About Me

 

My name is Benilda. I am a psychotherapist in private practice. I love to laugh and enjoy life. I was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, acknowledging that the land on which I was raised is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. I have two loving parents that immigrated to Canada from the Philippines. I am a mom, step-mom, dog-mom, musician, and married to a kind, supportive husband. My name means "with good intention", and like my name, I see the good in everyone and genuinely care for each individual that I work with.

My work is healing-centered, focusing on recovery from trauma and early attachment wounds. As an EMDR Certified therapist, I believe in creating safe spaces for emotions to be felt and explored. I work with people from the inside out, with an approach that is grounded in both science and heart.

Music shaped the beginnings of my career, having launched into the professional world as a music teacher and eventually a Certified Music Therapist, working primarily with veterans in long-term care. I worked in palliative care in the most tender of moments, supporting families as they said goodbye to their loved ones. I wrote and recorded songs with residents with dementia, brought families together through music and singing, and formed resident bands with 90-some year old musicians that had played music in their prime. Check out page 3 here!

I transitioned into social work, entering the field of counselling, consulting, and psychotherapy. For almost 10 years, I worked as a counsellor and consultant for the City of Ottawa, supporting employees and managers in workplace mental health. I also provided conflict management and mediation services. As an EMDR Certified Therapist and mental health professional working in clinical, creative, community, and organizational settings, these experiences have given me diverse perspectives that inform my approach to therapy.

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Education, Licenses and Certificates

  • Master of Social Work, Carleton University 2014

  • Bachelor of Music Therapy, Capilano University 2008

  • Bachelor of Arts, Honours, Psychology University of Ottawa 2003

  • Registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers #824787

  • EMDR Certified Therapist #100330243

  • Certified Music Therapist (Inactive), Accredited by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy #5301

  • Member in Good Standing, Canadian Association for Music Therapy

  • Member in Good Standing, Ontario Association of Social Workers

  • Member in Good Standing, EMDR Canada

  • Affiliate Member in Good Standing, EMDRIA

  • Certificate, EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training

  • Certificate, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Online Circle, Foundations of the IFS Model

  • Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, Evergreen Certifications (March 2023-2024)

  • Certificate, Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

  • Certificate, Building a Polyvagal Foundation for your Clinical Practice with Deb Dana

  • Certificate, Third Party Neutral (TPN) Level 1 and 3, Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution

  • Certificate, Brief (short-term) Competency Based Therapy

  • To see a detailed listing of my experience, licenses, memberships and certifications, visit my LinkedIn page