Amanda Neves Therapy

Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Family and Community Social Services from the University of Guelph-Humber, 2021

Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto (professional specialization in Health & Mental Health, and additional credit in Interprofessional Education), 2023

Mental Health First Aid, 2021

Human Trafficking, MCIS Language Solutions, 2022

Trauma-Informed De-Escalation Education for Safety, CAMH, 2023

Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy, The MindBody Training Institute, 2024

Foundational Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, PsychWire, 2024

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, PsychWire, May 2025

• Attachment Based

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Culturally Sensitive

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Emotionally Focused

• Experiential Therapy

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)

• Relational]

• Somatic

• Strengths Based

• Trauma Focused

What personal qualities help you in your role as a therapist? I like to think of myself as a very relational kind of human! I value creating transformative connections. I trust, and this helps me to remind myself that you are the expert in your own life, and I’m here to walk alongside you (and sprinkle in therapy expertise, of course!). I’m laid back, and this allows me to approach the therapy space with an open mind, welcome my clients with warmth, and work at a pace that allows for flexibility and in-the-moment reflection.

What’s a small but powerful tool you use in therapy sessions? Stillness. Therapy is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Taking opportunities to sit with silence and stillness to absorb, ponder, or simply sit with a thought or feeling can support us in connecting on a deeper level with these thoughts and feelings, and can also support us in pacing ourselves in a way that can actively soothe the nervous system in real time.

What’s a question you wish clients asked you more often? “Can I give you an update?” or “Can we revisit something?” As therapy follows its progression, areas of focus may shift and change, and that doesn’t mean that what’s explored in the past stays in the past. I invite clients to remain in the drivers’ seat throughout our work together. So of course, I appreciate the update! And absolutely, let’s revisit that idea... I wonder if there’s more we can be curious about.

Can you recite a favourite quote? “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.” Carl Rogers, 1961. I appreciate this quote so much that it’s taken up permanent residency in my email signature. What a profound reminder of our growth and self-actualization being ever-developing.

What helps you stay well? Mindfulness. In-the-moment tools like deep breathing, feet flat on the floor, and hand-on-heart (sometimes individually, or combined) remind me to reconnect with my body, check in with my nervous system, and keep myself feeling balanced and connected. Fundamentally, I appreciate that this helps me to stay well in so many capacities - at work, at play, at rest, you name it. I’m all about expanding that Window of Tolerance!