Jessica Anastasi, RP (Qualifying)

About Jessica

I believe that every person is doing their best to navigate the many components of this journey called “life.” When I think of therapy, I imagine someone in a canoe. As they row forward, they may encounter challenging weather and water conditions. Navigating these unexpected circumstances requires thinking outside the box so they can stay the course and reach their destination. As they come to the end of their journey, they gain new insights and perspectives because of both the challenges and beauty encountered along the way. I am here to row with you on this journey, entering the unknown together.

As humans, we are always trying to make meaning out of life. Each stage of the journey and each relationship can help us develop our own unique worldview, which can help us find greater meaning and purpose for ourselves and our communities. I support my clients in navigating the circumstances they’re working through by exploring these questions of meaning.

I have always been passionate about holding space for others, whether it’s taking time to chat with a stranger in a grocery store, or genuinely asking how a retail employee is doing in the mall, or sitting with a lonely person in high-school whom I had never met before.

My approach to therapy is genuine and authentic. I provide a safe, warm, approachable, and non-judgemental space for my clients to explore their thoughts and feelings. I use an integrative approach to therapy with emphasis on person-centered, collaborative, solution-focused, strength-based, and narrative therapy approaches. I believe that you are the expert of your own life and I am here to step into your world with you. Together, we can process and reflect while fostering self-compassion and developing insights toward your goals.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me. Using the links on this page, you can book a session or a free 15-minute phone consultation. Even if you and I are not the right fit, I would be happy to help you find the right therapist for you.

Jessica’s Story

For most of my life, I succumbed to people-pleasing in order to maintain peace, while assuming responsibility for the happiness of everyone within my circle. I thrived off of external validation and allowed any validating encounters to guide me and influence my decisions. The journey of discovering my individuality and purpose began a couple of years after my Mom passed away when I was 19 years old. Losing my mom was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life, and for a

long time I lived in a place of shock and denial. Thankfully, after her passing I found a therapist who supported me in developing new insights and awareness about the roles I play in my life, while also supporting me to cope with my grief. I continued to finish my undergraduate studies, though I felt somewhat on autopilot through it all; I was merely living, but not necessarily present or self-aware.

Fast-forward to my undergraduate graduation, where I have a vivid memory of being overwhelmed by feelings of deep sorrow, emptiness, and lack of purpose after collecting my degree and walking off the stage. These feelings persisted for quite some time. During this time of emptiness, I felt extremely lost and lonely in my struggle with grief, shame, guilt, and hopelessness, repeatedly finding myself stuck in a negative cycle of unknowns. I kept trying to move forward in life, but frequently found myself caught in the vicious cycle of external validation and seeking purpose in others. This pattern impacted every area of my life, including my career, my relationships, and my health and fitness, as I kept ending up in a place of emptiness and lack of personal fulfillment.

After graduation, I decided to take a break from school, found a job in a field completely unrelated to my undergraduate studies, and started to make decisions based on what made me happy, even though this disappointed many people within my circles. Nonetheless, this new job provided me with countless opportunities to grow, to develop others, and most importantly, it encouraged me to grow and invest in myself. This job introduced me to my natural strengths in supporting others and helping them achieve their goals, while helping to foster new insights and learnings along the way.

During the pandemic, I really slowed down and decided to reflect on my passions and what I wanted for my future. After speaking with peers in the field of psychotherapy, I decided that becoming a Registered Psychotherapist was where I was next called to. I feel an innate passion to be of service to others and I am so grateful that my journey has led me here, even as I continue to work on breaking old patterns of thought and vicious cycles that lead me to places not meant for me. Recently going through a divorce is one example, as this experience shook me and pushed me to continue to check in with myself and set personal boundaries, in order to remember that there is room for me in all of my decisions. At the end of the day, if not for the hardships that I have experienced, I would not be where I am today, as I continue to live into the best version of myself. I find grounding in the saying, “Be human,” which reminds me to practice self-compassion on my journey and to honour the fact that we are all allowed to learn and to rewrite our story anytime, no matter where we are on our own journey. There is room for you too!

Therapy with Jessica

In our first session together, we will often cover three main topics: (1) Background information (e.g., who you are, what your life is like, key/significant moments); (2) Then we will cover your main concerns and what brought you to therapy; lastly, (3) we will discuss your goals for therapy and begin to work toward them. Subsequent sessions are an opportunity to dive deeper into your chosen areas of focus. After the first session, where things are a bit more structured, I want you to feel you are in charge of leading the way in therapy. I will continue to support you from a place of curiosity, mindfulness, reflection, validation, and challenge, while helping to keep you accountable to your goals.