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Catherine Kates, MSW, RSW

(been in clinical practice since 2010)

I didn’t always know I’d become a therapist—but looking back, it makes a lot of sense. After studying International Development and World Religions (because, of course, I wanted to understand everything), I spent years working with nonprofits in London, Pakistan, and Nepal, and completed a Master’s in Public Policy along the way. It was meaningful work, but I hit a turning point: I realized I didn’t want to write reports about systems—I wanted to sit with people inside them.

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So I came home to Canada and started fresh with a Master's of Social Work (MSW). Kids had always been a big part of my world, so it felt natural to continue that path—working in schools, mental health clinics, and eventually as a trauma therapist at BOOST Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. There, I had the privilege of walking alongside brave kids and parents as they navigated some of the hardest things life can throw at us.

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After starting my own family (and learning just how real parenting is), I launched the Junction Triangle Collective—a space grounded in care, embodiment, and humour, because healing doesn’t always have to be so heavy. My work focuses on helping people feel more at home in their bodies and lives, especially when things feel messy, stuck, or like you’re just trying to hold it all together with coffee and hope.

I work with people of all ages—and also with the younger parts of ourselves that still carry old fears, unmet needs, or a deeply held belief that we have to overachieve to be worthy (hi, recovering perfectionists, I see you). Whether you’re moving through anxiety, burnout, identity shifts, or big existential questions, we’ll go at your pace—with curiosity, compassion, and tools that help your nervous system catch a breath.

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As a white, cisgender settler therapist, I hold a lot of privilege—and I don’t pretend to be neutral. Healing happens in the context of systems that affect us differently. I welcome conversations about race, gender, power, mistrust, grief, ambivalence, and joy. I aim to show up with care, accountability, and the humility to get it wrong and make repair when needed. This work is lifelong, and I’m always learning—from clients, colleagues, communities, and the many parts of myself that are still unfolding.

Training

  • ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) Certification Course: Strength-based Interventions to Thrive with ADHD from Childhood to Adulthood (2025)

  • The Ultimate Clinical Supervision Certificate Course: Preparing Supervisees for Today's Most Critical Issues in Psychotherapy 30 plus hours (2025)

  • Heart Math Interventions Online Certification Program for Health Professionals, (2024)

  • Gottman Level 1 Couples Therapy Training, (2023)

  • Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP) Course (2023)

  • IPI Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Program Certification, and MAPS certification (2022).

  • Internal Family Systems, Skills and Competency, First level training, Derek Scott (2020)

  • How to Work with Clients Who Struggle with an Inner Critic, NICABM (2019)

  • The Clinical Application of Compassion, NICABM (2019)

  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, Level I: Affect Dysregulation, Survival Defenses, and Traumatic Memory (2019)

  • A Three Day Trauma Sensitive Yoga Training. David Emerson E-RYT, TCTSY-F, (2019)

  • Trauma, Memory, and the Restoration of One's Self: When Talk Isn't Enough. Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Leading Edge Seminars (2018)

  • Attachment-Based Yoga and Meditation for Trauma Recovery: Practical Ways to Shift Attachment Patterns, Deirdre Faye, Leading Edge Seminars, (2018)

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma (advanced training), Training by Dr. Russ Harris (2016)

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Certification (level one),  SafeGuards Training for Children and Adult Services (2016)​

  • Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC) Model,  SafeGuards Training for Children and Adult Services (2014)

  • Defusing Hostility 1 Day Training; Canadian Training Institute (2014)

  • Understanding and Managing Aggressive Behaviour, Hy’N’Consulting (2014)

  • Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Certification, Hatha Yoga, Kula Studio (2014)

  • Yoga for Kids: Teacher Training Certification (2014)

  • Interpersonal Neurobiology and Innovative Therapeutic Practices: Working with Children and Families, by Dan Siegel, Offered through the Hincks Dellcrest Centre (2014)

  • Trauma-Informed Services for Children, Adolescents, And Families: A Strengths-Based Approach, Conducted by Kevin M. Powell, Ph.D. (2013)

  • ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Living Works (2013)

  • “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”, An interactive Workshop on Learning Disabilities and Associated Mental Health Concerns (2013)

create a picture of a realistic couch for a client in therapy, Just the image of the couch

Get in Touch

Located at the junction of Lansdowne and Dundas in Tkaronto (Toronto). 

Come as you are. We’re ready when you are.

Thanks for submitting!

Forest Trees

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I live and practice on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, in what is traditionally called Tkaronto, covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

 

This land has long been a place of meeting and care for many Indigenous communities.I acknowledge the ongoing presence and stewardship of Indigenous peoples, and the lasting impacts of colonization and systemic violence.

 

As a settler and uninvited guest, I commit to learning, unlearning, and working in solidarity toward justice, healing, and land back. I offer gratitude to the First Peoples for their teachings, and strive to honour their wisdom.​​

Land Aknowledgement

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