Letter from the founders;
We founded RENNI because we strongly believe that integrative care is essential for the healing process. In order to treat the whole person, we need to focus on working through feelings held both in the mind and body. There is a tremendous body of research, expertise and clinical experience that supports this understanding.
While working in hospital and community health settings for many years, both inpatient and outpatient, we came to appreciate that this level of care is lacking in private practice, and that a multidisciplinary approach is pivotal to deeper and lasting change.
Our theoretical approach is one of the cornerstones of our greater vision for RENNI. Our clinical training in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy emphasizes the depth and richness that extends beyond symptoms and pathologies. This approach to treatment works to heal patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, and centres around ensuring our clients feel seen, heard, and understood.
RENNI is one of the first of its kind in Canada where the multidisciplinary team of professionals -licensed psychologists, yoga practitioners, registered social workers, acupuncturists, registered massage therapists and other body and mind clinicians - are all specifically trauma trained to create a hub of trauma-informed care ensuring first and foremost the emotional safety of our clients.
As founders, we have collaborated since 2013, and we are excited to now be surrounded by the RENNI team of professionals who share in our vision of vibrant and dynamic collaboration. We are delighted to be creating a thriving community in our day-to-day working lives, and by extension, with you, our wider community.
Collectively, we work with great respect for YOU—body and mind, the whole you—on a path to reconnect with yourself, others, and the world around you.
Profoundly yours,
Tanya, Ruth, Simone
Dr. Tanya Cotler (she/her), Clinical Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Co-Founder
Dr. Cotler is a child and adult clinical psychologist, author, and speaker who specializes in reproductive mental health, infant mental health, and parent-child attachment.
Holding a PhD from Derner Institute Psychological Studies Adelphi university and Parent infant Psychotherapy Post-Doctoral training from Columbia university, along with several other specialized trainings, Dr. Cotler has nearly two decades of clinical experience working at various levels of the mental health system including emergency care, inpatient psychiatry, and community and outpatient-based settings. In her clinical practice, Dr. Cotler provides individual and group therapy for adults and play therapy and parent infant psychotherapy for children and infants. Dr. Cotler is the creator of Mother2Woman groups, and the not-so-new moms groups, and conducts trainings for parents, professionals, and educators. She also provides supervision and mentorship for training and early career psychologists and therapists. Dr. Cotler writes a regular column for Psychology Today, Motherhood Made Real and has published a number of other works and book chapters on maternal mental health, parent-child attachment, and mindful parenting.
Ruth Dorfman (she/her), Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist, MSW, RSW
Co-Founder
Ruth is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto. Ruth brings nearly 20 years of clinical expertise in both the public and private sectors as well as internationally.
Ruth served as a Clinical Investigator at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer and as an individual therapist at Planned Parenthood Toronto. She’s worked in schools and community settings specializing in youth mental health and was responsible for the care of students in high-needs communities. For over 10 years, Ruth has worked in private practice, offering psychotherapy to individuals and couples. Ruth has training in Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C). She has specialized expertise in psychoanalytic psychotherapy for individuals and couples and has completed the advanced training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program (ATPPP) from the Toronto Psychoanalytic Institute, University of Toronto, where she is currently an Affiliate, Instructor and Mentor.
Dr. Simone Levey (she/her), Clinical Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Co-Founder
Dr. Levey is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. She brings almost two decades of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families, working at various levels of the mental health system, including in emergency rooms, psychiatric inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, and in schools.
Dr. Levey has also worked as a consultant at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT). She has extensive training and experience working with individuals who have endured trauma, neglect, and abuse, and is certified in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) with formal training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She has many years of training and experience practicing Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (STDP), and she uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness in her work. Dr. Levey also provides supervision and consultation services for students and mental-health professionals, and she presents workshops for clients and presentations for mental-health professionals in the community.
Julia Ayearst, Certified Yoga Therapist
I am an IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist in the living tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. I completed my training under the guidance of Felicia Pavlovic and Ante Pavlovic at Yoga Therapy Toronto. In addition to offering private Yoga Therapy and group classes at RENNI, I am currently a yoga teacher with the City of Toronto as well as a Program Leader for Wellspring, a non-profit cancer support organization where I teach yoga classes both online and in person at their Sunnybrook and Toronto General Hospital locations. I volunteer my time teaching with Gilda's and The Stop's Healthy Beginnings Program.
My training has prepared me to work with many illnesses, injuries, and conditions, though I am particularly passionate about postpartum care, cancer support, mental health, and chronic fatigue. My dedication to the practice of therapeutic yoga was cemented in 2022 as I relied on it heavily while going through treatment for breast cancer. A daily yoga practice carried me through diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and continues to support me as I navigate hormone therapy and life after active treatment.
Jen Bowers (she/they), Registered Acupuncturist, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
BA Gender Studies, BSc Biology, TCMP, R Ac
Jen has been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine for almost fifteen years and specializes in fertility, reproductive health and trauma. Jen is also a certified Life Coach specializing in Trauma Recovery. Jen teaches at the Institute of Traditional Medicine and Humber College-University of Guelph in the Allied Health Sciences Department.
Jen has extensive experience working with people from historically oppressed communities, as well as the LGBTQ++ people as an ally and advocate. Jen's practice is all bodies friendly.
Natalie DeRose (she/her), Doctor of Psychology Practicum Student
MPSY
Natalie is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology Student working under the supervision of Dr. Simone Levey and Dr. Tanya Cotler as she works towards the completion of her practicum placement. She will be offering low-fee therapy at RENNI. Natalie received her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from York University and her Master of Psychology from Adler Graduate Professional School, where she is currently completing her Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD).
Natalie has worked in diverse settings with teenagers and adults facing a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, academic performance, trauma, and personality disorders. She has experience conducting clinical assessments and individual therapy through her work and clinical placements at various private practices in Toronto and has volunteered in hospital settings working alongside healthcare professionals in mental health inpatient and outpatient units.
Natalie takes an integrative and trauma-informed approach to therapy by incorporating techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Mindfulness. She believes that creating a strong therapeutic relationship built on safety, non-judgemental listening, and collaboration is essential for healing and personal growth, and she seeks to create a safe therapeutic environment that allows the therapist and client to work together to reach the client’s goals. Natalie acknowledges that the therapeutic process has the potential to be intimidating, but through teamwork, she will be with you every step of the way.
Paige Eansor (she/her), Office Manager
Paige Eansor is excited to join the RENNI team as an office manager. She has a BSc and Mac in Anatomy from Western University and she is currently a Naturopathic Medical Student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Sarah Goldbaum (she/her), Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
MSW, RSW
Sarah is a Registered Social Worker with a practice focused on reproductive and maternal mental health, and complex relational trauma. She works with adults struggling with issues such as adjustment to parenthood, anxiety, depression, loss, and grief.
Sarah has specialized postgraduate training in perinatal mental health from Postpartum Support International and The Postpartum Stress Centre. Sarah has previously worked in the inpatient obstetrics/gynecology and neonatal intensive care units of St Michael’s Hospital, and completed her practicums in both inpatient and outpatient units of the Toronto General Hospital and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Sarah works from an insight-oriented psychodynamic approach and draws from a number of established evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and mindfulness.
Amy Hoare Nassar (she/they), Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
BFA, RYT-500, TCTSY-F, SEP
Amy is a Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner offering one on one sessions and group facilitation. Amy's work is informed by trauma and attachment theory and delivered through a trauma sensitive and anti-oppression lens focusing on parallel personal agency within a safe relationship.
TCTSY is an evidence based trauma treatment modality that acknowledges that complex trauma occurs in relationship and is therefore renegotiated through safety in relationship. Through a process of deep listening and attunement, Amy emphasizes power sharing, choice making, present moment awareness and taking effective action.
With Yoga and Somatic experiencing sessions, Clients are guided to access and build both internal and external sources of support. Participants will be invited to notice their experience and develop language to describe their experience using SIBAM (Sensations, Images, Behaviour, Affect, Meaning Making), Intentional hands-on assists, with ongoing negotiated consent, may be incorporated into the session. The goal of these sessions is to build capacity in the clients system to be with body sensations and emotions that can be uncomfortable. Importantly this increased awareness, capacity and flexibility within the clients system ultimately allows for more access to pleasure, joy, and aliveness.
Michelle Janutka (she/her), Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
RP (Q)
Michelle Janutka completed a Masters of Psychology and a certificate in trauma psychotherapy from Adler Professional School. Michelle has specialized training in Perinatal Mental Health and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and is working towards becoming a Psychological Associate. Prior to working as a therapist, Michelle worked as a registered midwife in North York for twenty years.
Michelle works with adults struggling with depression and anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma, and grief and loss. Michelle has drawn on her previous experiences as a midwife and her training in psychology to further specialize in reproductive mental health. She supports perinatal clients through pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and the postnatal periods.
Michelle’s approach to psychotherapy is integrative and collaborative, and each session focuses on clients' unique needs. Michelle draws from a number of evidence-based modalities including relational psychodynamic psychotherapy, AEDP, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, behavioural activation, solution focused, mindfulness and self-compassion.
Dr. Leyla Javam (she/her), Clinical Psychologist
PhD, CPsych
Dr. Javam completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toronto and has worked in community mental health centres, schools, university, and private practice settings. Her doctoral research focused on the impact of parental childhood maltreatment/trauma experiences on their emotion regulation and co-regulation abilities within their parenting and co-parenting relationships.
Dr. Javam's integrative approach to treatment draws from several well-researched therapeutic modalities, such as psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment-based and trauma-focused therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), emotion focused therapy approaches, mindfulness-based therapies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
She works with patients presenting with a wide range of mental health concerns across the lifespan, such as those related to anxiety and depressive disorders, perinatal and reproductive mental health, developmental/complex trauma, parenting and co-parenting support, trauma and PTSD, family of origin/attachment/and relational challenges, stress, and bereavement and loss.
Ipek Kaptanoglu (she/her), Clinical Psychological Associate
CPSYCH, ASSOC
Ipek Kaptanoglu is a registered clinical Psychological Associate. She has over a decade of experience working with adults and various mental health related difficulties. In addition to treatment, she also provides assessment services to clients.
She completed her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey. Throughout her career, she has worked in university and private practice settings. Ipek has extensive experience working with young adults and the difficulties associated with early adulthood. Ipek is trained and experienced in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. She also draws from other therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and mindfulness to tailor treatment to clients' unique needs, dynamics, and expectations. Ipek provides services in English and Turkish.
Tamar Levi (she/her) Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
MSW, RSW
Tamar is a Registered Social Worker and earned her Master’s of Social Work degree from McGill University. Tamar has experience providing a range of clinical services, including individual and group psychotherapy, as well as family therapy to children, adolescents and their families.
Tamar previously worked at the Griffin Centre, with at-risk youth, and youth with developmental disabilities and their families, focusing on their struggles with anxiety, depression, behavioural challenges, and familial conflict. During her Master’s degree, she completed her practicum in the Child Psychiatry Department at the Montreal Jewish general Hospital, where she provided family therapy treatment to families whose children were having maturational, behavioural, and/or emotional difficulties.
Tamar draws on several therapeutic approaches in her practice such as Family Systems Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). She uses a process-oriented approach and attachment framework to understand, change, and strengthen the communication and connections among family members. Tamar believes in using a collaborative approach to therapy where she works alongside the client to create the changes in their lives they want to see.
Dr. Tamara Libfeld (she/her), Clinical Psychologist
Psy.D., C.Psych.
Dr. Tamara Libfeld, Psy.D., C.Psych., is a licensed psychologist who received her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. With dual registration as a Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist and a Family Psychologist. Dr. Libfeld has accumulated over a decade of experience in various community mental health settings, including the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (now the Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health), therapeutic day schools, and private practices.
Dr. Libfeld's approach builds upon the foundation of interpersonal psychotherapy drawing from several therapeutic modalities including attachment-focused therapies, relational psychodynamic therapy, family systems, and cognitive-behavioural therapy to meet the individual needs of the child or teen. She offers dyadic parent-infant/child psychotherapy, play therapy, and talk therapy, along with comprehensive psychological assessments, including psychoeducational and social emotional evaluations.
Emphasizing the importance of a warm and compassionate therapeutic environment, Dr. Libfeld strives to create a space where clients feel safe, heard, and understood, fostering growth in social-emotional development and facilitating positive change.
Megan McGregor (they/them), Social Media Consultant
Megan McGregor is a recent graduate with a BA in Psychology with a special focus in Mental Health and Counselling. Their work as the Social Media Consultant will focus on letting folks know about all of the great offerings RENNI has! Megan is excited to learn and grow with RENNI as they champion accessible, interdisciplinary care.
Abigail McNelly (she/her), Registered Massage Therapist
RMT
Abbie is a Registered Massage Therapist and graduate of Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy. Using slow grounding techniques and breath work, she focuses on regulating the nervous system, and guiding clients toward a sense of connection and body awareness. Her treatments include functional assessments, hands on therapeutic massage, and self care guidance to aid each client in meeting their personal wellness goals.
Abbie is also certified in Vodder Level 1 Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). During MLD treatments, massage as well as light repetitive strokes are applied to optimize lymph flow throughout the body. Benefits of MLD treatments include stress reduction, reducing inflammation and pain, as well as post surgical/post injury related swelling. Abbie can incorporate MLD within her massage treatments to reduce localized inflammation and pain.
Dr. Dana Millstein (she/her), Clinical Psychologist
PsyD, CPsych
Dr. Dana Millstein is a Registered Clinical Psychologist. She has worked in hospitals, women’s centres, counseling centres, and in private practice. Providing assessment, consultation, and psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, and couples experiencing a wide range of concerns related to anxiety, depression, stress management, anger management, addiction, self-esteem, motivation, decision-making, grief and loss, relationship and family.
Working from an integrative framework, Dr. Millstein weaves together relational psychodynamic, systemic, and emotion-focused orientations. She works toward self-compassion and self-acceptance and encourages the development of new problem-solving and communication skills, tools for stress-reduction, strategies to regulate emotion, and effective coping strategies to manage external circumstances and events. With extensive training and experience working with individuals struggling with the long-term effects of trauma, abuse, and neglect, including the assessment and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Disorders, her additional expertise includes immigration and refugee experiences, acculturation, and bicultural stress, social oppression, women's mental health, and post-secondary student mental health. Dana is bilingual and provides treatment in French as well.
Steph Morgan (she/her), Registered Massage Therapist
BSc, RMT, SEP (qualifying)
Steph is a registered massage therapist in good standing with her professional college (CMTO) and association (RMTAO). She is a medical acupuncture provider, a somatic coach, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in training.
Teaching people to tune in, listen, and reconnect with their bodies, she uses a combination of Somatic Experiencing (https://traumahealing.org/se-101/:) , hands-on work, and acupuncture to support regulation, self-awareness, and safety in the body. Specializing in the areas of chronic pain, trauma and/or feeling disconnected from the body, Steph focuses on improving breathing mechanics, which can allow for more easeful breathing, posture, and mobility. Steph is committed to providing a trauma-informed, feminist, anti-oppressive space that is trans, queer and gender non-conforming positive.
Simone Nitzan, (she/her) Certified Yoga Practitioner, Registered Massage Therapist
MSc, RMT
Simone is a registered massage therapist and yoga teacher who has been studying the human body in movement since the early 2000s. Simone has been teaching yoga since 2009 and has completed over 1500 hours of yoga teacher training courses.
Simone is a 500 hour Registered Experienced Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance and has done training with the Downward Dog Yoga Center in Toronto, Yoga Maya in New York, Eyal Chehanowski in Israel and Judith Hansen Lasater in San Francisco. Since the early 2000’s Simone has been studying the human body in motion. She has a bachelor’s degree in human kinetics and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of British Columbia. Simone became a Registered Massage Therapist in 2019 when she graduated with honours from Kikkawa College. Blending her knowledge of human kinetics and exercise physiology and yogic philosophy, Simone helps people find a state of rest, relaxation and equilibrium, empowering people to come home to their true selves.
Dr. Marc Shiffman (he/him), Clinical Psychologist
PhD, CPsych
Dr. Marc Shiffman is a registered Clinical Psychologist. He received his degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Guelph. Dr. Shiffman has extensive training and experience in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, adults, and families.
Before joining the team at Renni, Dr. Shiffman worked in private practice, health centres, addiction centres, and hospitals working with individuals across the lifespan with a wide range of presenting issues. Currently, Dr. Shiffman provides therapy to adults and adolescents presenting with mood, anxiety, interpersonal problems, trauma, identity, and other related difficulties. He also offers psychoeducational and psychological assessments to adolescents and young adults in context of learning, attention, and social-emotional functioning.
Rajinder Singh (he/him), Registered Psychotherapist & Psychoanalyst
MA
Rajinder is a Registered Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience working with adults experiencing a range of mental health issues. In addition to his private practice, Rajinder taught and supervised postgraduate psychology students at Ambedkar University Delhi and served as the coordinator of the University clinic, providing psychotherapy to students and faculty. Rajinder currently teaches at the Toronto Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis (TICP).
Rajinder holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Delhi University, India and is a trained psychoanalyst and member of the International Psychoanalytical Association. Prior to joining academia, Rajinder worked with several non-governmental organizations addressing various issues, including trauma, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and homelessness.
Montana Skurka (she/her), Certified Yoga Practitioner and Meditation Teacher
OCT, MA, RYT
Montana Skurka is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and an Integrative Wellness Educator with a Master’s of Teaching specializing in mental health education. Her dedication towards assisting individuals with their wellness and mental health led her to obtain certifications in health coaching and 300-hr yoga teacher training from Ahimsa Yoga Centre.
She has over ten years’ experience teaching youth and individuals of all ages in classroom and alternative educational settings. Montana’s classes and personalized services provide her students with a supportive and friendly environment to access their innate healing potential. She has led self care and mindful movement programs in collaboration with SickKids hospital, the Centre for Social Innovation, the Shangri-La hotel and various other organizations. She is passionate about helping others to feel connected: mind, body, spirit and soul.
Amanda Stokes (she/her), Certified Yoga Practitioner
E-RYT, RP
Amanda Stokes is a yoga instructor, reiki practitioner and Psychotherapist. Teaching yoga since 2012, Amanda is trained in Trauma Sensitive Yoga (40 hours) with David Emerson, Yoga Nidra, Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury and Yoga for Marginalized Youth. In 2018, Amanda graduated in Spiritual Psychotherapy at The Transformational Arts College.
Amanda weaves yoga philosophy and the mind-body connection into her practice and helps her clients recognize and connect with the physical manifestations of their experiences as they show up in body and behaviour. Amanda wrote and teaches her own Yin Yoga teacher training: The Energy and Psychology of Yin.
Dr. Emma Wookey (she/her), Clinical Psychologist
PHD, CPSYCH
Emma works with adults who are seeking assistance related to trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and relationship difficulties. She works with you to recognize, understand, and work with emotions in a safe and manageable way, helping you to move from painful emotions to a sense of greater stability and contentment in your life. Emma's approach is integrative, culturally sensitive, and grounded in evidence-based practices rooted in emotion-focused therapy, somatic psychotherapy, mindfulness, and relational psychodynamic frameworks.
Emma completed her master's degree in clinical psychology at Columbia University in New York and her doctorate in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. She has received training in inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation, oncology, and community mental health. Emma's doctoral dissertation was centered around movement-oriented mind-body interventions and their impact on psychoneuroimmunological outcomes concerning stress and trauma. Emma recently finished her pre-doctoral residency at Toronto Metropolitan University and York University Psychology Clinic and is completing her supervised practice with the College of Psychologists of Ontario under the supervision of Dr. Simone Levey.
Suzanne Young (she/her) Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
MSW, RSW
Suzanne is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and Psychotherapist. Suzanne has been practicing as a social worker for over 30 years and has been providing psychotherapy for 28 years, working with school-aged children, adolescents, and adults in private practice and in public settings such as children’s mental health, schools, women’s services and developmental services.
Suzanne graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master of Social Work degree and subsequently completed the Advanced Training in Psychoanalytic Program at the Toronto Psychoanalytic Society. She primarily provides psychoanalytic psychotherapy and is trained in various psychotherapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Mindfulness. Suzanne utilizes a Trauma-Informed, Attachment Informed, Strengths-Based, Neurodiversity Affirming philosophy in her work.
Suzanne specializes in supporting adolescents, adults and seniors through a variety of life transitions and challenges, including education, career, relationships, separation and divorce, retirement, and loss and bereavement. She also works with individuals who are experiencing mental health concerns including anxiety and depression.