Mindfulness-based therapy in Ontario, online
Mindfulness helps you notice where your attention goes and gently bring it back, without forcing you to turn inward before you’re ready.
- Online across Ontario
- Secure video
- Free 15-minute call first
- CRPO#17275
- Verified on
This may be the right fit if
- You have started meditating four times and stopped four times
- Closing your eyes makes things worse, and you assumed that meant you were doing it wrong
- You arrive home with little memory of the drive
- Your attention goes where the fear is and won’t come back when you call it
- You are in the room and also two hours ahead of it, planning
None of this is a diagnosis, and you don’t need to identify with all of it. If one line rings true, that’s enough to start a conversation.
Not sure this is the right approach for you?
If something above rings true, that’s enough to start a conversation. Working out which approach makes sense is something we can figure out together. You don’t have to settle that before getting in touch.
Book a free 15-minute callFifteen minutes, free, with nothing to prepare and no obligation to book sessions.
Mindfulness involves learning to notice where your attention goes, how easily it moves, and whether you can intentionally bring it back.
The goal isn’t to have a quiet mind. It’s to develop more awareness of what is happening without immediately getting pulled into it or having to act on every thought.
Why does meditation make me feel worse?
A common meditation instruction is to close your eyes, turn your attention inward, and stay with whatever arises. For some people, particularly when there is significant anxiety, trauma, or dissociation, turning inward can initially make things feel more intense rather than more settled.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing it wrong. It may mean the practice needs to be adapted.
We might begin with your eyes open, attention directed toward your surroundings, or very short periods of practice. You might notice the weight of your hands, sounds in the room, or something solid beneath you before turning your attention toward internal sensations.
And you are always allowed to stop. Noticing that a practice isn’t helping is useful information, not a failure.
What do we practise in sessions?
Mindfulness becomes part of the session when it is useful.
We might notice that your jaw tightened halfway through a sentence, that your attention moved from experiencing a memory to explaining it, or that a particular thought appeared just as something difficult came closer.
The goal isn’t fewer thoughts. It’s becoming more able to notice a thought as a thought, rather than automatically treating it as a fact or instruction.
Grounding can help when your attention is difficult to bring back. Over time, the same capacity extends into the patterns you notice across days and weeks.
“If closing your eyes makes it worse, that is information about the instruction, not about you.”
Anjana Iyer, Registered Psychotherapist
What will the work look like?
Finding out what your attention actually does
We start simply. What happens when you spend a short amount of time noticing something without trying to change it? You may discover that your attention wanders, speeds up, scans for problems, or moves away from certain sensations. That’s useful information.
A practice that suits your particular system
If meditation has been difficult, we don’t automatically begin with eyes closed and attention turned inward. External anchors may come first: sound, sight, the weight of your hands, or the feeling of your feet on the floor.
Very short, very often
Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean sitting for twenty minutes every day. Short, repeatable practices can make it easier to build the skill into ordinary life. We find a version that you are actually likely to use rather than one that looks impressive on paper.
Adding difficult material in measured amounts
Once you have more confidence in directing and returning your attention, we can gradually bring that skill toward more difficult thoughts, emotions, or experiences. The goal is not to force yourself to stay with something overwhelming. It’s to learn that you have choices about where and how you place your attention.
Using it where it counts
In the middle of an argument. In the ten seconds before you reply to the email. At four in the afternoon when the day has gone differently than planned.
This is the usual order rather than a schedule. People move back and forth through these phases, and spending longer developing the basic skill is completely normal.
Questions people ask before they book
Can mindfulness make anxiety worse?
It can. Turning attention inward can increase awareness of uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations, and some people find that initially increases anxiety or disconnection. That’s why mindfulness in therapy needs to be adapted to the person. We can use external anchors, keep practices brief, keep your eyes open, or pause when a practice isn’t helping.
Is mindfulness therapy the same as meditation?
No. Meditation is one way of practising mindfulness. In therapy, mindfulness can also mean developing the ability to notice what is happening in your body, thoughts, emotions, and relationships as it happens. Some people find meditation helpful. Others never develop a formal meditation practice and still use mindfulness as part of their therapy.
I can’t clear my mind. Am I doing it wrong?
No. Clearing your mind isn’t the goal. The practice is noticing where your attention went and bringing it back. The moment you realise you’ve wandered is actually part of the practice. A session full of noticing and returning isn’t a failed session. That’s the exercise.
Why pay for therapy when mindfulness apps are free?
If an app is helping you, keep using it. Apps can be useful for learning and maintaining a practice. Therapy offers something different: a person who can notice what happens when a particular practice doesn’t work for you, adapt it, and help you apply the skill to the situations that actually bring you to therapy. Fees are on the fees and insurance page, and the 15-minute call is free.
Other approaches that may be part of the work
These are some of the approaches that may sit alongside mindfulness-based work. Any of them can become more central depending on what you’re experiencing and what we’re working toward.
Recommended by other therapists
Registered psychotherapists are not permitted to publish client testimonials in Ontario, and I would not want to. These are endorsements from other registered therapists, left publicly on my Psychology Today profile.
Anjana brings something rare to her work: a trauma-informed, somatic approach grounded in EMDR and genuine attunement. She holds clients through the kind of healing that goes beyond the surface. A colleague I refer to with confidence.
Blanca Alagon
Registered Psychotherapist
Anjana is a thoughtful, compassionate, and highly skilled psychotherapist. She brings warmth, professionalism, and genuine care to her work, creating a supportive space where clients can feel understood and empowered to make meaningful change.
Max Tkachenko
Registered Psychotherapist, MEd, C-EFIT
Anjana is a compassionate therapist who supports adults with anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and burnout. She brings a calm, steady presence and offers a culturally aware space where clients can reflect and move toward healing.
Kamakshi Marwah
Registered Psychotherapist, MA, MSc
Can you see me where I live?
Yes, if you’re in Ontario. Sessions are held online, so you can work with me from wherever you are in the province, including Durham Region, York Region, Halton, Barrie, Guelph, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
All you need is a private space where you can talk freely and an hour that belongs to you.
What happens next?
A free 15-minute call.
No preparation, no obligation, and nothing to book during the call. It’s a chance to tell me a little about what’s bringing you in, ask questions, and hear how I work.
If you’d rather look at the practical details first, you can read about fees, insurance, and the other concerns I work with.