Sarah Vachliotis
Psychotherapist (Q)” I believe therapy is promoting and strenghtening your child’s resiliency so they can thrive”
My Story
Sarah is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) Child Therapist and a certified play and creative arts therapist with Play Therapy Canada and Play Therapy International. She holds a postgraduate diploma in Play Therapy from Adler Graduate School in Toronto and an MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy from Leeds Beckett University, UK. Recently, Sarah completed several courses in the Master’s of Psychology program at Adler as a student-at-large, enhancing her insight into working with all age groups.
Sarah has a strong interest in mental health and its connection to the entire body and nervous system. She introduced the Slow, Grounded, and Improvised (SGI) method in a graduate research paper, which combines these elements to guide her psychotherapy sessions towards overall wellness. Sarah is trauma-informed and has completed several graduate presentations on ADHD, anxiety disorders, PMDD, learning disabilities, pharmacology, and personality disorders.
MY APPROACH
CUSTOMIZED STRENGHT-BASED TREATMENT
Play therapy is effective for children facing depression, grief, social adjustments, trauma, cognitive or speech difficulties, fear and anxiety, abuse, aggression, attachment difficulties, autism, chronic illness, disability, and parental separation or divorce.
Sarah’s focus in her practice is to use therapy as a powerful tool to help clients achieve their best potential.
EMPOWERING THROUGH PLAY & CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY
Sarah uses therapeutic play to help children and adults express and process their emotions, memories, and fears. Her goal is to empower clients by enabling them to explore repressed thoughts and emotions through their unconscious. She draws on Sand Tray, Clay, Drawing, Creative Visualization, Movement, Mindfulness, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy.
TRAUMA-INFORMED MULTI-SENSORY APPROACH
Sarah’s practice is informed by her extensive training in trauma. She addresses trauma related to various disorders, understanding that traumatic experiences can impact conditions such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, PMDD, learning disabilities, and personality disorders. Her trauma-informed care helps clients process and heal from these experiences.
Sarah’s philosophy embraces a multi-sensory approach and out-of-the-box thinking. She believes that each child, adolescent, and adult deserves an individualized treatment plan and therapeutic aim. Every person’s case conceptualization is unique, and Sarah integrates various modalities within a single session. For instance, she may combine Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with art or drama, tailoring the approach to the client’s needs and with their consent.