Barbie Liss Psychotherapy - Trauma-Informed Therapy

Get to know Barbie

Hi there, I am Barbie, a Registered Psychotherapist. A divorced, Jewish, mom of three, who went back to graduate school to do her Masters in Counselling Psychology at 60. I have two LGBTQ+ identified kids, three inlaw kids, and am the mom of a survivor of sexual assault. My daughter’s assault case made history in the justice system being the first case in North America to conclude with restorative justice, mandated by the court ~ a circle I was part of, moved by, and changed by. Today, I incorporate restorative beliefs and practices into my life and my work.

I am a trauma-informed therapist, offering a mindful and integrated approach to my therapeutic space. I bring life experiences that have shaped me, and education that expands me. My journey has brought passion to practice intersectional feminism, and support to those navigating trauma, complex trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. I challenge ageism, and the idea that life has any kind of timeline.

I believe deeply in the power of story; what led us to where we are, and the ways in which our story impacts who we are today. With the belief that it is never too late to start a new chapter, I am here to explore your story with you, to understand and reframe unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, and to build perspectives and tools needed to create your next chapters with fulfilment, purpose, and joy.

If I ever write the story of my life, there will be a blank page between each chapter. This is where I meet my clients ~ in the space between; where we walk back to find the roots of our narratives, where we allow time to process it all, and to lay the foundation for next chapters. A reclamation of Self; of voice, value, and worth, with a trauma-informed, and compassionate approach.

I look forward to getting to know You!

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How Barbie works ~

Rooted in mindful, trauma-informed, and humanistic values, Barbie brings a feminist and restorative approach to nurture self-acceptance, awareness, and empowerment, as she walks with clients through life transitions and healing. Honouring the story that led to this moment, Barbie meets her clients where they are, and walks alongside them to heal old wounds, claim strength and resilience, and create their path forward.

Barbie creates a safe space for early experiences to be processed. A space where meaning and perspective shifts are found. With safety, compassion and non-judgement, Barbie nurtures acceptance and empowered self-love with clients ready to create their most gorgeous next chapters

Barbie is trained in and draws upon modalities that include Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Energy Healing, and Relational Therapy & Restorative Practice. Her therapeutic space creates an empathic and collaborative journey toward self-realization and wholeness as you walk into the power of Self.

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Individual Therapy

Welcome! I hope landing here brings a bit of calm and hope, to what may be feeling like a lot.

As a trauma-informed therapist working with you to heal the impact of trauma, complex-trauma, anxiety, and the overwhelm that life can bring. I see, hear, and believe the challenges you confront. Anxiety has a way of overwhelming. PTSD and C-PTSD have a way of isolating. Childhood experiences tend to walk with you. I work with you to claim a calm and comfortable way of being, a strong sense of Self, and the resilient empowerment that brings. Together we cultivate understanding, self-acceptance, and awareness as we process your experiences.

Our space brings safety, and non-judgement, as together, we work to change your relationship to anxiety, to release shame, and relieve distress. With compassion, we come to understand that you are so much more than your circumstances. We reframe unhelpful thoughts and rewrite your narrative so that hope, self-compassion and growth are within reach.

Together, we allow time to pause, process what has been, and plant seeds for what’s next. I meet You in the space between chapters, where we slow it all down, make it all make sense, and learn to respond rather than react. We create a space that offers hope, heals what needs healing, and nurtures your relationship with YOU! You deserve that!

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Couples Therapy

COUPLES THERAPY Barbie works with couples who are seeking support in finding their way to repair and connection. She creates a safe and non-judgemental space where each has the opportunity to feel seen, heard, and genuinely understood. A space to explore the ways in which individual stories play a part in the relationships we create today. Barbie walks with her couples to discover where things get stuck, to find the loop that plays on repeat, and to create tools needed to reframe and recreate the ways they interact.

Barbie integrates Emotion-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems [IFS], Relational Therapy, and Restorative approaches to her therapeutic space. Grounded in compassion and curiosity, she creates a space of pause ~ a place where blame is removed and a subjective lens is invited. A space where couples can take a deep breath, land where they are, and work toward repair, safety, and reconnection.

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Restorative Justice

In 2016 Barbie’s daughter was raped. In 2019 hers became the first sexual assault case in North America to conclude with Restorative Justice, where Barbie, her daughter and 5 others met in an 8 hour RJ circle, face to face with the her assailant. Barbie shares on the impact of vicarious trauma and the healing benefits of RJ in spaces of trauma and its ripples.

Barbie advocates for Restorative Justice and offers heartfelt discussion, provides education on the premise and principles of RJ and its healing benefits, both in the punitive system and in our daily lives.
She shares about our punitive system and speaks with passion about how their circle brought together healing and justice. She shares how it looked deeply into patriarchal damage, and offered validation and empowerment to her voice.
Barbie offers thought provoking evidence and opportunity for mindset shift. She shares ways in which we can replace cycles of hurt, with opportunity for healing and transformation. She offers how we can create change rather than perpetuate repeated patterns.
Barbie brings enlightenment to forgiveness and compassion as catalysts to change, leaving people with feelings of hope and possibility. She brings lightness to what would seem dark and allows people to walk away feeling hopeful and ready to be part of the change we wish to see.

ANTI~Anti~Aging

Barbie is ANTI~Anti~Aging

Barbie speaks to and advocates for the reclamation of the Wise Woman Archetype, and the celebration of the power and voice of our older generations.

In thought provoking conversation, Barbie shares through story, how her experience of vicarious trauma after her daughter was raped ultimately led to her launching her ANTI~Anti-Aging Movement.
Looking deeply into internalized societal messages and their impact on individual and collective levels, Barbie was ultimately led to a heightened awareness of the damaging anti~aging messages and the impact on society.
Barbie brings awareness to the ways in which anti~aging messages run deeper than skin level. She offers conversation on how absorbed narratives have led to fear and denial, rather than celebration and pride. She offers how this has created a lack of the Wise Woman Archetype in our society, and the cultural effects of Her absence.
In mind-shifting and empowering discussion, Barbie offers notions of potential and possibility, of visibility and value, as we undo societal messages and rewrite templates of what it means to get older. Allowing our older generations to walk with empowered pride into claiming our seats as Matriarchs of society, and to lead by empowered example for those who walk behind us.

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Contact Barbie

Barbie works virtually and in person at the All of You Wellness Centre in Toronto

For more information on how to work with Barbie,

EMAIL: barbie@barbieliss.com

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/barbie-liss-toronto-on/1045551

BOOK your 20 minute FREE consultation call: https://barbieliss.noterro.com

Barbie is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP)