professionals in Ontario, governed by different colleges with different training pathways and scopes of practice. I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), regulated by CRPO.
No. This work applies just as often to parents, family members, friendships, or workplace dynamics — you don't need a romantic relationship or a clinical diagnosis on the other person to know a pattern was real.
Education & Professional Credentials
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), M.A. Counselling Psychology, EdD Candidate
Specialized Clinical Certifications
| Specialty Area | Certification / Training |
|---|---|
| Trauma & PTSD | Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies — Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's Trauma Research Foundation |
| Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) — Polyvagal Theory | |
| EMDR Therapy Training | |
| Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) — Dr. Sue Johnson | |
| DBT & Complex Mental Health | DBT Certificate |
| Personality Disorders Specialist | |
| Psychosis Training | |
| Anxiety & OCD | Anxiety Disorders Certification — CBT, Exposure & Response Prevention for GAD, Panic Disorder, OCD, Social Anxiety, Phobias |
| Neurodivergent Care | ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) |
| Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS) | |
| Autism & Neurodiversity Specialist — University of British Columbia | |
| Children & Youth | Play Therapy Certification (2026) |
| Youth Mental Health Specialist | |
| Eating Disorders | Binge Eating & Chronic Dieting Certification |
| Internal Family Systems | Complete IFS Therapy Immersion |
| Crisis Intervention | Suicide Assessment & Intervention Certification |
| Couples Therapy | Gottman Method Couples Therapy — Levels 1 & 2 |
| Clinical Documentation | DSM-5-TR Mastery — Differential Diagnosis & Documentation |
| Trauma-Informed Practice | Trauma-Informed Practice for Legal Practitioners — Department of Justice |
Recognition & Professional Contributions
2022 Attorney General's Victim Services Award of Distinction Recognition for trauma-informed advocacy and direct support of survivors of domestic violence
United Nations Volunteer Mental health access advocacy for women, girls, and marginalized communities
Abstract Reviewer, Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Contributing to psychological research integrity with emphasis on trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice
Professor, George Brown College Trauma-aware, equity-focused education
Law Society of Ontario CPD Presenter Training professionals on vicarious trauma and burnout prevention
Let's Talk About Whether We're a Good Fit
A free 15-minute consultation isn't a formality — it's because the therapeutic relationship is the single most important variable in whether therapy actually works. I'd rather we both know early.
Virtual appointments are available across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. In-person sessions are held at 3 Centre Street, Suite 202, Markham, ON, serving the GTA. Evening availability offered.
This page is for general informational purposes and does not replace individualized clinical assessment. Content reflects Bonny's clinical approach and credentials as of the review date below. If you are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide, please contact 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, Canada) or go to your nearest emergency room.
