Karina Waluk
She/HerGITDip
Registered Psychotherapist
EnglishHi, I’m Karina :) I’m really glad you landed here. I work with deep thinkers, creatives, and high-achievers (often in tech, academia, or creative fields) who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or at a crossroads. You might be juggling ADHD, anxiety, burnout, and/or work or relationship stress.While things might look fine from the outside, it can feel like a constant uphill push just to get through the day. Perhaps you're wanting to feel a sense of ease, more space to breathe, or more clarity.
Background
I’m not the kind of therapist who just nods or repeats the same phrases over and over. I’m curious: What matters most to you? What feels off? What’s the story your body is holding that your brain hasn’t caught up to yet? Some weeks we’ll talk things through. Other times, we might tune into what your body is holding. I draw from evidence-based tools like CBT, mindfulness, relational therapies, and somatic therapies. Before becoming a therapist, I spent ten years coaching academics, creatives, and people in tech, including senior leaders and folks in the C-suite through career transitions, creative blocks, burnout, and leadership challenges.
Your therapeutic experience with me
I can help untangle the noise; whether that’s ADHD, anxious spirals, people-pleasing, burnout, or big life shifts. My style is collaborative, curious, and down-to-earth. I bring tools when they’re helpful and space when it's needed. I practice from an anti-oppressive lens and am neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, as well as LGBTQIA2S+ allied. It’s not always easy to move toward our goals — even when we really want it. Sometimes the familiar "meh" feels safer than the unknown. In therapy, we’ll gently make space for what’s been ignored or pushed aside, get curious about what’s actually going on, and make changes that feel doable. If you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed I can help.
Areas of expertise
These represent my core areas of expertise, backed by specialized training and extensive clinical experience.
Relationship Issues
Life Transitions
Anxiety
Burnout
Self Esteem
ADHD
I also provide skilled support in these additional areas and welcome clients seeking help with these concerns.
Emotional Regulation
Trauma
Chronic Pain
Personal Growth
Interpersonal Relationships
Grief & Loss
Depression
Chronic Illness
Therapeutic approaches
These are my primary therapeutic approaches, backed by specialized training and extensive clinical experience.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness teaches you to slow down, tune into the present moment, and respond more calmly to stress and overwhelm. This modality can be helpful for Anxiety, Depression, and Chronic Pain.
Somatic Approach
Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body to process emotions, reduce tension, and build a deeper sense of safety and regulation. This modality can be helpful for Trauma, Anxiety, Stress, and Chronic Pain & Illness.
IFS
Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you understand and care for the different “parts” of yourself—like the inner critic or the overachiever—so you can feel more grounded, compassionate, and whole. This modality can be helpful for Self-Esteem, Trauma, Life Transitions.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT helps you notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that may be fueling anxiety, stress, or low mood. It's more than just boring worksheets and busywork :)
I also incorporate these evidence-based approaches when clinically appropriate:
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Trauma-informed Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Solution-focused Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Client communities & cultural expertise
These are the client communities and cultural backgrounds I have specialized experience supporting.
Client populations I serve
Millenials
Young Adults
Neurodiverse Clients
Chronically Ill People
2SLGBTQIA Community
Cultural expertise
Eastern European
First And Second Generation Immigrants
Professional credentials
Registered Psychotherapist
- No.12170
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Educational background
GITDip
Gestalt Institute of Toronto, Canada