Esmé Sanders
BSc, MSW Candidate
Social Work Intern
- September 2026 to April 2027
- Accepting New Clients
- In-person & Online Sessions
Works With
Areas of focus
session fees
- Individuals: $120
- Couples: $150
Appointment Times
-
Evenings (Online)
Evenings (In-person)
Daytime (In-person)
Appointment times listed reflect the therapist’s typical schedule. Current openings may differ, and some slots may be full. For current availability or a specific time, please go to Esmé’s online booking page on the Jane App or reach out to our admin team.
Life and relationships can be tricky. There’s no perfect map for navigating the challenges they bring, and when we encounter bumps along the way, it can be helpful to have someone to co-pilot with. I am passionate about meeting individuals and couples exactly where they are and supporting them in creating greater clarity and fulfillment in their lives and relationships.
In my practice, keeping a non-judgemental and empathetic approach is highly important to me. I understand that therapy can feel vulnerable, so building trust and remembering our shared humanity comes first—there is nothing you can say that will shock me or turn me away.
I work with couples who are struggling with communication, moving through a difficult season, rebuilding trust, feeling disconnected, navigating frequent conflict, seeking greater balance, or facing any other relationship concern. My couples work is informed by the Gottman method, a research-based approach that centres the small moments of connection, and communication that help relationships thrive. I also draw from emotion-focused and attachment-based work that helps us look beneath the iceberg of disputes to uncover what emotions and needs are driving our responses, while offering ways to soothe and meet the needs of ourselves and each other.
With respect to individual work, my areas of focus include complex and relational trauma, childhood trauma, difficult life transitions, abuse recovery, OCD, anxiety, toxic shame, self-esteem, feeling lost or stuck, and relationship concerns. I work with adults from many walks of life and across the lifespan, including newcomers, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and people living with autism, ADHD, OCD, GAD, depression, and mood disorders. I recognize that every individual is different and tailor my approach to align with your specific experiences and therapeutic goals, often drawing from Narrative Therapy, CBT, DBT, and ACT.
Providing inclusive, structurally informed care is also a large part of my practice. I understand that factors such as ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, mental health diagnoses, and experiences of oppression can shape how we move through the world and relate to others. I bring this awareness into session to ensure that your experiences are met with understanding, and that all parts of your identity have space to be acknowledged and explored.
From my own lived experience, I also understand that neurodiversity can influence the way we communicate, connect, and navigate the world and relationships. In my work, I am committed to helping individuals and couples navigate these moments collaboratively, with curiosity, compassion, and care.
My own experiences with individual and couples therapy are what drew me to this rewarding profession. Counselling has helped me untangle difficult thoughts, develop greater self-understanding, and cultivate more fulfilling relationships with myself and others.
I have also always loved connecting with people and learning their stories—in many ways, that is what life is all about to me. I would be honoured to support you, wherever you’re at in your life journey, as you explore, grow, and move toward more fulfillment in ways that are meaningful to you.
My Therapeutic Style
Therapy Modalities
Trainings & Education
- Master of Social Work, University of Toronto, Expected Graduation April 2027
- The Suicide, Prevention, Risk Assessment, and Management (SPRAM) Training Program
- Nueroaffective Relational Model (NARM) Training for Developmental Trauma
- Anti-black Racism Training
- Preventing Intimate Partner Homicide
- Resolvve Therapy Training in: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Genogram Training
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
- Cultural Humility in Behavioural Health Care
More Than Just My Work
When I’m not in the therapy room, you’ll likely find me baking, drawing, cycling, exercising, writing poetry, or enjoying the outdoors with friends and family!
Questions You May Have
It’s common to come to therapy with questions. Here are answers to some of the most frequent ones I hear.
How can I tell if we are a good match?
Book a free 15-minute consultation call. We’ll talk about what you’re experiencing, what you’re hoping to get from therapy, and whether my approach feels right for you. There’s no pressure—just an honest conversation to see if we click.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ couples and individuals?
Yes. This is an affirming, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ clients whether you’re navigating relationship dynamics, coming out at any stage of life, managing family rejection, exploring identity, or simply looking for a therapist who gets it without needing things explained from the beginning. LGBTQ+ relationships face real and specific pressures that a non-affirming therapist can miss or minimize. You deserve support from someone who understands the difference between a relationship challenge and the weight of existing in a world that doesn’t always make space for you.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ couples or individuals who are also autistic, have ADHD, or identify as AuDHD?
Yes. This intersection is underserved and it matters. LGBTQ+ identity and neurodivergence frequently co-occur, and the combination brings its own layered experience, masking in multiple directions at once, sensory and intimacy challenges in relationships, late diagnosis grief, burnout that looks different from the outside, and the particular exhaustion of not seeing yourself reflected anywhere. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, self-identified, or still figuring it out, you don’t need a formal label to access support that actually fits.
Do you offer therapy for BIPOC clients?
Yes. BIPOC clients often carry stressors that mainstream therapy frameworks weren’t built to address intergenerational trauma, racial identity, navigating predominantly white spaces, cultural expectations around mental health, and the cumulative toll of racism and microaggressions. As BIPOC myself, I understand from the inside out that therapy that doesn’t account for these realities can feel surface-level at best, and retraumatizing at worst. This is a space where your full context is welcome, not bracketed off as something separate from your mental health.
Can therapy help with self-esteem and anxiety?
Yes, and these two tend to travel together more often than not. Low self-esteem often fuels anxiety (and vice versa), creating a loop that’s hard to break without understanding where it started. Therapy helps you identify the beliefs driving that loop, where they came from, and how to start responding to yourself differently. This isn’t about positive thinking or reframing your way out of it. It’s slower and more honest work than that — and it tends to stick.
Do I need counselling or better time management?
If you’re asking this question, you probably need more than a productivity app. Time management doesn’t fix the underlying patterns, the perfectionism that makes you overwork, the anxiety that keeps you awake at night, the guilt when you set boundaries, or the voice that says nothing you do is ever enough. We address what’s driving those patterns, not just the symptoms.
How long does therapy take to work?
That depends on what you’re working on and what you want to get out of it. Some clients come for a few months to work through a specific issue like imposter syndrome, a career transition, burnout. Others stay longer because they’re doing deeper work on relationship patterns, identity shifts, or dismantling years of perfectionism. We’ll check in regularly about whether the work is still serving you.
I’m approaching 30 years old and am dreading it, can therapy help?
The core of the work is the same: feeling heard, understood, and supported. What shifts is how we approach it. For younger clients, I pay particular attention to identity development, family dynamics, and the pressure of figuring out who you are while the world is asking you to already have it figured out.
If I change certain patterns, what if I upset people in my life?
This comes up often, and it’s one of the hardest parts of this work. Changing your patterns doesn’t mean abandoning your relationships or your roots. It means learning to show up in them differently. We move at your pace, and we hold the complexity of loving people while also choosing yourself.
What’s the difference between DBT and CBT?
CBT and DBT are skills-based approaches. They’re practical, focused on changing thought patterns, managing emotions, and building coping tools. If you need concrete strategies to manage anxiety, depression, or overwhelming emotions, this is where we start.
The deeper work using relational, psychodynamic approaches, explores long-standing patterns, identity, meaning, and how your history shapes how you relate to yourself and others. This is where we go if you’re interested in understanding why patterns persist, what drives your decisions, or what gives your life meaning. We work collaboratively to match the approach to what you’re looking for. Many people do both, starting with skills, then moving into deeper exploration when they’re ready.